Setting up and using your HUAWEI FreeArc/FreeClip/FreeBuds series earbuds

Applicable products： HUAWEI FreeBuds 5i，HUAWEI FreeBuds SE 3，HUAWEI FreeBuds 6i，HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 3，HUAWEI FreeBuds 3i，HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i，HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 2，HUAWEI FreeBuds SE 2，HUAWEI FreeBuds SE，HUAWEI FreeBuds SE 4 ANC，HUAWEI FreeBuds 4E，HUAWEI FreeArc，HUAWEI FreeBuds 5，HUAWEI FreeBuds 6，HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 Wired Charging Case，HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4，HUAWEI FreeBuds 3，HUAWEI FreeBuds 4，HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro，HUAWEI FreeClip，HUAWEI FreeBuds Lipstick
Applicable system: Unrelated to OS version
Applicable products：
Applicable system:
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Setting up and using your HUAWEI FreeArc/FreeClip/FreeBuds series earbuds

Your HUAWEI earbuds can be used to listen to music, make calls, and so much more. For details about setting up FreeLace series earbuds, see How to set up and use the HUAWEI FreeLace series earbuds.

 
  • The earbuds and charging case do not need to be powered on or off. To preserve power, simply place the earbuds in the charging case, and close the case. It is recommended that you charge the charging case on a regular basis.
  • When the earbuds are connected to a TV or PC, you can use shortcuts of the Bluetooth earbuds to play/pause audio, or switch between tracks.

Connecting to your TWS earbuds

  1. Place the earbuds in the charging case, keep the case open, and then press and hold the Function button for at least 2 seconds until the indicator on the charging case flashes white, which indicates that the earbuds have entered Pairing mode. If you are using FreeBuds SE 2, touch and hold the touch control area on both earbuds for at least 3 seconds.
  2. On your phone/tablet, go to Settings > Bluetooth and tap the name of the earbuds in the device list to pair with the earbuds.
    Figure 1. FreeBuds 4E
    Figure 2. FreeBuds SE 4 ANC
    Figure 3. FreeBuds SE 2 earbuds

    If you are using the FreeBuds SE 2 earbuds to make a call, play audio, watch a video, or use any other service on another device, first pause the service or disconnect from Bluetooth.

Smart wear detection

If your earbuds support Smart wear detection, your phone/tablet is able to detect the wearing status of the earbuds and automatically pause audio playback or switch between audio channels during calls. For more information, refer to Smart wear detection of HUAWEI earbuds.

Gesture shortcuts

  1. To enable gesture shortcuts, open the AI Life/HUAWEI Audio Connect app, access the earbuds card, and tap Gestures.

    HUAWEI Audio Connect is currently supported only on iOS devices. For details, see Introduction to the features and usage of the HUAWEI Audio Connect app.

  2. For details about the default shortcuts for the earbuds, refer to Table 1, Table 2, and Table 3. You can set more control shortcuts such as next track, previous track, and wake up the voice assistant for the left and right earbuds, as follows:
Table 1. Switching between noise cancellation modes

Feature

Shortcut

Model

Switch between noise cancellation modes

Pinch the touch control area on the earbud handle

FreeBuds Pro 4/FreeBuds Pro 3/FreeBuds Pro 2/FreeBuds Pro

Touch and hold the earbud handle

FreeBuds 6/FreeBuds 5/FreeBuds 4

FreeBuds 6i/FreeBuds 5i

Touch and hold the earbud handle

FreeBuds SE 4 ANC

Touch and hold the earbud

FreeBuds 4i/FreeBuds 3i

Double-tap the left earbud

FreeBuds 3
Table 2. Audio controls

Feature

Shortcut

Model

Play/Pause audio

If no music app is running in the background on your phone/tablet, a gesture may trigger automatic music playback, which is normal. Please rest assured.

Double-tap

FreeBuds Pro 4

FreeArc/FreeClip

FreeBuds 6/FreeBuds 5/FreeBuds 4

FreeBuds 6i/FreeBuds 5i/FreeBuds 4i/FreeBuds 3i

FreeBuds SE 4 ANC/FreeBuds SE 3/FreeBuds SE 2/FreeBuds SE

FreeBuds Lipstick

FreeBuds 4E

Pinch once

FreeBuds Pro 4/FreeBuds Pro 3/FreeBuds Pro 2/FreeBuds Pro

Double-tap the right earbud

FreeBuds 3/FreeBuds 2/FreeBuds 2 Pro/FreeBuds/FreeBuds Lite

FlyPods/FlyPods Pro/FlyPods Lite

Play previous/next track

 
  • FreeBuds 4E, FreeBuds 4, and FreeBuds 3 support only the double-tap gesture.
  • Other earbuds: You can set shortcuts for more controls (such as playing the next/previous track or waking up the voice assistant).

