Icon ANC

ICON ANC USER GUIDE, TROUBLESHOOTING & FAQs

INITIAL POWER ON & CHARGING SUPPORT:

 Power On:

To power Icon ANC on for the first time, press and hold the power button for 1 second. The LED will pulse BLUE for 4 seconds when powered on.

To power your headphones off, press and hold the power button for 3 seconds. The LED will flash yellow 3 times when powered off.

Charging:

With ANC on, Icon ANC holds more than 50 hours of playtime.

With ANC off, Icon ANC holds more than 60 hours of playtime.

Every time you power your headphones on, the battery report will tell you how much battery life you have as a percentage. You can also check your battery life in the Skullcandy App or from your paired device.

To charge your headphones, use the provided USB-C cable. The LED that surrounds the power button will illuminate and pulse in different colors to indicate the headphone’s current charge level.

A pulsing amber LED means 0%-40%, pulsing white means 41%-90%, and solid white means they are 91%-100% charged.

Pulsing amber = 0%-40%

Pulsing white = 41%- 90%

Solid white = 91% - 100%

When your Icon ANC has about 45 minutes of play time remaining (about 15% charge), and again with about 20 minutes (8%) of playtime left, a voice prompt will notify you “Battery low.”

With our Rapid Charge feature, a 10-minute charge will provide more than 4 hours of battery play time.

Rapid Charge: 10 minutes = 4 hours

INITIAL PAIRING SUPPORT:

First-time pairing is even easier with Google Fast Pair for Android. After powering your headphones on, your Android device will automatically pull up a Pairing Screen. Just click ‘Connect’ and you’re paired.

Without Google Fast Pair, Bluetooth pairing is still very simple.

Quick Start Version: (When first powering on your headphones)

1. A tone and a blue LED will indicate that your headphones have powered on
2. A voice prompt will notify you of battery life
3. A voice prompt will say “ANC on”
4. Another voice prompt will then say “Ready to pair” as the LEDs will begin to pulse blue. You are now in Pairing Mode.
5. Open the Bluetooth Settings on your device and find ‘Icon ANC’ in your list of available devices

Another quick way to enter Pairing Mode when your headphones are off is to press and hold the power button for 3 seconds. Your Icon ANC will power on and enter directly into Pairing Mode.

LE Audio Compatibility:

If the next generation LE Audio technology is compatible and enabled on your device, Icon ANC will automatically determine if it can pair to LE Audio, or if it will pair to classic Bluetooth.

There will be many new features included with LE Audio in the future, but for now you can enjoy the improved battery life, wireless signal stability, and audio codec performance. 

Multipoint Pairing: Pair to a 2nd new device (after first time pairing, while headphones are powered on and connected)

This feature makes it possible to pair your headphones with two devices at once. The connection is managed automatically — you won’t need to do anything after pairing to the second device.

For example — while watching YouTube videos on your laptop, you can take a call on your phone without the hassle of disconnecting from one device to pair with another.

With your headphones powered on and connected to one device, you can pair to a second device by pressing the joystick Main Function Button for 3 seconds.

• The voice prompt will say “Ready to pair”
• The LEDs will pulse blue
• You can select the 2nd device to be paired from its Bluetooth list
• A voice prompt will say “Connected”

Once paired to the 2nd device, you will be able to seamlessly stream from either device as needed.

If desired, you can also disable Multipoint Pairing in the Skullcandy App.

Want to add a new device via Multipoint Pairing? (While already connected and paired to TWO devices)

• Simply enter into Pairing Mode while connected to the current two devices, and pair normally to the new device.
• Once connected to the newly added device, the device that was first paired to your Icon ANC will be disconnected and you are now paired to the two most recently paired devices via Multipoint.
• Note: After powering your headphones off and back on, the two most recently paired devices will always become the default Multipoint duo.

Streaming Audio with Multipoint:

• With your Icon ANC, you’re able to play audio from either paired device at any time, but they will not play simultaneously.
• For example, if you press play on one device while the other is streaming audio, the streaming device will automatically pause and the new device will begin to stream. No need to pause one before starting the other, the connection is managed automatically.

Streaming Audio + Phone Calls + Prompt Tones and Voice Assistant with Multipoint:

• With Icon ANC, if you’re streaming audio from one device and get a phone/Zoom call on the other, the streaming audio will automatically pause and the call device will take priority. 
• Once the call has ended, the audio will then resume on the previously streaming device.
• Similarly, if there is an important notification prompt tone from the device that is not currently streaming, the audio will pause briefly to notify the user, and then streaming will resume normally.
• If you happen to be on a call when another call comes in on the second device, you will always need to end the first active call before the second can be answered.
• You will not be able to have two active calls going at the same time. 
• If there are no active calls (and not streaming audio) on either device, the first call incoming or outgoing on either device will take priority.
• With your Icon ANC, the native Voice Assistant on either device cannot be activated during any sequence of active or outgoing calls, but CAN be activated from either device even if one is streaming audio.

