With the new Surface Earbuds from Microsoft, you can control your music or calls using tap gestures. The tap of the ear gestures can even control your Outlook emails and other Microsoft 365 apps.
The first foray of Microsoft into the True Wireless Earbuds arena is getting quite a following. Users use it for everyday listening including productivity tasks bolstered by its direct integration with Microsoft Office.
The Surface Earbuds is designed to have a touchpad within its circular body. It allows users to easily control their earbuds with the touch of a finger. Common playback controls for music can be done using certain gestures such as play, pause, skip, and volume.
There’s just a lot you can do with the Surface Earbuds touch gestures. But sometimes all these gesture combinations can be confusing, that’s why we listed everything you’ll need in this guide.
How to Use Surface Earbuds Touch Gestures
When connected via Bluetooth, the touch gestures work on Android, iOS, and Windows 10 devices. It contains some combination of taps and swipes to perform certain actions.
They work not only for playback controls and calls but you can also access your device’s own digital assistant including Cortana, Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. Android users also have a direct Spotify integration.
- Touch surface
- Silicone ear tips
- Charging case
- LED
- Pair button
List of all Surface Earbuds Touch Gestures
- Play or Pause – Double tap the touch surface on either earbud
- Answer or End Call – Double tap the touch surface on either earbud
- Skip Forward Track – Swipe Forward on Left Earbud
- Skip Back Track – Swipe Back on Left Earbud
- Volume Up – Swipe Up on Right Earbud
- Volume Down – Swipe Down on Right Earbud
- Hail Digital Assistant – Tap and Hold
- Instantly play Spotify (Android only) – Triple tap the touch surface on either side
List of Surface Earbuds Outlook ‘Play My Emails’ Gestures
The Microsoft Surface Earbuds also have specific gestures for the new Play My Emails feature for Outlook. Launch by recently, this feature is available on iOS and uses the Cortana natural language and AI to read your emails aloud.
- Play / Pause Message – Double tap the touch surface on either earbud
- Skip To Next Message – Swipe Forward on Left Earbud
- Skip To Previous Message – Swipe Back on Left Earbud
- Message Volume Up – Swipe Up on Right Earbud
- Message Volume Down – Swipe Down on Right Earbud
That’s it! Do you find these Surface Earbuds touch gestures convenient? Do they allow you to be even more productive? Let us know in the comments section below.