AirPods Are some of the most popular Bluetooth earbuds in the world. Don’t believe us? Experts estimate that Apple sold approximately 58 million of them just in 2021.
While AirPods benefit from the high quality of Apple technology, they aren’t without their flaws. Recent iterations of AirPods and AirPods Pro have suffered charging problems. Apple Care can be quite expensive, meaning simple charging issues could put a dent in your wallet.
So instead of heading to get your Apple products serviced, let’s cover some troubleshooting tips. By the end of this guide, you should be able to get your AirPods charging again without a visit to the Apple Store.
Troubleshooting Tips: Take a Look at Your Case Battery Level
AirPods are incredibly battery efficient and can last up to six hours on a single charge. The charging case allows for several more charges. It’s almost as if you always have a built-in power bank with your AirPods.
Check the case battery level if you notice that your AirPods have not charged. You can do this by unlocking your iPhone and then popping open the lid. A white box will pop up from the bottom, giving you the battery levels of both AirPods and the case.
If there is no response or the case battery level is low, that is likely the reason. Form a habit of regularly popping the lid to check your battery level and then charging as needed.
Examine Your Preferred Charging Cable
Apple has a deplorable reputation for charging cables. Their cables are costly and, at the same time, very flimsy under normal wear and tear. Many people have to replace their Lightning cables much sooner than with an aftermarket cable.
Look at the Lightning cable you use to charge the AirPods. Pay attention to where the cable connects to the Lightning interface. If the plastic is stripped and the wires are exposed, it may be damaged and unusable.
Pay attention to the charging light when you plug in the cable. The most recent AirPods Pro will make a noise when they begin to charge. If they don’t make this noise or don’t display the light, the cable may be broken.
The same goes for a wireless charging pad. Check the cable connected to the pad and the USB interface for the same thing. The damage may not be visible since bending the cable too much at the ends can break the internal connections.
Clean out Your Lightning Port
AirPods are wonderful because you can toss them in your pocket anywhere you go. But pockets love lint, and there’s a good chance at least some of it will make it into your devices.
There are a lot of crevices that make a perfect place for lint to hide, such as the charging port. It’s hard to spot this lint from the outside. When you plug into the charging port, you may inadvertently force the lint deeper inside the port.
Use your iPhone flashlight to check the inside of the port for lint. Then use a wooden toothpick and gently pluck out any lint inside. Avoid using a thumbtack or a sewing needle, as this could damage the connectors.
Clean the Contacts and Internal Charging Connectors
Your AirPods do not plug into the case like other devices. Instead, they use metal contacts on the stalk and the inside of the case to charge. This allows you to pull them out and put them back in quickly.
However, this only works if there is direct metal-to-metal contact. In some cases, the contacts may get dirty with wear or tarnished with age. Use your iPhone flashlight to examine the contacts inside of the case for any rust, grime, or residue.
Use a damp cloth with an alcoholic solution to clean off anything built up on the contacts. Give them time to dry, then insert your AirPods again and see if that fixes the problem.
Use the Factory Reset Option
If push comes to shove, the AirPods may need a complete reset to function again. To do this, you will need your phone. Navigate to the Bluetooth settings section and select the “Forget this device” option.
Once your AirPods are removed from the device list, insert your AirPods into their case. Close the lid and wait approximately 30 seconds. Then, pop the lid open again and hold down the back button for a few seconds until a yellow light begins to flash.
Wait until the light changes from yellow to white, which means that the AirPods have fully reset. This returns them to their original factory settings like when you purchased them. Now you can connect them to your device again and see if the charging problem is solved.
If this doesn’t work and Apple Support cannot fix the problem, the issue may be the case. Instead of purchasing a brand-new pair of AirPods, you may be able to use an AirPod Pro case replacement.
The charging case is usually the culprit for charging problems. Replace the case before you consider replacing the AirPods. This will likely solve the problem; you can return to listening to music.
Replace Your Case Today
AirPods are some of the best Bluetooth earbuds on the market, but even they can run into charging problems. If you are dealing with charging issues, try the troubleshooting tips above.
If not, you may need to replace the case or earbuds. Alternatively, you might have to contact Apple Support.
Visit our blog for more tips on how to deal with your technology problems.