QUICK START GUIDE - USER CONTROLS

Icon ANC has a new and improved Skullcandy headphones user interface that includes both a power button and a 5-direction Joystick Main function button to easily control all of your on-board controls.

• Play or pause your audio or answer a call: Press in the Joystick Multi-Function Button (JS MFB) once
• Turn ANC or Stay-Aware Mode ON/OFF: Press the power button twice
• Reject an incoming call or end an active call: Press in the JS MFB for 1 second
• Turn VOLUME UP: Press the JS MFB ^ up once
• Turn VOLUME DOWN: Press the JS MFB v down once
• Track FORWARD: Press the JS MFB > to the right once
• Track BACK: Press the JS MFB < to the left once
• Active your device’s local assistant: Press the JS MFB twice
• Directly launch Spotify®: Press in and hold the JS MFB for 1 second

GOOGLE FIND MY DEVICE

To make sure you never lose your headphones, Icon ANC comes with Google Fast Pair, which also includes the Find My Device feature. This makes it easy to locate, ring, and get directions to find your headphones if they are ever misplaced.

The Find My Device feature is easy to set up within your Google Account. Once your headphones are linked and saved to your account, simply log in and select ‘Icon ANC’ to locate and track in Google Maps. You can even signal them to ring if you’re close and want to hear them if they’re not visible.

SPOTIFY TAP™

We’ve partnered with Spotify to create an instant path to your music through a simple button press right out of the box.

Once you’ve paired your headphones to your device, press in and hold the JS MFB for 1 second, you’ll hear an ascending tone and will have instant playback through your Spotify app.

CLEAR VOICE SMART MIC

Icon ANC is equipped with Clear Voice Smart Mic. It uses artificial intelligence to isolate the speaker’s voice and reduce background noise.

Clear Voice Smart Mic is especially effective at eliminating discontinuous noise — the kind of background chatter you’d find in a crowded coffee shop or airport.

This means that whoever you’re speaking with, whether you’re on the move or sitting at your computer, will be able to clearly hear your voice in nearly any situation.

THE SKULLCANDY APP

To unlock and control all of the incredible Icon ANC features, scan the QR code found on the packaging or in your Quick Start Guide/User Guide, and download the Skullcandy app.

Once you have paired your headphones to your device, open the Skullcandy app and it will automatically link to your headphones.

You can use the app to:

• Customize and turn on/off the Adjustable ANC and Stay-Aware Modes
• Create your own Mimi® Personal Sound EQ profile
• Create your own Custom Button Functions
• Select preset EQ Modes (Music, Bass Boost, Podcast)
• Create and activate your Custom EQ Mode
• Toggle the Low-Latency Audio Mode on/off to improve performance for gaming or streaming your favorite videos
• Turn your buds into a camera remote with the Take Photo feature
• Deactivate Multipoint Pairing
• Access user guides and troubleshooting help

ADJUSTABLE ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLING AND STAY-AWARE MODE

Icon ANC features both Adjustable Active Noise Cancellation and Stay-Aware Mode. When you power on your headphones, ANC will be activated as the default.

A slider in the Skullcandy app allows you to customize your ANC and Stay-Aware Mode levels up or down to quiet the noise and focus on what you’re listening to, or amplify the sounds around you. Once adjusted in the app, your chosen level will remain through power cycles.

When you’re looking for some quiet, the Adjustable Active Noise-Cancelling feature tunes out the surrounding noise to let you hear your audio better.

Adjustable Stay-Aware mode is just the opposite. It’s especially useful when you want to hear more of your surroundings. Stay-Aware mode is great for busy environments or for working out because it increases your awareness of what’s around you.

To toggle between your ANC On, ANC Off, and Stay-Aware Mode, press the JS MFB 2 times. A voice prompt will tell you which listening mode is activated. Press the JS MFB 2 times again to toggle through listening modes.

Since you will always start with “Noise Cancelling on”, to toggle between ANC on, ANC off and Stay-Aware Mode, press the power button twice and you will hear the corresponding voice prompt.

PERSONAL SOUND BY MIMI®

Personal Sound technology allows you to tune the headphones to your unique hearing.

It’s like having prescription glasses for your ears — it will allow you to hear your music EXACTLY as it was meant to sound.

