Why is my AirPod case not charging?

To charge the AirPods battery, you need to place the headphones in the charging case. However, it can happen that the AirPods no longer charge. This can have various causes. We will help you if the case won’t charge the AirPods. As well if the left or the right AirPod is not charging.

AirPod case not charging

There is no clear cause for AirPods that can no longer be charged. The problem can be with the headphones as well as with the charging case. Charging without a AirPod case is not possible. So if you have lost the case, you will have to replace it. If your AirPods battery is dying, investigate the following:

• Make sure the charging case still has enough power and charge the case. Use the original Lightning cable with a USB power adapter. Do not connect the AirPod case to the MacBook or PC via a USB hub and do not charge it with a power bank.
• Make sure that the power adapter is connected properly and that there is no cable breakage or similar.
• If you are using a wireless Qi charger, you should also make sure that the charging station is properly connected to a power source via cable.
• The status light on the AirPod charging dock should be facing up if you want to charge it wirelessly. When you place the charging case on the Qi charger, the LED will light up briefly and turn off when charging begins. If the LED does not light up, position it differently on the charger.
• If the charging station does not charge even though all cables are correctly connected and functional, there might be a defect in the accessory. In this case, you should contact Apple and have the case replaced.

The left or right AirPods no longer charge at the same time or not at all

Battery problems unfortunately occur again and again with the expensive Apple headphones, as reports from the past show. Even when not in use, it is not uncommon for the headphones’ battery to discharge.

To charge the AirPods, they have to be placed in the charging station. After that, close the lid to start the charging process. If errors occur here, investigate the following:

• If the AirPods are completely discharged, you should wait at least 15 minutes before removing them from the charging station.
• When charging, make sure the headphones are properly inserted into the charging dock. Don’t be too tentative about pushing them in so that the contacts touch.
• There should be no dirt, such as dust on the contacts, otherwise the charging process will go wrong. However, remove dirt carefully and do not use a sharp device, as this could damage the contacts.

Sometimes battery issues can be fixed by resetting the AirPods. This is also true if only the right or left AirPod will charge. So if you notice that one headset is still at full power, but the other is completely empty, first charge both AirPods at the same time. If that doesn’t work, reset the AirPods and reconnect them to the iPhone.

Possible software bugs or other minor glitches that cause your AirPods to not charge properly can often be fixed this way. Note, however, that a reset will also sever all previous connections between the AirPods and your iOS devices. Here’s how to factory reset your AirPods:

1. Insert the AirPods into the charging case.
2. Close the lid of the case.
3. Wait 30 seconds and then open the lid again.
4. Pick up your connected iOS device and go to Bluetooth via Settings.
5. Tap on the info icon next to the AirPods displayed here.
6. On the info page that opens, select Ignore this device and confirm your selection.
7. Press the setup button on the back of the charging case for about 15 seconds until the status LED starts flashing yellow.

Check the battery level of your AirPods

If your AirPods don’t charge or charge very slowly, the battery level of the charging case may be responsible. If it’s too low, the case can’t deliver power to the wireless headphones.

Check the charge level of the case with your iPhone

If you want to check the battery of your charging case with your iPhone, only a few steps are necessary.

1. Make sure your AirPods are connected to your iPhone via Bluetooth.
2. Open the lid of the charging case while your AirPods are inside.
3. Hold the charging case near your iPhone and wait a moment. You may be prompted again to connect the AirPods to your iPhone via a menu on the iPhone screen. Confirm this.
4. A pop-up will appear on the smartphone screen with the current charge level of AirPods and charging case.

Alternatively, you can check the charge level using the battery widget on your iPhone.

1. To do so, swipe from the left to the far right across the screen in the lock screen or even when the home screen is activated. A list with all active and existing widgets opens.
2. If the widget is not displayed at the top of the list, you can add it to your active widgets with Edit.
3. Select the battery widget by tapping on the green plus sign.
4. Confirm your selection with Done.
5. Your iPhone’s battery widget now shows the current charge level of the AirPods and the charging case.

Checking the charge level of the case with your MacBook

You can also use your MacBook to check the charge level of your AirPods and charging case. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the lid of the charging case.
2. Place the case next to your MacBook.
3. Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on your MacBook.
4. Click the Bluetooth icon in the upper right corner of your MacBook screen.
5. Wait a moment for the AirPods to appear.
6. Hover over the AirPods in the Bluetooth menu. You’ll see the current charge level of the case and AirPods.

Check the battery level on the AirPod case itself

Not quite as accurate, but still a good indicator, is checking the charge level using the small LED in the charging case itself. If no AirPods are inserted into the case, the small light shows the battery status of the charging case: If the LED is green, the battery is full. If it is yellow, there is only less than half a charge left.

If you want to submit your AirPods along with the charging case for repair, you will need the serial number of the gadgets. You can find it inside the charging case on the underside of the lid. Alternatively, you can view the serial number from your connected iOS device by going to Settings > General > About > AirPods.