Is there a way to keep music playing in your airpods when you take one out of your ear?

Gus's post answer's the question: That's not the way the AirPods are designed to work if you have auto-detection turned on. However, if you hold the one you take out of your ear in your closed hand, the music will keep playing through both.

Or, turn auto-detection off. That's also explained in Gus's post.

A work around that may work for you I just discovered is to set the ear you are most likely to leave in to "play/pause" on double tap. Then when you remove the ear you are most likely to remove you can just double tap the one you left in to restart music. Annoying, because if the extra step , but it is a work around until Apple offers a "play music until both pods removed" option.

There's a really simple solution--just put it in the case. I just bought a pair, this works for either ear.

AdamH84 wrote:

Not a satisfactory one Lawrence. Ideally why wouldn’t 1 stop playing when you take it out of your ear and one keep playing without having to hold it in your hand or turning off the auto ear detection. Just saying the feature is good but a bit annoying you can’t take one bud out.

Presumably because Apple thought that you would take one out to have a conversation or listen to something important around you, where sound in the other ear would be distracting. I find that it’s no problem just to hold it with your finger over the light sensor if I want the in ear pod to keep playing. You’ve go to hold it somewhere, why not there?

Hello,

Turn Automatic Ear Detection on or off

By default, AirPods sense when they're in your ear and receive the audio from your device. AirPods also pause and resume playback when you remove one of your AirPods, or stop playback—and won't resume—when you remove both. When you have Automatic Ear Detection on and you're not wearing your AirPods, audio plays through your device's speakers.

When you turn off Automatic Ear Detection, these features are off and all audio plays to your AirPods whether or not you're wearing them.

Adjust the features of your AirPods

Open the AirPod Case, then go to Settings > Bluetooth on your iOS device. Tap next to your AirPods in the list of devices.

More info here:

Learn more about your AirPods with charging case - Apple Support

This reply ignores the question that was asked. I understand that when auto ear detection is on, it should play to the headphones, but why do both headphones turn off when you remove one ear? It should keep playing through the other ear. Can that be set up or is that beyond the AirPods capability?

Not a satisfactory one Lawrence. Ideally why wouldn’t 1 stop playing when you take it out of your ear and one keep playing without having to hold it in your hand or turning off the auto ear detection. Just saying the feature is good but a bit annoying you can’t take one bud out.

AdamH84 wrote:

I have the same issue. Kind of annoying really

Submit your feedback to Apple here:

Product Feedback - Apple

I have the same issue. Kind of annoying really

AdamH84 wrote:

I have the same issue. Kind of annoying really

If you read the other messages above they provide an answer.