How to Fix Left or Right AirPod Not Working

Can’t figure out why your left or right AirPod is not working?

AirPods are among the best sounding wireless earbuds you can get on the market. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s perfect. 

One of the most common complaints about AirPods is that one pair stops working. 

Usually, this is caused by an unbalanced battery charge on your AirPods. As a result, one of your AirPods runs out of juice faster, explaining why it suddenly stops working without getting a ‘low battery’ notification. 

However, it can also be due to connectivity issues, improper configurations, or outdated software. 

Today, we’ll show you what to do if your left or right AirPod is not working. 

Let’s begin!

1. Restart Your Device. 

If one of your AirPods is not working, try restarting the device you’re connecting it to. This should reload your system resources and fix temporary errors that may have occurred on your device. 

iPhones:

  1. First, press and hold the Side + Volume Up buttons on your iPhone
  2. Once the ‘Slide to Power Off’ option appears, release both buttons. 
  3. Drag the slider to the right until your display turns black. 
Left Or Right AirPod not working

iPads:

  1. On your iPad, press and hold either of the Volume buttons together with the Top button until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ page shows up. 
  2. Now, drag the power slider to the right to turn off your device. 
  3. Wait for your iPad’s display to shut off. 
Restart iPad

Macs: 

  1. Click on the Apple logo in the upper left corner of your screen to access the Apple Menu
  2. After that, click on Restart
  3. Wait for the prompt to appear and hit Restart again. 
Restart Mac

Try using your AirPods afterward to check if the problem is solved. 

2. Check Your AirPods. 

The battery on one of your AirPods could be running low or drained, explaining why it’s not working. In this case, try leaving your AirPods in the charging case for a few minutes and see if it fixes the issue. 

You can check your AirPods’ battery level by doing the following: 

  1. Put your AirPods back in the charging case. 
  2. Close the lid and hold the charging case close to your iOS device. 
  3. Now, open the lid while your device is unlocked. 
Check AirPods Battery

You should see a pop-up window on your screen, showing how much battery your AirPods and charging case have. 

Related: How to Fix AirPods Volume Too Low

3. Clean Your AirPods. 

If you noticed that one of your AirPods sound weaker, it’s possible that the speaker grills are clogged. As you use your AirPods, dirt, and debris can accumulate on the speaker grills, preventing sound waves from passing through. 

To fix this, grab a Q-Tip and dampen it in alcohol. Gently rub the Q-Tip on the speaker grills to clean the surface. 

Now, try using your AirPods to see if both of them are now working. 

If not, it’s possible that the other side of the speaker grill is blocked as well. To clean the other side, you can try sucking on the speaker grills. Make sure to put a cloth or tissue paper between the speaker grills and your mouth. 

4. Check Sound Balance. 

Apple devices allow you to control your audio balance to make the left or right channel sound louder. If your left or right AirPod is not working, it’s possible that your audio balance is set on one channel. 

For iPhones and iPads: 

  1. Go to your home screen and launch the Settings app. 
  2. After that, go to Accessibility > Audio/Visual
  3. Finally, look for Audio Balance and ensure that the slider is set to the middle/center. 
Check Sound Balance

For Macs: 

  1. First, access the Apple Menu on the upper left corner of your display and choose System Preferences
  2. Now, click on Sound on the sidebar. 
  3. Choose Output on the right side and select the device you are using. 
  4. Ensure that the Balance slider is set to the middle. 
Left Or Right AirPod not working

Listen to music afterward to check if the problem is solved. 

5. Restart Bluetooth. 

You can try restarting your Bluetooth if you continue to experience problems using your AirPods. This should refresh the connection between your device and your AirPods. 

For iPhones and iPads, navigate to Settings > Bluetooth and tap on the toggle switch to turn it off and then on. 

Left Or Right AirPod not working

If you’re using a Mac, access the Apple Menu > System Preferences > Bluetooth. From there, click the Turn Bluetooth Off button and turn it back on after 5 to 10 seconds. 

Left Or Right AirPod not working

Try connecting your AirPods afterward to confirm if this solution worked. 

Related: How to Fix iPhone Won’t Connect to Bluetooth

6. Update Your Device. 

The version of iOS or macOS you’re using might have an issue that causes your left or right AirPod not to work. To verify this, update your device’s software to patch possible bugs and errors. 

For iOS and iPad OS: 

  1. On your device, access the app drawer and tap on Settings
  2. Next, go to General and open the Software Updates tab. 
  3. Finally, tap on Download and Install if there’s an available update. 
Update iOS

For macOS: 

  1. First, access the Apple Menu on the upper left corner of your screen. 
  2. After that, go to System Preferences > Software Update
  3. Hit the Upgrade Now or Update Now button if there’s an available update. 
Update macOS

Try using your AirPods again to check if both of them work. 

7. Reset Your Settings (iPhone). 

Resetting your iPhone’s settings can also resolve the issue of your AirPods not working. This will ensure that your device’s configurations are set correctly and there are no conflicts that prevent one of your AirPods to work. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

  1. First, launch Settings from your home screen. 
  2. After that, go to General and tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone
  3. Choose Reset and tap on Reset All Settings
reset settings

Reconnect your AirPods and see if you’ll still encounter problems. 

8. Update Your Applications. 

If your left or right AirPod is not working on specific applications, the problem could be with the app you’re using. To rule this out, update your applications to the latest version to patch bugs and errors.

Here’s how you can update your apps: 

  1. First, go to your app drawer and launch the App Store
  2. After that, tap on your Profile
  3. Scroll down and look for the application you want to update. 
  4. Tap the Update button to start updating the app. 
Update Apps

Go back to the app and try using your AirPods to check if the problem is solved. 

9. Reset Your AirPods. 

Apple suggests resetting your AirPods if something isn’t working right. You can try performing the steps below and see if it fixes the issue with your AirPods: 

  1. Put your AirPods Pro in the charging case and close the lid. 
  2. Now, wait for 30 seconds. 
  3. After that, put your AirPods on your ears. 
  4. Go to your device and navigate to Settings > Bluetooth
  5. Tap on More Info beside your AirPods and choose Forget This Device
  6. Put your AirPods back in the charging case and close the lid. 
  7. Press and hold the Setup button for 15 seconds or until the status light on the case turn to amber and then white. 
Left Or Right AirPod not working

Reconnect your device afterward and see if the problem is solved. 

10. Contact Apple Support. 

If your left or right AirPod is still not working, the only thing left to do is report the issue to Apple. 

Visit their support page and contact their team to report the issue you’re experiencing with your AirPods. When asking for help, make sure to provide the model of your AirPods, the device you’re connecting it to, and other details that can help speed up the process. 

Left Or Right AirPod not working

If you want faster actions, we recommend bringing your AirPods to the nearest Apple Store and having them checked by a professional. 

Left Or Right AirPod not working

That wraps up our guide on what to do if your left or right AirPod is not working. For your questions and other concerns, please drop a comment below, and we’ll do our best to help. 

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.

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