ALN - AirPods like Normal

Access AirPods' Apple-exclusive features on linux and android!

XDAForums Thread

Tested device(s)

• AirPods Pro 2

Other devices might work too! Features like ear detection and battery should be available for any AirPods! Although the app will show unsupported features/settings! I will not be able test any other devices than the ones I already have (i.e. the AirPods Pro 2).

Implemented Features

Feature	Linux	Android
Ear Detection	✅	✅
Battery Levels	✅	✅
Conversational Awareness	✅	✅
Changing Noise Control modes	✅	✅
Configure AirPods' Settings	❌	✅
Popup	❌	✅

Note

This just includes features that are already implemented for at least one of the platforms. There is no list for any planned features.

Linux

Check out the README file in linux folder for more info.

This tray app communicates with a daemon with the help of a UNIX socket. The daemon is responsible for the actual communication with the AirPods. The tray app is just a frontend for the daemon, that does ear-detection, conversational awareness, setting the noise-cancellation mode, and more.

Android

Screenshots

Installation

Currently, there's a bug in the Android Bluetooth stack that prevents the app from working (upvote the issue - click the '+1' icon on the top right corner of IssueTracker). This repository provides a workaround for the bug, specifically tested on Android 14 and Android 15 (stock versions).

Caution

This workaround requires root access to implement and it might not work on other android OEM skins. Try at your own risk!!

Workaround

Step 1: Download the Required Files

• Go to the first release.
• Download the required files depending upon your Android version - bt.sh, module.prop, and libbluetooth_jni-a14.so (for android 14) or libbluetooth_jni-a15.so (for android 15).

Step 2: Set Up the Directory Structure

• Use a file manager with root access (eg. Solid FIle Explorer or MT manager) or a shell (using adb, or a terminal app like Termux) and create a folder structure like this (upper and work are also folders):

/data/local/tmp/overlay:
upper
work

• Rename the appropriate file to libbluetooth_jni.so and place it in the upper folder

/data/local/tmp/overlay/upper:
libbluetooth_jni.so

• Create a duplicate of the overlay folder inside tmp and name it overlay2.

Step 3: Add the Boot Script

• Place the bt.sh script in /data/adb/post-fs-data.d/.
• This script ensures the fix is applied during system startup.

Step 4: Create a Magisk Module

• Create a btl2capfix folder in /data/adb/modules/ and copy the module.propinto the folder.

/data/adb/modules/btl2capfix:
module.prop

• Create system/lib64 under btl2capfix and copy the libbluetooth_jni.so into lib64

/data/adb/modules/btl2capfix/system/lib64:
libbluetooth_jni.so

Step 5: Verify the Fix

• Reboot your device.
• The Bluetooth bug should now be resolved.

Once the issue is resolved by Google developers or you've addressed it through the above root-based method, download and install the app-release.apk from the releases, and you're good to go!

Features

Renaming the Airpods

When you rename the Airpods using the app, you'll need to re-pair it with your phone. Currently, user-level apps cannot directly rename a Bluetooth device. After re-pairing, your phone will display the updated name!

Noise Control Modes

• Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Blocks external sounds using microphones and advanced algorithms for an immersive audio experience; ideal for noisy environments.
• Transparency Mode: Allows external sounds to blend with audio for situational awareness; best for environments where you need to stay alert.
• Off Mode: Disables noise control for a natural listening experience, conserving battery in quiet settings.
• Adaptive Transparency: Dynamically reduces sudden loud noises while maintaining environmental awareness, adjusting seamlessly to fluctuating noise levels.

Important

Due to recent AirPods' firmware upgrades, you must enable Off listening mode to switch to Off. This is because in this mode, louds sounds are not reduced!

Conversational Awareness

Automatically lowers audio volume and enhances voices when you start speaking, making it easier to engage in conversations without removing your AirPods.

Automatic Ear Detection

Recognizes when the AirPods are in your ears to automatically play or pause audio and adjust functionality accordingly.

Check out the packet definitions at AAP Definitions

License

AirPods like Normal (ALN) - Bringing Apple-only features to Linux and Android for seamless AirPods functionality! Copyright (C) 2024 Kavish Devar

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Affero General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License along with this program over here. If not, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/.