Apple's AirPods are designed to work seamlessly with all of Apple's Bluetooth-supporting devices, and the wireless earbuds usually live up their billing, but that doesn't mean they work perfectly for everyone one hundred percent of the time.


A particularly irritating problem that can sometimes occur with any model of AirPods is when one AirPod drops the connection intermittently or stops working altogether for no apparent reason. If you've been hit by this bug, following the steps below should help you resolve it.

  1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap the name of your AirPods, just below your Apple ID banner. Alternatively, tap Bluetooth, and then tap the 'i' icon next to your AirPods in the list.
  3. Scroll down to the bottom of the menu and tap Forget this Device.
    airpods forget device 1

  4. Ensure that both AirPods are in their charging case, the case is closed, and that the case has charge.
  5. Locate the small button on the back of the case, near the bottom. It's flush with the case and the same color as it, so you might need to feel about for it. If you have AirPods 4, Apple has moved the capacitive button to the front of the case, concealing it just below the status light.
    airpods airpods pro setup button

  6. Open the charging case lid.
  7. For AirPods 4 (both models), double-tap the front of the case until the status light flashes white. For all other AirPods models, press and hold the button for at least 15 seconds. If you are using a first-generation or non-wireless second-generation/third-generation AirPods charging case, the case's internal light between the AirPods will flash white and then amber, indicating the AirPods have reset. If you are using a Wireless Charging Case for AirPods Pro or AirPods 4, you can find this light on the front of the case.
  8. Now, close the lid of your AirPods case and then open it up again.
    airpods paired card

  9. Hold the AirPods case with open lid next to your iPhone or iPad. Your iOS device should recognize the AirPods and you'll see a popup to connect them.

If the above steps don't solve the problem, try resetting your iPhone's network settings. In the Settings app's main menu select General ➝ Reset ➝ Reset Network Settings, then try re-pairing your AirPods by repeating the steps above.

Time for new AirPods or AirPods Pro?

Check our constantly updated guide for best deals on AirPods.

Related Roundups: AirPods 4, AirPods Pro
Related Forum: AirPods

Top Rated Comments

comp.doc Avatar
77 months ago
I’ve only had to do the nuclear fix twice in two years of ownership. Most of the time simply popping them back in the case for a few seconds does the trick.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djlythium Avatar
77 months ago
What if both AirPods are working, but for about 50% of their advertised talk time due to battery degradation? o_O
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Smith288 Avatar
77 months ago
Or suck the wax out of it. LOL

https://www.reddit.com/r/airpods/comments/5xrrhu/one_side_louder/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HoosBruce Avatar
77 months ago
Ive had mine for 2 years and almost 2 months (January after the launch), and mine last anywhere between 30-60 min. I've used them nearly every day, so I'm not complaining, I'm just impatiently waiting for the next gen
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
joeblow7777 Avatar
77 months ago
So if your Airpods aren’t working try un-pairing and re-pairing with your device.

That’s the Bluetooth equivalent of turn it off and back on again, which does in fact solve most problems. :D
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HMFIC03 Avatar
77 months ago
I’ve had this issue occur also. The simple and quick solution I found was just placing the malfunctioning AirPod back in it’s charging case for a moment. Problem solved.
True but PITA when it happens at a half marathon.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Apple Expected to Release iOS 18.3 Next Week With These New Features

Thursday January 23, 2025 6:41 am PST by
iOS 18.3 should be released to the public next week, following beta testing since mid-December. While the software update is a relatively minor one, it still includes a handful of new features, changes, and bug fixes for iPhones. Below, we recap everything new in iOS 18.3. Notification Summary Changes Examples of inaccurate Apple Intelligence notification summaries Apple Intelligence...
Apple Pay Walmart Feature

Walmart Stands Firm on Why It Doesn't Accept Apple Pay in the U.S.

Thursday January 23, 2025 7:32 am PST by
Walmart still does not accept Apple Pay or other NFC payments at its more than 4,600 stores across the U.S., and it stood firm on its reasoning for that today. A spokesperson for Walmart today informed MacRumors that its position on contactless payments has not changed since we last reached out about the matter in 2022. The big-box retailer said it remains focused on its own convenient...
iOS 18

5 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.3

Friday January 24, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.3 next week, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a couple of neat new capabilities to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 devices, and bug fixes. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.3 still introduces capabilities that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Launching This Year With These New Features

Wednesday January 22, 2025 6:01 pm PST by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year. In this article, we recap rumored features and changes for the device. The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports Wi-Fi 6E, which would be an upgrade over the current Apple TV's standard Wi-Fi 6 support. Wi-Fi 6E extends the...
iOS 18

Here Are Apple's Full Release Notes for iOS 18.3

Tuesday January 21, 2025 4:31 pm PST by
Apple provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 18.3 today, and with it comes release notes confirming what's new. While we knew about several of the features that are in the update, there are some lesser known tweaks and bug fixes. The update adds new Visual Intelligence features for iPhone 16 models, it tweaks Notification summaries on all...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Beta Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday January 24, 2025 8:16 am PST by
iOS 18.3 is expected to be widely released next week, and that means the first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner. Apple has previously implied that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, as that is when it promised to make Apple Intelligence available in even more languages. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri ...
truecaller

Truecaller iOS Update Rolls Out Real-Time Caller ID Support

Wednesday January 22, 2025 2:07 am PST by
Popular caller ID app Truecaller is rolling out an update that brings real-time caller ID support to its iOS subscribers. Apple introduced Live Caller ID Lookup in iOS 18, allowing third-party caller ID apps to securely retrieve information about a caller from their servers, hence today's Truecaller update. iPhone users can enable the Live Caller ID Lookup feature by going to Settings ➝ ...
iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb 3

iOS 18.3 Leak Provides Clue About iPhone SE 4, iPad 11, and iPad Air 7 Launch Timing

Wednesday January 22, 2025 9:39 am PST by
New information has surfaced that indicates the rumored iPhone SE 4, iPad 11, and new iPad Air models are nearing launch. A private account on social media platform X today revealed that iOS 18.3 or iPadOS 18.3 will be preinstalled on all of those upcoming devices when they are released. It is still unclear exactly when the devices will launch, but this information suggests that Apple will...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Leak Reveals All-New Design

Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app. Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...