How to Fix AirPods Not Charging

Seem to find your AirPods are not charging as they should do?

One of the issues we’ve had with our pair of AirPods lately was that we often find that one AirPod was not charging, but the other would. Sometimes, it is the left AirPod, and at other times, it may be the right AirPod.

When trying to understand this issue, it was surprising to find that this issue has been a pretty common occurrence, with many users reporting over on the Apple forums that their AirPods won’t charge for unknown reasons.

After much trial-and-error testing different solutions, we can safely say that the below solutions can help provide actionable and useful steps that can get your AirPods charging again as it did for us. 🙂

We will go over step-by-step on each solution, which is arranged from the starting order of simplicity.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

  1. Check the Power Source
  2. Use Authentic Charging Cable and Power Adapter
  3. Charge the Case then Charge the Earbuds Using the Case
  4. Clean your AirPods
  5. Reset AirPods and Pair Again
  6. Visit the Apple Store for Support

 

 

How to Fix AirPods Not Charging: 6 Ways

 

1. Check the Power Source.

It is essential that you check the power source where you usually plug in your charger. This seems basic, but most of the time, the simplest things can often be overlooked.

When checking the power source, you will want to shift your focus to the power outlet where you plug in your charger. If the power outlet is faulty, then science tells us that electricity will not be transferred to charge up your AirPods.

Try to plug in another device to check it the power source works. Additionally, try to plug it into another power outlet around your place or current location that you know works.

If you find that the AirPods do charge when plugged into another power outlet, then you can assume that this is down to a faulty power outlet. You will want to get a new power strip (if you’re using one) or call your electrician to have it looked.

IKEA's KOPPLA 6 outlet power strip
IKEA’s KOPPLA 6 outlet power strip is reliable if you’re in the market. 🔌

 

 

2. Use Authentic Charging Cable and Power Adapter.

Building up from our previous solution, if it still doesn’t work, try to check your AirPods’ power adapter, including the cable for damages.  If there is damage, you may need to replace it at your nearest Apple Store or purchase a new set.

 

AirPods not charging

 

When checking the power adapter and cable, you will want to check if both the lightning-connector and USB-A pins on the charging cable are not bent, damaged, or scratched. If possible, try to borrow a similar power adapter and charging cable and see if your AirPods can charge.

Try to isolate the power adapter and charging cable when testing – test with a different power adapter with the same charging cable, then test with the same power adapter but different charging cable. See which works and from there decide whether it is your power adapter or charging that needs replacement or both.

You may also want to try using the original power adapter and charging cable that comes in the Apple box when trying to charge your AirPods. When purchasing a new power adapter or charging cable for your AirPods, it is worth investing in authentic, original Apple ones. Apple products have proprietary designs which limit their compatibility only to their own manufactured accessories.  One of the common reasons why users find their Apple devices not charging is that they often rely on using third-party charging cables that have questionable levels of performance and quality.

Additionally, if you are using a wireless charger that utilizes Qi wireless charging, then make sure that it is set up correctly and is not faulty itself. The status light should be on for some time, then turn off while the charging process continues. Try to reposition the wireless charger if the light does not turn on.

 

 

3. Charge the Case then Charge the AirPods Using the Case.

Now you may or may not have already done this, but if you haven’t, it’s possible that the battery of your charging case is near empty and is still in the process of charging. In such a situation, try to charge your AirPods’ case first and then wait until it is full.

Take note that the earbuds themselves take 30 minutes to completely charge from dead. The charging case, together with your dead earbuds, can take one hour to charge fully. The charging case will wait to charge until the earbuds hit 20 percent. This was first noted by The Loop’s Dave Mark, who goes by on Reddit as colinstalter, was charging his second-generation AirPods with the regular charging case (not the Qi wireless ones) together with the standard 5-watt brick and Apple charging cable.

AirPods not charging

 

It is important to understand the status lights on your AirPods charging case, which indicates the battery life of your AirPods. Although you can do this by going into your iPhone or iPad Batteries widget, which we’ve shown how to do before, the status lights are helpful too. With your AirPods in the charging case, if you see a green indicator, then it means that the AirPods are fully charged, and the amber indicator means less than one full charge remains. When your AirPods aren’t in your case, the light shows the status of your case.

AirPods not charging
Wireless Charging Case: The status light is on the front of the case (left). The standard Charging Case: The status light in your charging case sits between the spaces for your AirPods (right)

 

 

4. Clean your AirPods.

Specks of dirt and debris can come in between your AirPods and the charging ports inside the case. When this happens, you will not be able to charge your AirPods successfully.

