AirPods Pro will let you answer calls by nodding your head

You’ll soon be able to answer or reject phone calls with a nod or shake of your head, Apple said Monday.

AirPods Pro will gain the ability to answer calls or reject them by silently nodding or shaking your head, Apple said during Monday’s WWDC keynote.

AirPods Pro to get hands-free yes or no gestures

There are already several ways to answer or reject iPhone calls using accessories like Apple Watch, which can silence incoming calls by placing your hand over the watch’s screen.

Now, Apple is adding similar capability to AirPods Pro using the earbuds’ built-in gyroscopes.

“For those instances when you may not want to speak out loud in response to Siri, like on the bus to work, or in those places that are a little too crowded, we’ve created the ability to simply nod your head yes, or gently shake your head no to interact,” said Ron Huang, VP, Sensing and Connectivity.

Apple showed a video of a man in a crowded elevator receiving a call, which is announced over his AirPods Pros. Siri asks the man if he wants to take the call, and he responds by shaking his head. The call goes unanswered.

Apple did not say when the feature would be available, or if it would be coming to other Apple or Beats headphones or earbuds. It appears, however, to be a feature exclusive to AirPods Pro.

AirPods get better voice isolation

Apple also said AirPods will get better voice isolation when taking calls in windy conditions, or when there are loud background noises.

“To ensure your voice will sound crystal clear, no matter your environment, we’re bringing voice isolation to AirPods Pro powered by advanced computational audio,” said Huang.

Again, Apple showed a demo video of a woman making a call while passing a loud construction site. The person she’s talking to says her voice is perfectly clear, and he appears not to hear any background noise.

Personalized Spatial Audio to include gaming

Apple will also expand Personalized Spatial Audio to include gaming. Personalized Spatial Audio anchors audio to a precise location in space, so it appears to come from the same location when the user moves their head.

“You’ll be in the middle of the action like never before,” said Huang.

Apple will make a new API (application Program Interface) available to game developers to build personalized spatial audio into their titles.

Tencent Games popular Need for Speed mobile game will be one of the first titles with personalized spatial audio, coming this fall.