AirPods Stopped Working? Try These Solutions

Apple’s AirPods and AirPods Pro are among the best wireless earbuds on the market. However, they also have their problems and shortcomings.Sometimes the AirPods microphone doesn’t work well, or one earbud plays quieter than the other. Problems can vary widely. If you suspect something’s wrong with your AirPods, we’ll help you figure out the cause and fix it.

Quick tips

1. Check the charge of your AirPods and charging case.
   • Place both AirPods in the case and open the lid next to your iPhone to view the battery level.
   • If your earbuds don’t charge in the case, make sure there’s no debris or dust on the bottom of the case that could be blocking the contacts.
2. Check Bluetooth on your iPhone to make sure it is turned on.
   • On your iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth > make sure the switch is green.
3. Clean the speaker and microphone meshes .
   • Follow our guide on how to clean AirPods and AirPods Pro .
4. Reset your AirPods if they won’t connect to your device or you’re having sound issues.
   • How to reset AirPods and AirPods Pro

Check if the charger is workin

Place your AirPods in the charging case, bring it close to your iPhone, and open the case lid. The battery level indicator for both the earbuds and the case will appear on the screen.

Apple recommends fully charging your AirPods case and letting them charge for at least 30 seconds before using them. If your AirPods are very low on battery, allow them to charge for a longer period.

If the earbuds aren’t charging in the case, the metal contacts on the bottom may be blocked by dust or debris. Carefully clean the bottom of the case, being careful not to damage the contacts.

If your AirPods case isn’t charging, try using a different Lighting cable or a wireless charger if you have the appropriate case.

Clean your AirPods

Sometimes it seems like AirPods aren’t working because the microphone or speakers are simply clogged with dust and dirt. You need to remove the silicone earpieces from your AirPods to clean the speaker mesh.

We have detailed instructions on how to clean AirPods and AirPods Pro . In short:

• Wipe your AirPods with a clean microfiber cloth.
  • If necessary, lightly dampen the cloth with water. You can also use wet wipes.
  • Allow the earbuds to dry completely before placing them in the case or inserting them into your ears.
• You can remove dust and dirt from the speakers and microphone using specially designed “ plasticine ”.
• You can remove most of the cotton wool from the cotton swab and use it carefully.
• To clean hard-to-reach places, you can carefully use a toothpick.

The eternal search for headphones

It’s not the headphones themselves that are the problem, but their size. AirPods are small and very easy to lose. Luckily, you can easily find them using the Find My app.

Open the Find My app on your iOS device or go to the iCloud website , sign in with your Apple ID, and select Find My iPhone. Select your AirPods, and you’ll see their location on the map. This will show either their current location or their last location before turning off. If there’s a green dot next to the earbuds, they’re on. You can play a sound to help you find them. If they’re off, the map will at least give you a clue as to where to start.

Connection problems

If your AirPods won’t connect to your smartphone or tablet, the first thing you need to do is put them in the case, wait about 10 seconds, and then take them out and put them in your ears.

If this doesn’t help, try turning Bluetooth off and on on your smartphone or tablet. Then repeat step one. In most cases, this should solve the problem.

Sometimes even this doesn’t help. In that case, resetting your AirPods may help. We’ll cover that at the end of the article.

One AirPod isn’t working.

It often happens that either the right or left AirPods earbuds don’t work. Sometimes, the earbuds simply won’t connect. In this case, it’s also worth returning both earbuds to the case for 10 seconds, then removing them and placing them in your ears.

Still not working? Then turn Bluetooth on and off on your smartphone or tablet before removing the headphones from the case.

Still nothing? Then your option is to reset AirPods.

Sometimes it happens that one earbud constantly disconnects or doesn’t work at all. In this case, the steps below may help.

1. Open the Settings app  on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Select the Bluetooth section , then tap the “i” icon next to your ‌AirPods‌ in the list.
3. Click  Forget this device .
4. Place both AirPods in the case and make sure it’s charged.
5. Find the small button on the case.
6. Open the lid of the case.
7. Press and hold the case button for at least 15 seconds. If you have first-generation AirPods without wireless charging, the light inside the case will flash white and then yellow. This means you’ve reset. If you have AirPods 2 or a case with wireless charging, the light will be on the front.
8. Close the lid of your AirPods case and open it again.
9. Hold the AirPods case with the lid open close to your iPhone or iPad. Your device will detect the AirPods and you can connect them.

If this doesn’t help, try resetting your iPhone’s network settings. To do this, go to Settings  and select  General > Reset > Reset Network Settings . Then reconnect your AirPods to the device.

