9 Fixes When Your AirPods or AirPods Case Isn’t Charging

9 Fixes When Your AirPods or AirPods Case Isn’t Charging

Wore your AirPods only to discover that their battery level is zero? Of course, you can put them back in the case to charge it, but it’s possible your AirPods case has no charge at all. And if you’re sure you charged it recently, the issue could be isolated to the case. So, here’s what you can do when your AirPods or AirPods case isn’t charging properly.

How to Fix Your AirPods When They’re Not Charging in the Case

Whenever you’re not using your AirPods, you should always place them back in the case for charging so that you can enjoy them at full charge later. If your AirPods are not charging in the case when you leave them there, try the solutions below.

1. Remove and Reinsert Your AirPods

9 Fixes When Your AirPods or AirPods Case Isn’t Charging

The first solution is the easiest. Regardless of whether it’s your left AirPod or right AirPod not charging, just remove both AirPods from the case, place them back, close the lid, then open it again.

To confirm whether your AirPods are charging, you can use other devices (such as your iPhone) to check your AirPods battery level. You can ask Siri to check your AirPods’ battery level if you have an Apple device. But if you have an Android device, you’ll need a third-party app like AirBattery.

If this solution doesn’t work immediately, you can repeat the steps once or twice before moving on to the other troubleshooting methods.

2. Charge Both Your AirPods and the Case

To charge your AirPods, your AirPods case itself needs to have sufficient battery. If you see that your AirPods are not charging in the case, a simple reason is that the case’s battery is already low or completely flat.

If your AirPods case is low on battery, you’ll see an orange status light when your AirPods are not in it. If it’s been completely wiped out, there will be no status light at all. To solve this, place your AirPods back into the case. Then, charge both AirPods and the case together until they’re ready to be used again.

hand holding airpods in case

However, in my personal experience, I once encountered a rare situation where the status light was inaccurate. There was a green status light, and my iPhone showed my AirPods case to be fully charged, but it couldn’t detect my AirPods at all.

Once I charged both my AirPods and the case, the status light instantly turned orange. Additionally, my iPhone suddenly showed the correct battery level for the AirPods and the case.

In this unusual situation, the reason is that both my AirPods and the case had no battery. That was probably why my AirPods couldn’t charge inside the case in the first place.

Although charging is a straightforward fix for such causes, it’s best not to let your AirPods battery go completely flat frequently, as this will later cause battery-draining issues in your AirPods.

3. Clean Your AirPods

When your AirPods charging contacts are dirty, one or both of your AirPods may not charge because the case can’t detect them properly. Therefore, use safe ways to clean your AirPods, and the problem should be resolved.

4. Update Your AirPods’ Firmware

Firmware updates for AirPods often carry bug fixes. When your AirPods are connected to your Apple device, a firmware update will automatically occur whenever available.

But to be sure, you can check whether your AirPods is up-to-date on its firmware, and if not, update your AirPods to get the latest version.

white keyboard, iphone, and airpods pro

5. Reset Your AirPods

For any electronic device, the most effortless yet effective method to fix issues is to restart or reset it. In this case, try resetting your AirPods.

Resetting your AirPods simply involves removing them from your paired device, and it will not affect other settings. You’ll just need to pair your AirPods again the next time you want to use them.

How to Fix Your AirPods Case When It’s Not Charging

The AirPods solely rely on the case to get their charge. But what should you do if your AirPods case won’t charge and there’s no light indicator? Let’s go through the solutions when your AirPods case isn’t charging.

1. Remove and Reinsert the Lightning Cable

lighting cable and airpods case

If you’re using a standard AirPods case that charges via a wired connection, try removing and reinserting the Lightning cable into the charging port. Also, ensure that both ends of the cable are plugged in securely and that the power source is turned on.

The same method applies if you’re using a wireless AirPods case. Check that it’s placed correctly on your charging mat and that the mat is connected to a functional power source.

2. Use a Different Cable, Charging Pad, or Electrical Outlet

It’s normal for cables (or charging pads) to wear down over time. This might cause connection issues and result in your AirPods case not charging. Similarly, if an electrical outlet has become faulty, your AirPods case won’t charge despite a working cable either.

Therefore, the second solution is to use another cable, charging pad, or electrical outlet. If it works and your AirPods case is charging again, you’ll know the problem was with the charger or power source, not your AirPods.

airpods, airpods case, and airpods charging cable on desk

If you find the need to purchase a new cable or charging pad for your Apple device, it’s best to buy official products or accessories that are MFi-certified. Excessively cheap accessories are too good to be true, and these counterfeit products may damage your AirPods.

3. Clean the Lightning Port

If you’ve gone through the above troubleshooting steps and your AirPods case is still not charging, you can try cleaning your AirPods Lightning port. A dirty Lightning port may have been causing detection issues.

To clean the Lightning port, just use a soft, dry brush. Don’t use objects like a pin or toothpick to poke the port or attempt to clean it with a wet cloth.

4. Update and Reset Your AirPods

airpods and airpods case on laptop

As linked in the first section, the last couple of methods you can try include resetting your AirPods and updating the firmware with your Apple device.

You can rule out performance bugs by getting the latest firmware on your AirPods. And resetting them will help clear out software issues that may have prevented your AirPods case from charging.

Charge Your AirPods and AirPods Case Again

If your AirPods or AirPods case isn’t charging, we hope the suggestions above help you resolve the issue. Once your AirPods and AirPods case are fully charged, you can get back into enjoying your favorite songs again!

However, your AirPods might need a battery replacement if the issue persists. In that case, it’s best to contact Apple Support or an authorized service provider to help you repair your AirPods.