5 Useful Bose Headphone Settings You Need To Manually Enable

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Setting up a new pair of Bose headphones doesn’t take very long, and once they’re connected to your phone, it might even be tempting to close the Bose app and never open it again. However, doing that means you could be missing out on several useful settings that can improve your overall listening experience by doing things like reducing wind noise. Some of these settings, like the shortcut on the volume strip, are turned off by default, so they won’t do anything until you go into the app and set them up yourself. Others are already on, but the level Bose picks for them might not work for everyone, which is why it’s a good idea to check them at least once.

Depending on what model of Bose headphones you have, the list of options available to you can vary. Every one of the settings listed in this article should be available on newer headphones like the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen). In fact, if you have those particular headphones, then we definitely recommend giving these settings a try, as well as checking out some additional audio features every Bose headphones user should use, such as CustomTune and ActiveSense.

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Active noise cancellation can work really well on a plane or even in a loud office, but wind is a different problem altogether. If you’ve ever walked outside on a windy day with noise cancelling headphones on, you’ve probably heard the wind rumbling over your music. Bose has a Wind Block setting for this, but there isn’t a separate switch for it. Instead, Wind Block is one of the noise control options in custom modes, and you can save up to seven custom modes in the Bose app.

To make one, open Modes in the Bose app and tap the plus button under the list of modes. Bose will have you choose a name from a preset list instead of typing one, and then you can set the noise cancellation level, turn Wind Block on, and pick an Immersive Audio setting before you save it. After that, add the new mode to your favorites. Holding the multi-function button only cycles through favorite modes, so skipping that step means you’ll have to take your phone out every time you want to switch to Wind Block, which is exactly what adding it to your favorites helps you avoid.

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Every time you turn your headphones on, they default to Quiet mode, even if you were using a different mode when you turned them off. For people who mostly stick with Quiet anyway, that’s not an issue. If you spend most of your time using Aware mode or another custom mode you set up yourself, then you may find it annoying to swap back over to it every single time you put your headphones on.

Remember My Mode fixes this, but it’s a little hard to find. Open Modes in the Bose app and hit the small gear icon in the upper-right corner to find it. Once it’s turned on, the headphones will start in whatever mode you used last. If someone else in your house borrows your headphones, keep in mind that the headphones will then start in whatever mode that person used last.

Quiet mode isn’t always the best choice either. Turning noise cancellation down when you’re somewhere quieter is one of the ways to get the best audio out of your noise cancelling headphones, and with Remember My Mode turned on, the headphones will stay in that lighter mode the next time you turn them on.

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Not everyone likes their music to sound the same way. Some people want more bass, and others want less of it. You don’t need to go out and buy a whole new pair of headphones to change how your music sounds, as the Bose app has an adjustable EQ built right into it.

Bose actually recommends checking that your bass and treble aren’t set too high or too low first. From there, make small, gradual changes. We recommend doing it this way because if you change too much at once and then don’t like the result, it can be harder to figure out where you started.

If vocals start to sound harsh or tinny after you turn up the treble, you may want to read up on how much treble your headphone EQ should have for better audio quality. Sure, it might take a few tries to find a setting you like, but putting the EQ back where it started only takes a few seconds.

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One of the weirder things about taking calls with noise cancelling headphones on is that you can’t really hear yourself talk, and that can lead to you talking way louder than you need to without even noticing. That’s what Self Voice is for — it’s a feature your headphones turn on automatically whenever you’re on a call, and it lets you hear your own voice more naturally without having to pull an earcup off.

Because it’s on by default, there’s a good chance you’ve never even noticed it. If you don’t like the default level, you can always change it by selecting your headphones in the Bose app and then going to Settings > Self Voice. If you still can’t hear yourself well, turn it up. On the other hand, if hearing your own voice too loudly is distracting, turning it down should help. Now, if you are going to mess with it, try doing it on the phone with a friend or family member rather than in the middle of a work call, since it might take a few tries, since it might take two or three calls before the new level stops feeling weird.

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Sliding your finger along the volume strip on the right earcup changes the volume, but the headphones also have a shortcut that works when you touch and hold the same strip. Bose keeps this turned off by default, though, so if you’ve never set it up in the app, holding your finger on the strip isn’t going to do anything.

You can set the shortcut to start Spotify, bring up your phone’s voice assistant, cycle through the Immersive Audio settings, or tell you how much battery the headphones have left. If you listen to most of your music on Spotify, the Spotify option makes the most sense. If you consistently use your phone’s assistant to send texts and set reminders, then the voice assistant is probably going to be more useful here. However, it is important to note that voice control can’t be used during a call.

Setting it up is easy enough, as all you have to do is tap Shortcut on the main screen of the Bose app and pick the option you want. Plus, you can always go back and change it up again if you realize you don’t like it a few days later.