If you have Apple AirPods but no iPhone, you won't be able to unleash the true potential of the critically-acclaimed TWS. AirPods with any Android smartphone enables basic functions, but that changes today. A new open-source app called LibrePods is changing the game. By reverse-engineering Apple's proprietary Bluetooth protocols, LibrePods unlocks nearly all of AirPods' premium features—on non-Apple devices, Android Authority reported.
Developed by programmer Kavish Devar, LibrePods tricks the AirPods into thinking they're connected to an Apple device by spoofing the Bluetooth Device Identification. Once that's done, it exposes features normally reserved for iPhones and Macs on Android devices. The programmer was able to unlock the following features:
- Noise control modes (ANC, Transparency, Off)
- Ear detection for auto-play/pause
- Conversational awareness (volume lowers when you speak)
- Head-gesture support (e.g., nodding to answer calls)
- Precise battery status for case and each bud
- Accessibility features, including a "hearing aid" mode
LibrePods is licensed under AGPL-3.0, meaning it's free, open-source, and community-driven. According to its GitHub page, the app supports all AirPods models; however, newer models, such as AirPods Max and the latest AirPods Pro, receive the most feature coverage. There are limits: for instance, the heart-rate monitor on AirPods Pro 3 isn't supported.
There's a catch
You don't get all of this for free in terms of system setup. On Android, LibrePods requires root access and typically uses frameworks like Xposed or Magisk to function properly. That's because of some limitations (or "bugs") in the Android Bluetooth stack: without root, the app can't spoof Apple's device ID correctly.
Indian developer reverse engineered the protocol that AirPods use to communicate with Apple devices and implemented those features on Android (and Linux) | pic.twitter.com/yUtwZrzG6a
— Prudhvi Reddy ⚡️ (@prudhvir3ddy) November 19, 2025
There are some exceptions, though: newer OnePlus or OPPO phones running OxygenOS or ColorOS 16 may get limited "out-of-the-box" functionality without root—but not all features, Android Authority reports.
On Linux, things are more flexible. LibrePods supports major features like ANC, ear detection, and accurate battery reporting.
As one developer put it, the project represents "the kind of reverse engineering Linux users are known for—turning closed, proprietary hardware into something more open, usable, and powerful."
