Battery at a glance everywhere
Left, right and case separately, with charging indicator. In the tile, the widget, the pop-up and the app.
Optimized for Google Pixel · free
Your AirPods. Finally at home on Android.
PodPilot shows the battery of your left and right earbud and the case, pops up a beautiful sheet when you open the lid, and switches noise cancellation, transparency and adaptive mode right from Quick Settings.
- Every AirPods generation
- No internet permission
- No ads
- No root
What PodPilot does
Everything you know from the iPhone – in your Pixel's look, with Material You and your system colors.
Quick Settings everywhere
One tile shows the battery, a second one cycles the noise mode. Long-press opens the control panel.
Pop-up when you open the case everywhere
Open the case near your phone and a bottom sheet with all battery levels slides up – just like on the iPhone.
Home screen widget everywhere
Small and frugal: it only updates when something actually changes – no background ticking.
Noise modes Android 16 QPR3
Off, noise cancellation, transparency and adaptive – whatever your model supports.
More settings Android 16 QPR3
Conversation awareness, personalized volume, ear detection with automatic pause, custom press-and-hold action and renaming your AirPods.
Supported models
PodPilot detects every AirPods generation automatically. Which features you get depends on the model and your Android version.
| Any Android 10+ | Android 16 QPR3+ | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Battery L/R/case | Connection pop-up | Tile & widget | Noise modes | Conversation awareness | Personalized volume | Ear detection | Customize controls | Rename |
| AirPods (1st gen) | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no | yes | yes | yes |
| AirPods (2nd gen) | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no | yes | yes | yes |
| AirPods (3rd gen) | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no | yes | yes | yes |
| AirPods 4 | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no | yes | yes | yes |
| AirPods 4 with ANC | yes | yes | yes | ANC · TR · AD | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| AirPods Pro (1st gen) | yes | yes | yes | ANC · TR | no | no | yes | yes | yes |
| AirPods Pro 2 (Lightning / USB‑C) | yes | yes | yes | ANC · TR · AD | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| AirPods Pro 3 | yes | yes | yes | ANC · TR · AD | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| AirPods Max (Lightning / USB‑C) | yes | yes | yes | ANC · TR | no | no | yes | yes | yes |
ANC = noise cancellationTR = transparencyAD = adaptive audio✓ = supported · – = not available on this model
Some features also depend on your AirPods' firmware. PodPilot asks your AirPods what they can do when they connect and hides the rest.
Why some features need Android 16 QPR3
AirPods talk to a phone in two ways:
1. They broadcast their status over Bluetooth Low Energy: model, battery levels and whether the case is open. Every Android phone from version 10 can read that – which is why battery, pop-up, tile and widget work everywhere.
2. Settings need a dedicated data channel to the AirPods. For a long time, regular Android apps were not allowed to open that channel – only with root. Starting with Android 16 QPR3, Android allows it without root. Google Pixel phones get this update first; other manufacturers follow with their own updates.
What does that mean for you?
- Pixel with the latest update: everything your model can do.
- Older Android or another brand: battery, pop-up, tile and widget. As soon as your phone gets the update, PodPilot unlocks the rest automatically.
- Nothing to configure: the app checks what works when your AirPods connect and explains it kindly if something is missing.
You'll find your Android version under Settings › About phone › Android version.
Set up in two minutes
First pair your AirPods once as usual in your phone's Bluetooth settings (open the case, hold the button on the back until the light flashes white). Then:
Quick Settings tile
- Swipe down twice from the top of the screen until you see all tiles.
- Tap the pencil icon (Edit).
- Scroll to the available tiles and find PodPilot and Noise control.
- Touch and hold a tile and drag it up to where you want it – ideally into the first four, so you see it after a single swipe.
- Done. A tap cycles the noise mode, a long-press opens the control panel.
Home screen widget
- Touch and hold an empty spot on your home screen.
- Tap Widgets and look for PodPilot.
- Drag the battery widget to where you want it.
Battery pop-up
- On first launch, allow the permissions PodPilot asks for – most importantly Nearby devices.
- Link your headphones once: Android shows a system dialog (“Connect PodPilot to your AirPods?”). Pick your AirPods and confirm. From then on Android tells the app on its own when they are connected.
- Open the case near your phone – the pop-up appears with all battery levels.
9:415G ▲ 87 %
AirPods ProL 82 % · R 85 % · Case 64 %
Noise controlAdaptive
BluetoothAirPods Pro
AirPods Pro
82
Left85
Right64
Case ⚡What PodPilot looks like
Nothing leaves your phone.
- No internet permission. PodPilot technically cannot send any data – you can verify that in the app details on Google Play.
- No account, no ads, no analytics, no crash reports to third parties.
- Bluetooth data stays local. Battery levels and settings are only processed on your device.
- This website sets no cookies, uses no trackers and loads no fonts from third-party servers.
All details: Privacy policy
Frequently asked questions
Do I need root?
No. PodPilot works entirely without root. On Android 10 to 16 QPR2 you get battery, pop-up, tile and widget; from Android 16 QPR3 you also get settings such as noise modes.
Does PodPilot work on Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus & co.?
Yes – battery display, pop-up, tile and widget run on every Android phone from Android 10. The extended settings depend on whether your manufacturer ships Android 16 QPR3 (or later) and doesn't restrict the Bluetooth channel. PodPilot checks this automatically and unlocks what works.
Tip for Samsung, Xiaomi and others: exclude PodPilot from battery optimization (Settings › Apps › PodPilot › Battery › “Unrestricted”), otherwise the system sometimes stops the app too early.
Why does the app ask for “Nearby devices”?
That's the name of Android's Bluetooth permission. PodPilot needs it to receive your AirPods' status signal (battery, case open) and to connect to them. The app does not ask for your location and has no internet access – so it can't know or share where you are.
How much battery does PodPilot use?
Practically none you'd notice. PodPilot only looks for your AirPods while they are connected to your phone, filters specifically for AirPods and uses Bluetooth's low-power mode. Without connected AirPods nothing runs in the background. No continuous scanning, no keeping your phone awake.
Why does Android ask on first launch whether PodPilot may connect to my AirPods?
That's the one-time link through Android's companion device feature. You pick your AirPods once, and from then on Android tells the app when they are connected. So battery levels and ear detection only run then – no permanently running background service and no persistent status-bar icon. Without the link, PodPilot only updates while the app is open.
Why do I see a notification while my AirPods are connected?
That's the silent battery notification – a convenience, not a requirement. It disappears as soon as you disconnect your AirPods and can be switched off in PodPilot under Settings › Battery notification. Tile, widget and pop-up keep working.
My model is detected incorrectly or not at all.
Check that Bluetooth is on, your AirPods are paired and PodPilot has the “Nearby devices” permission. More steps are on the support page.
Does PodPilot cost anything?
No. PodPilot is free, without in-app purchases and without ads.
Is PodPilot made by Apple?
No. PodPilot is an independent app by Geitau 21 GmbH & Co. KG and is not affiliated with Apple.