Double-tap/Triple-tap

FreeBuds Pro 4

FreeArc/FreeClip

FreeBuds 6/FreeBuds 5/FreeBuds 4/FreeBuds 3

FreeBuds 6i/FreeBuds 5i

FreeBuds SE 4 ANC/FreeBuds SE 3/FreeBuds SE 2

FreeBuds 4E

Pinch twice to play the next track, or pinch three times to play the previous track

FreeBuds Pro 4/FreeBuds Pro 3/FreeBuds Pro 2/FreeBuds Pro

Adjust volume

 
  • FreeClip: This feature is disabled by default. To enable this feature, you will need to enable the gesture-based volume adjustment feature first by performing the following:
    • Open the AI Life app, access the earbuds card, and go to Experimental features > Adjust volume > Tap steadily to adjust the volume.
    • Open the HUAWEI Audio Connect app, access the earbuds card, and go to Device settings > Experimental features > Adjust volume > Tap steadily to adjust the volume.
  • FreeBuds SE 3: To enable this feature, you will need to enable the gesture-based volume adjustment feature first. To do so, open the AI Life/HUAWEI Audio Connect app, access the earbuds card, and go to Gestures > Pinch.

Swipe up or down to turn the volume up or down

FreeBuds Pro 4/FreeBuds Pro 3/FreeBuds Pro 2/FreeBuds Pro

FreeBuds 6/FreeBuds 5/FreeBuds 4

FreeBuds 6i/FreeBuds 5i

FreeBuds Lipstick

FreeBuds 4E

Touch and hold during a service (media/call)

FreeBuds SE 3

Swipe forward or backward to turn the volume up or down

FreeArc

Touch and hold the Acoustic Ball to turn the volume up, or touch and hold the Comfort Bean to turn the volume down

FreeClip

Tap during a service (media/call):

  1. Tap the touch control area of the earbuds five times in quick succession until you hear a custom tone, which indicates that the earbuds have entered volume adjustment mode.
  2. In volume adjustment mode, you can tap the touch control area of the earbuds steadily to adjust the volume. A one-second tap adjusts the volume by one bar, with each gesture adjusting up to five bars.

FreeBuds SE 4 ANC

 
  • The interval between taps must be less than 0.5s.
  • By default, tapping the left earbud turns the volume down, and tapping the right earbud turns the volume up.
Table 3. Controls for incoming calls

Feature

Shortcut

Model

Answer/End a call

FreeBuds 3: Double-tap either earbud to answer a call; double-tap the right earbud to end a call.

Double-tap

FreeBuds Pro 4

FreeBuds 6/FreeBuds 5/FreeBuds 4

FreeBuds 6i/FreeBuds 5i/FreeBuds 4i/FreeBuds 3i

FreeArc/FreeClip

FreeBuds Lipstick

FreeBuds 4E

FreeBuds SE 4 ANC/FreeBuds SE 3/FreeBuds SE 2/FreeBuds SE

FreeBuds 2 Pro/FreeBuds 2/FreeBuds Lite/FreeBuds

FlyPods 3/FlyPods Pro/FlyPods Lite

Pinch once

FreeBuds Pro 4/FreeBuds Pro 3/FreeBuds Pro 2/FreeBuds Pro

Reject a call

The touch and hold gesture is set to None by default on FreeBuds SE 2. You can set the touch and hold gesture to reject incoming calls in the AI Life/HUAWEI Audio Connect app.

Touch and hold

FreeBuds 6/FreeBuds 5/FreeBuds 4

FreeBuds 6i/FreeBuds 5i

FreeArc

FreeBuds Lipstick

FreeBuds 4E

FreeBuds SE 2

Pinch twice

FreeBuds Pro 4/FreeBuds Pro 3/FreeBuds Pro 2/FreeBuds Pro

You can use the earbuds to answer, reject, or end phone calls, but the earbuds cannot be used to answer, reject, or end Internet calls (such as calls from WeChat and QQ).

Charging TWS earbuds

  1. The charging case can be charged with a charger, mobile power bank, or computer through a USB Type-C cable. To ensure charging efficiency and safety, use a HUAWEI standard charger and charging cable based on the charging requirements of the earbuds.
  2. Place the earbuds in the charging case and close the case to start charging the earbuds.
  3. Learn more about charging here.
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