In the Skullcandy app, locate your headphones and toggle Personal Sound on. Follow the prompts to take a quick audio test. You’ll be asked whether you hear a sound. Simply answer “yes” or “no” and complete the test for both ears.

After you’ve completed the test, the app will create a personal sound profile that’s matched perfectly to your unique hearing. When your personal sound profile is activated, you should be able to hear sounds and layers in your music that you hadn’t before.

You can turn your Personal Sound Profile on/off in the app. You can also create sound profiles for different users and switch between them at anytime.

CUSTOMIZE BUTTON FUNCTIONS

Some default and other un-assigned button settings can be re-configured through the Skullcandy app to allow you to make your headphone controls more intuitive to you.

The user interface actions on the JS MFB that you can configure to your preferred control settings are: SINGLE PRESS, DOUBLE PRESS, TRIPLE PRESS and HOLD 1 SECOND.

• Single press (1x)
• Double press (2x)
• Triple press (3x)
• Hold (1s)

The function controls that can be customized in the Skullcandy app are:

• Play, Pause
• Activate Assistant
• Spotify Tap™
• Take Photo

PRESET EQ + CUSTOM 5 BAND EQ

To help you get the best sound quality from your content, Icon ANC features 3 preset EQ modes + 1 customizable 5-band EQ (Custom EQ Mode):

• Music Mode
• Bass Boost Mode
• Podcast Mode
• Custom EQ Mode

To switch between EQ Modes, go to the Skullcandy app and select your preferred EQ setting. A voice prompt will notify you each time your EQ mode changes.

Your default EQ setting is Music Mode, which is great for general listening.

Bass Boost Mode increases the low frequencies for a bass-heavy audio experience.

Podcast Mode removes most of the bass response and is great for podcasts or audio books.

You also have the ability to create your own Custom EQ Mode. This is a 5-band Equalizer that allows you to adjust the low, mid low, mid, mid high, and high sound frequencies to your preferred levels, personalizing your sound experience.

LOW-LATENCY AUDIO MODE

In the Skullcandy app, you’re able to turn on/off Low-Latency Audio Mode. While gaming or watching videos, you may notice delays (latency) between audio and video. Low-Latency Audio Mode reduces these delays so your picture and sound stay in perfect sync, creating a lag-free experience.

TAKE PHOTO

The Take Photo feature allows your headphones to act as a wireless remote for your device’s camera.

Just set one of the custom button settings to the Take Photo feature in the Skullcandy app, and then open the camera on your device.

As long as your headphones are linked with the device and app, your custom button setting will take a picture or start and stop recording on command.

For best results, use the headphone as the remote and set the timer in your camera’s settings so there are a few seconds delay before snapping the photo.

ACTIVATE YOUR VOICE ASSITANT

For immediate access to your device’s local assistant (Siri, Google, Bixby), simply press the Joy Stick MFB twice (2x), or visit the Skullcandy app to customize this button function to a new UI command.

Having trouble? Don’t return to the store and let us help!

If you’re having pairing difficulties, you can reset Icon ANC by clearing the paired device list and restoring your headphones to their default settings. Please note this will also impact your saved settings in the Skullcandy app. 

1. First, remove Icon ANC from your device’s Bluetooth paired list and turn Bluetooth OFF.
2. Power On your headphones. A voice prompt will indicate that you’re now powered ON.
3. Press the JS MFB for 6 seconds.
4. A tone will indicate a successful reset, and the headphone’s LED will quickly flash amber and blue 6 times.
5. A voice prompt will say “Ready to pair” and the LED will pulse blue.
6. Now, turn on your device’s Bluetooth and select ‘Icon ANC’.
7. Accept the “Pair” or “OK” prompts that appear on your screen.
8. When pairing is complete, a voice prompt will say “connected.”

If you’re still having a problem with your Icon ANC headphones, please visit the product support page on our website before filing a warranty claim. We can probably resolve your problem with a simple contact.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Playtime / BATTERY life & Charging:

How long does the Icon ANC battery last?

• With ANC ON, Icon ANC holds 50+ hours of total play time.
• With ANC OFF, Icon ANC holds 60+ hours of total play time.

What is the total charging time for Icon ANC via the provided USB-C charging cable?

• Your headphones will rapid charge to full capacity in just over 2 hours.

Does Icon ANC have some sort of fast charge?

• Yes, Icon ANC has Rapid Charge technology via the provided USB-C cable
  • 10 minutes charging provides 4+ hours of play time.

Can I charge Icon ANC with my Skullcandy Power Accessories/PC/Laptop?

• Yes. Pretty much all USB-A or USB-C charging ports will work to charge your Icon ANC headphones.

