How AirPods Head Gestures Reject Calls in iOS 18

With the release of iOS 18, Apple introduced hands-free Siri Interactions for AirPods, allowing users to control incoming calls and notifications simply by moving their head. Shaking your head from side to side rejects an incoming phone call, while nodding up and down accepts it. This hands-free functionality relies on onboard motion sensors combined with real-time machine learning to detect deliberate physical movements, eliminating the need to speak out loud or touch your device.

The feature is powered by the accelerometers and gyroscopes built into the AirPods. These sensors continuously monitor spatial orientation, tracking subtle changes along the yaw and pitch axes. When an incoming call arrives, the system actively listens for directional movement patterns. A deliberate horizontal shake mimics a natural "no" gesture, which the software recognizes as a dismissal command.

To prevent accidental call rejections caused by everyday activities like walking, running, or checking your surroundings, the H2 chip processes the sensor data using advanced machine learning models trained specifically on human gestures. The algorithm filters out ambient head movements and only triggers an action when the gesture clearly matches a deliberate side-to-side shake within the active notification window.

For the feature to work, Siri must be configured to announce incoming calls. When your phone rings, Siri announces the caller's name and listens for your physical response. Shaking your head dismisses the announcement, hangs up the incoming line, or sends the caller straight to voicemail, depending on your carrier and phone settings.

This capability is supported on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 paired with an iPhone running iOS 18. You can verify or enable the setting by opening the Settings app on your iPhone, selecting your connected AirPods, navigating to the "Siri Interactions" menu, and turning on "Head Gestures."