Safety Mode

The AirPods Pro offer Transparency Mode, which provides some noise cancellation but allows a level of background noise if you want to listen for certain audio cues (the sound of cars or kids, for example).

There are rumors Apple intends to tweak this technology for a greater focus on safety so that AirPods can identify strange or possibly dangerous sounds around the user and alert them or lower sound levels so they can pay better attention.

This safety tech – which we’re calling Safety Mode (because that just makes sense) – could be a great compromise for the AirPods. It’s not exactly noise cancellation, but it is a nice benefit for those listening to loud music who may not be aware of everything in their environment.