AirPods not charging

Now that is not to say you can use any brush or object to clean these charging ports because they are delicate. It’s best to use a microfiber cloth together with a cotton bud or a small soft-bristle brush gently to clean these hard-to-reach parts. Do not use liquid to clean the charging case as the charging ports at the bottom can get spoilt quickly if it ever comes in contact with any liquid.

 

AirPods not charging

 

It is also crucial that you also clean the charging port of your case and the tip of your charging cable. By doing this, you keep all contacts for charging clear of any obstructions.

AirPods not charging

Follow this checklist when cleaning your Airpods:

  • Don’t use your AirPods underwater.
  • Use a soft, dry, lint-free cloth to dry the device.
  • Avoid any liquid.
  • Use a dry cotton bud to gently clean the microphone and speaker meshes.
  • Remove any dirt or debris from the meshes with a clean, dry, soft-bristled brush.
  • Avoid using sharp objects or abrasive materials to clean the AirPods

If you still find that the AirPods won’t charge despite cleaning the AirPods and the charging case as well as trying out the above methods, then you may want to check if the charging ports in the case are not damaged by heading over to your nearest Apple Store.

 

 

5. Reset AirPods and Pair Again.

There is a possibility that your AirPods may have a corrupted firmware that makes it not work correctly. This usually happens when a particular process in the device gets interrupted. To fix this, you will need to restore the firmware to the default settings.

Here’s how you can do it:

  1. Jump into the Settings app of your Apple device, then tap on Bluetooth.
  2. Next, tap the ( i ) icon next to your AirPods, tap Forget This Device and then Confirm.

AirPods not charging

 

  1. Then, place your earbuds securely in the charging case and close the lid. You will need to wait for about 30 seconds and open the lid of the case.

Left Or Right AirPod Stops Working

 

  1. Now press and hold the Setup button on the back of the charging case until the LED light inside the case flashes amber ☀ and then white repeatedly.Left Or Right AirPod Stops Working
    Left Or Right AirPod Stops Working
    💡 This indicates now that your AirPods are done with the resetting.

 

  1. After that, close the lid of the Airpods case to finalize the reset process.
  2. Now, open the lid of the case fo AirPods again to begin the pairing process.
  3. Go back to the home screen of your Apple device and bring your AirPods case near it until a setup animation appears on the screen of your device. If you are having trouble, know more about what to do.
  4. Finally, tap the Connect option on your Apple device and follow the instructions to finish the setup process.

AirPods Volume Too Low

 

Now that you have rebuilt the firmware settings of your AirPods, it should work correctly, including the charging process. It should also remove all conflicts on the firmware level as well. As a result, the device processes should run smoothly with no issues.

 

 

6. Visit the Apple Store for Support.

Tried all of the methods above but still find that the AirPods not charging? Then it’s best to have an Apple-certified technician check the device at your nearest Apple Store. They may replace the earbuds, charging case, or the whole set, which will depend on their diagnosis.

 

AirPods not charging

 

When that happens, make sure you check your warranty options of your AirPods for the replacement process. After that, make sure that you test your AirPods and pair it with your Apple device. Also, check if your device can charge by checking the status on your Apple device.

Make sure you check the warranty of your device. After the check-up, they may decide to replace your AirPods. If that is the case, it is crucial that you know the warranty options that are available to you before they ask you to spend a dime on the service. For instance, when you buy your AirPods, you are entitled to a 14-day returns and refunds option. If you’ve purchased AppleCare, then you have the convenience to get discounts on the service charge.

 

AirPods not charging

 

Additionally, make sure to check the AirPods before leaving the store.

And this wraps up our article for today. We hope that this guide has helped you fix your AirPods not charging issue. Thank you for reading this helpful article and for your continuous support. If you have questions related to this topic, please feel free to leave a comment below.

 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

 

Author

  • Jake Kovoor

    Jake is the Editor-in-Chief of Saint and an independent software developer, with a Bachelors in Computer Science from Lancaster University, UK. He loves trying out various tech from the Flipper Zero to coding Raspberry Pis for automation. He started Saint back in 2016, having written over 100 posts, with the sole purpose of creating guides for software that had yet to exist back then to help users navigate around their technical problems.

1 comment
  1. This is a great article. One thing it doesn’t go over a ton really at all is trading the AirPods in for newer working ones. I get why though, it is more spendy to do that. For most people, including me, I can’t afford that. Trading in for new ones through Apple is expensive. That’s the thing, trading with Apple is expensive. They’re are other third parties like The Swap Club that offer the same services and are cheaper. Hope that little info helped!

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