If one AirPod is playing quieter than the other, this article can help .

The headphones don’t connect to the computer.

This issue is rare on newer Macs, but maintaining a connection with older computers can be difficult. First, follow the same steps as for a smartphone connection issue: place the earbuds in the case for 10 seconds, then remove them and place them in your ears.

If this doesn’t help, you need to unpair the headphones from your computer and then re-pair them. To do this, turn Bluetooth off and then back on on your computer. This can be problematic if you have a Bluetooth mouse. In this case, go to Bluetooth settings (via the menu bar icon or System Preferences > Bluetooth), find your AirPods, and unpair them. Then, connect the headphones to your computer as you did the first time.

Calls are interrupted

The problem of dropped calls on AirPods has been a problem since their release in 2017. Luckily, there’s a simple solution. Try taking calls with only one AirPod in your ear instead of both.

If that doesn’t help, there are a couple of other options. First, open the Settings app on your iPhone and select Bluetooth. Tap the “i” icon next to your AirPods. Then tap the microphone and select the left or right earbud. You can also disable Auto-Ear Detection from there. However, this will disable one of the most convenient features of the earbuds and will also drain the battery faster.

If the problem persists after this, try resetting.

Sound problems

Deteriorating sound quality can be caused by a variety of reasons, so it’s quite complicated. It’s possible that some interference is interfering with the Bluetooth connection, causing the AirPods to play quieter or even disconnect intermittently. If this always happens in the same place, then interference is the culprit. If it’s at home, try finding the device causing the interference and moving it. Or simply use the AirPods in a different location. If the problem occurs at work, you’re out of luck.

There’s another solution, but it’s not very convenient. Sometimes Wi-Fi can cause interference, especially during calls. You can turn off Wi-Fi during calls, then turn it back on afterwards. Disabling Auto Ear Detection can also help.

AirPods play quietly when connected to Android

If you use AirPods with Android, you may have noticed that the earbuds sound quieter than when connected to an iOS device. Many AirPods features rely on the W1 chip (or H1 for AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro). Android devices lack this chip, and this can affect the earbuds’ volume.

The problem is that when you connect Bluetooth headphones, there are always two volume levels: the volume of your device (smartphone, tablet, or computer) and the volume of the headphones themselves. When you connect AirPods to an Android smartphone, the volume of the headphones doesn’t sync with the device’s volume, as it does in iOS. Fortunately, there’s a solution.

Try increasing or decreasing the volume on your Android device. A volume indicator will appear on the screen. Tap the arrow next to the volume indicator, and you’ll see all available volume sliders. Among them will be the Bluetooth slider. Use it to adjust the headphone volume.

On Samsung Galaxy smartphones, it’s even more convenient. Go to Bluetooth settings and tap the three-dot button in the upper-right corner of the screen. Enable media volume sync here. After that, headphone volume controls will work just like in iOS.

The battery drains quickly

AirPods should last about five hours on a full charge, with talk time up to three hours for AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro, or up to two hours for regular AirPods. Over time, their battery life will decrease. There’s nothing you can do about this. If your battery suddenly starts draining much faster, there are a few options.

First, make sure Auto Ear Detection is enabled, as it significantly saves battery life. If it was already enabled, we can only recommend a reset.

How to update AirPods firmware

Before resetting your AirPods, check if there’s a system update available. If so, it may resolve your issue, eliminating the need for a reset.

Unfortunately, updating AirPods or AirPods Pro isn’t easy. To do this, connect the earbuds to a power source and then connect them to your iPad or iPhone. After a while, the update may begin installing if one is available.

To find out what firmware version your AirPods are using, follow these steps:

1. Make sure your AirPods are connected to your iOS device.
2. Open Settings.
3. Select General.
4. At the bottom, select About this device.
5. Select AirPods.
6. Here you will see the system version of your headphones.

Your AirPods have likely already automatically updated to the latest available system version in the background. In that case, either a reset or a professional’s help will help.

How to reset AirPods

As we’ve already written, resetting AirPods can solve a number of problems. Luckily, it’s very easy and quick.

1. Place your AirPods in the case.
2. Press and hold the button on the back of the case for 15 seconds until the light flashes orange.
3. Open the case near your smartphone and reconnect the AirPods to it.

If you have an iPhone, the headphones will automatically connect to your other devices. Otherwise, you’ll need to manually connect them to each device.

If even a reset doesn’t help, your only option is to contact a specialist. Take your headphones to a trusted and reliable service center.