How to use your Fairbuds XL

The Fairbuds XL headphones provide premium sound that is sustainably designed with care for people and planet. The Fairbuds XL are made from fair and recycled materials, with a design to last you a long time and easily repair if it's ever needed. To learn more about how we designed the Fairbuds XL to be fair and climate conscious, click here.

Fairbuds XL provide you with:

  • Superior sound quality and Active Noise Cancelling (ANC).
  • Two-point Bluetooth connection.
  • A battery that can last up to 30 hours.
  • Sweat and weather resistance with an IP54 certification.
  • Sound app compatibility.

 

Table of contents:

 

 


Video Instructions

 


How do I turn the Fairbuds XL on or off?

  1. Push and hold the joystick at the back of the right earcap for 3 seconds.
  2. You'll hear a sound when the headphones power on or power off.

 


How do I charge the Fairbuds XL?

The Fairbuds XL charge when connected with a standard USB-C cable. You can find a charging (and analog listening) cable on the Fairphone Online Shop.

We recommend a power output of 5V - 0.5A.

  • The battery has a 750mAh capacity and is located in the Left Speaker.
  • Battery life: 26 hours (with ANC activated) and 30 hours with ANC off.
  • Charging time: 2.5 hours for a full charge.

 


How do connect to the Fairbuds XL via Bluetooth?

You can connect the headphones to your phone or any other device via Bluetooth Bluetooth_icon.png.

In general, the Fairbuds XL are compatible with any device with Bluetooth using codecs ACC, SBC, APTX and APTX HD. They support Bluetooth version 5.1 (not Bluetooth LE).

The Fairbuds XL are compatible with all Fairphones, even Fairphone 1, as well as other brands.

 


How do I pair the Fairbuds XL with a new device?

  1. Turn on the Fairbuds XL by pushing in the joystick toggle and holding for 3 seconds.
  2. (On Android) Open the Bluetooth menu via SettingsConnected devicesPair new device.
  3. The earbuds should automatically show up as Fairbuds XL.
  4. Tap Fairbuds XL to connect.
  5. You will hear a voice notification via the headphones that says Connected.

After pairing the first time, you can switch off your Fairbuds XL and when turning them on again they will automatically connect.

If you can not pair your headphones, make sure they are not linked to another active device. If so, disconnect them by turning off Bluetooth on the device or even unpair the device(s).

 

With dual point connectivity, you can connect up to two devices simultaneously.

Just press the ANC button for 3 seconds again, until you hear that familiar “Pairing Mode" prompt, then select the Fairbuds XL on your device to switch seamlessly between your two connected devices.

 


How do I unpair the Fairbuds XL from a device?

To clear the pairing records or reset your Fairbuds XL:

  • (On Android) Open the Bluetooth menu via SettingsConnected devices → Press the cogwheel to the right of Fairbuds XL. Press Forget and confirm.
  • To reset all settings on the headphones, press and hold the joystick button to the right for 5 seconds until you hear the confirmation.

In case of issues (like mono instead of stereo): please unpair the headphones and pair them again.

 


How do I connect to the Fairbuds XL via a cable?

If you prefer to use the headphones via cable, you can use a data-transfer USB-C cable. Wired listening does not require a charged battery.

  1. Connect the cable to the USB-C connector at the bottom of the right earcap.
  2. Connect the other side of the cable to the other device.

If the headphones aren't playing any sound, make sure they aren't connected via Bluetooth. You can turn off Bluetooth on your device or disconnect the device and headphones, so they communicate via the cable instead.

Note:
Some control features may not work if the headphones are not paired by Bluetooth.

 


What are the Fairbuds XL controls?

You can control your Fairbuds XL via the joystick and ANC buttons.

 

Controlling Calls

To accept and hang up calls, use the joystick button:

  • Press once to answer an incoming call.
  • Press and hold for 2 seconds to hang up an ongoing call.

 

Controlling Audio (music, podcasts)

To control audio, use the joystick button:

  • Press once to the right for the next song.
  • Press once to the left for the previous song.
  • Press the center of the joystick once to pause the audio.

  • Press the center of the joystick again to resume playback.

 

Adjusting Volume

To adjust the volume, use the joystick button:

  • Press and hold up to increase the volume.

  • Press and hold down to decrease the volume.

 

Active Noise Cancelling (ANC)

The Fairbuds XL have a dedicated button to drown out all distractions if things get a little noisy. Actively cancel out the noise with the ANC button above the joystick on the right earcap. A crisp “Noise-canceling” voice prompt will notify you of the active noise cancellation kicking in.

Press on the ANC button to switch to one of three different noise-canceling modes:

  • Activate noise-canceling (ANC activated) - ambient noise is canceled out.
  • Ambient Sound (Voice through) - keeps important sounds audible.
  • Active noise-canceling off - (ANC off).

 


Information on CE markings and Serial Number

For audio devices purchased before 31st May 2025, the CE marking and the administrative markings (model name, company name and address) are placed beneath the battery. The battery can be easily removed by following the instructions in our support article.  

You can find the markings on the Fairbuds XL, as seen below. 

FBXL-Green-Speaker-Unit-Left-FINAL_VA.png

You can find out if the Fairbuds XL were made before or after this change via the Serial Number (SN), which can be found in the battery compartment or on the original packaging. If the SN starts with H2, H3 or H4, it was produced before. If the SN starts with H5 or higher, it was produced after.

For more information on the markings you can read more here.

 


Frequently Asked Questions of Fairbuds XL

Go to Fairbuds XL - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)!

 


Quick Guide