AirPods are perfect wireless headphones for use with Apple products like an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. However, they don’t always behave the way we’d expect, refusing to connect at all. Luckily, there are several solutions that we can employ when a only airpod not working.
Fix: Single AirPod Not Working
Check the charge of your AirPods
Although it may sound a bit obvious, many times we forget to check that our AirPods have a charge. Not everyone knows this, but there are times when one earbud completely discharges while the other doesn’t. This can happen if the sensors are dirty so they may no longer detect when you put them in your ears.
For a quick check, put the earbuds in their charging case. If a green light comes on, it indicates that they have a full battery. Instead, if it is yellow, leave them for a few minutes until they complete their charge.
Check the charge of your AirPods case
When a single AirPod isn’t working and a single LED on your wireless earbuds’ charging case isn’t doing anything, chances are you need to plug it into a Lightning connector. You can also choose to use a wireless charging pad, as long as your AirPods support wireless charging.
Also, you should note that while both AirPods should charge at the same rate, it doesn’t always happen this way. If you use only one AirPod at a time, for example, you can use up the case’s remaining charge while charging only one of the wireless earbuds.
Clean the contacts and the charging case
As we told you at the beginning, one of the reasons why only one AirPod does not work properly may be that the contacts are dirty. Well, there are no LEDs on each AirPod to indicate the current status of each of them individually.
So, if the case is charged or charging and you’ve waited a while with no luck, it’s best to make sure there are no obstructions that might prevent your AirPod from charging properly.
To do this, open the case and take a look at the charging bay in which the affected AirPod is located. We must always make sure to clean the dust, because when we leave it in the pockets it can accumulate, obstructing the contacts necessary for charging. As a consequence, it will not receive the necessary charge to function properly.
Remember to check that the tip of the AirPod that rests against the charging contacts is perfectly clean. The metal edge should be shiny for it to charge properly.
It’s best to clean your AirPods with a soft cloth, Blu-Tack, cotton swabs, rubbing alcohol, and a soft brush. Remember to also do the charging port on the bottom of the unit with a toothpick and light touch.
Check Bluetooth settings
If none of the above solutions have worked, try taking your AirPods out of the charging case and putting them in your ears. Now, head over to Control Center on your iPhone or iPad and check that they both appear in settings by swiping down from the top right corner of the screen. Then tap on the “Now Playing” field followed by the Air Play symbol.
Next, take a look at the currently connected devices. If both AirPods are detected, your iPhone or iPad will label them as “Tim’s AirPods Pro” or whatever you have renamed them with a battery percentage, as shown in the image below.
If instead it only detects one, you will see on the screen of your device the legend “L” or “R” to indicate which one it has detected along with its battery percentage in this way:
With this method you can isolate the problem. If both AirPods show up, but you’re only hearing sound from one of them, it means there’s actually a problem with your wireless earphone’s own speaker. Instead, if only one appears, the other might have other issues or you may need to pair it with your mobile device again.
In the event that your iPhone or iPad detects both, you can try forcing a firmware update to see if this helps fix your problem. Updates are made wirelessly and automatically when available.
However, to force the update, you should note that you will need to put both AirPods in the case, connect the power cable, and then place them next to your mobile device.
Pair your AirPods again
If you still can’t get both of your AirPods to work properly, you can try pairing them with your iPhone or iPad again. Remember that you must first remove them from your mobile device from “Settings > Bluetooth” and touch the “i” next to the wireless headphones you want to remove.
Next, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and tap “Forget This Device” and confirm your decision. Note that to do this, you won’t need to have your AirPods turned on or nearby.
Once removed from your device, take your AirPods and place them in the charging case. Turn on Bluetooth on your device from “Settings > Bluetooth” or from Control Center and bring it closer to your iPad or iPhone. They should now appear with pairing instructions.
Check for damage to your AirPods
Carefully check your AirPods and charging case for any signs of damage. Mainly, you should focus on finding any cracks in the outer plastic that indicate your headphones have stopped working. Well, in this case, it is most likely that moisture has entered inside.
If you have an AppleCare+ insurance policy this damage is covered for a period of 12 months. However, you will be charged a service fee of approximately $29 for repairs.
You can also check your warranty status by going to “Settings > Bluetooth” and tapping the “i” button next to your AirPods. Or from the Apple support website, although this will require the original serial number located under the cover of the charging case printed on the AirPod or on the original packaging.