Durability: IPX4

Can I use Icon ANC for working out?

• Absolutely – Icon ANC is sweat and water resistant (IPX4). Just be sure that the charge cable and charging port are dry before plugging them in to charge

Feature Details:

Adjustable Active noise cancelling:

• When powering on your headphones, Active Noise Canceling will automatically activate and you will be notified via a voice prompt.
• Once you’re powered ON you can press the power button twice to toggle between ANC On, ANC Off, and Stay-Aware Mode On in this order.
• You can also go into the Skullcandy app and manually toggle between hearing modes, but even better you can adjust the amount of gain you want to experience in the ANC and Stay-Aware modes. This will let you tune out or turn up your surrounds to fit your mood or environment.

Spotify Tap™

Do I need to be linked with the Skullcandy app for Spotify Tap to work?

• No, this feature is set up in your default UI settings as a 1 second press on the JS MFB

Do I need to have the Spotify app downloaded on my phone for this feature to work?

• Yes, you need to have the Spotify app downloaded on your phone as well as an active registered account.

Personal Sound by Mimi®

What is the Personal Sound by Mimi® feature for Icon ANC?

• Personal Sound technology allows you to tune the headphones to your unique hearing.
• It’s like having prescription glasses for your ears — it will allow you to hear your music EXACTLY as it was meant to sound.

Do I need the Skullcandy app to access this feature?

• Yes, once paired to your device, open the Skullcandy app, and toggle Personal Sound ON. Follow the prompts to take the audio test.
• You will be asked to press and hold the joystick MFB while a tone is played. Once you no longer hear the tone you will simply release the button, and you will complete the test for both ears.

Is this feature always on after completing the hearing test and creating my personal sound profile?

• You can turn your Personal Sound Profile ON/OFF in the app any time and create more than one profile for different users.

Clear Voice Smart Mic

How does the Clear Voice Smart Mic help my call quality?

• This feature uses AI noise reduction algorithms to limit all surrounding noises so that when you’re on a call, the person on the other end will hear you loud and clear!

Multipoint Pairing

If I don’t want to be paired to two different devices at once, what do I do?

• If having two devices paired is too confusing, simply go into the Skullcandy app and disable this feature so you’ll only be able to pair to one device.

Custom Button Actions & Functions

How easy is it to customize my headphone controls?

• This is done very easily through the Skullcandy app where you can customize your joystick controls to your liking.

Will my custom button actions/functions be saved even if I power OFF/restart my device?

• Yes, once your controls are customized in the Skullcandy app they will be saved until you make changes.

If I get a new phone and need to re-download the app, will my controls by saved?

• No, you will need to re-link to the app and customize your button actions again.

If I switch devices from my phone that has linked to the app, to a device that does not have the Skullcandy app, do my customized button functions still work?

• No, you will revert to the default UI controls and will not have the Skullcandy features such as custom button functions.

Take Photo

I don’t understand, what is the Take Photo feature?

• This feature will allow your headphone to become a wireless remote for your phone’s camera. Simply customize this button function in the Skullcandy app, open your camera app on your phone, and press the button action to activate the camera shutter wirelessly! That means you can take still photos or start/end a video with a simple press of your headphone’s button.
• Great for group shots and selfies without having to set your phone and race against the timer.

Do I need to set up this function as a custom button action?

• Yes, this is not a default UI setting, so you will need the Skullcandy app and a Skullcandy enabled product to use the Take Photo feature.

Do I need a special camera app for this to work?

• No, this feature will work directly with your phones existing camera and will utilize the existing shutter settings.

CONNECTION:

What is the Bluetooth range of the Icon ANC?

• You will be able to listen up to 30+ feet (10+ meters) away from your paired device, though your connection experience may vary based on your environment. 

Can I connect Icon ANC to a computer?

• Yes as well as to a phone, tablet, MP3 player, laptop, or anything else with a Bluetooth connection.

Can I use Icon ANC with a PS4/Xbox One/Switch?

• Xbox One: No   
• Switch: Yes
• PS4/5: No (but they will if you have a separate BT transmitter dongle)

Which version of Bluetooth does Icon ANC use?

• It uses Bluetooth® version 5.3

Can I use Siri/Google Assistant/Alexa with my Icon ANC?

• Yes. When paired to your device, you can activate your local voice assistant feature at any time by pressing the joystick MFB two times.

Warranty:

Please be sure to reach out to customer service before filing a claim, we can likely help you quickly trouble shoot and solve your problem***

What happens if my headphones break or are lost?

• If it is a manufacturer's defect, Skullcandy has you covered with a 1 Year Limited Warranty.