Find the hidden functions in your Apple earbuds

Click the center button to switch to an incoming call while putting the current call on hold. Hold the button down for two seconds to end the new call and switch back.

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Find the hidden functions in your Apple earbuds

July 14, 2013

By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2013, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2013, The Post-Standard

Apple's remote-control earbuds let you raise or lower the volume while your iPhone stays in your pocket. You can also pause the music.

Is that cool or what?

Not cool, actually. A better idea would be remote-control earbuds that would let you fast-forward or rewind your music, easily skip ahead or back and maybe even answer a phone call, right from a push-button on the earbud cable. And it would be great if you could hang up or -- let's dream a little here -- send an incoming call to voicemail, all with a press of that button.

That would be really cool. If you agree, I've got news for you. Your Apple remote-control earbuds will do all this already. And more.

The remote earbuds I'm referring to are white, with a protuberance on one of the cables that hides a controller. The controller can be clicked at either end or in the middle. The controls might seem simple, but Apple gave them more bells and whistles than a Congressional pork-barrel bill.

Here are the functions:

Play: Click the center button. Click again to Pause.

Volume up: Click the "+" button.

Volume down: Click the "-" button.

Pause: Click the center button once. Click again to resume.

Fast-forward: Click and hold the center button.

Rewind: Double click the center button, holding the button down after the second click.

Skip selection: Double click.

Go back to the previous selection: Triple click.

Answer the phone: Click once to answer; click again to hang up.

Ignore an incoming call: Click and hold the button.

Conference mode: Click the center button to switch to an incoming call while putting the current call on hold. Hold the button down for two seconds to end the new call and switch back.

Shutter release: Run your camera app and click Volume + to take a picture.

All functions except phone controls also work with the iPad. And for those who don't like Apple's high prices, here's more good news: You don't need Apple-branded remote earbuds; any others with the same kind of control buttons should be fine.