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We’ve all been there. Your listening to your music, jamming out to your favourite song when all of a sudden your audio cuts out. Your AirPods are charged and everything should be working fine. So what’s happening?
As great as AirPods are, there’s a lot of potential things that can go wrong while you’re using them. From battery issues to connection problems and everything in between, the list of potential AirPods issues is as numerous as the people who use them.
Luckily, solutions to these problems are just as common. Fixing your AirPods doesn’t have to be a huge issue. With a little effort, you can get them working back to normal in no time.
What are Some Common AirPods Issues?
There’s a long list of problems that can potentially arise when using AirPods. It’s important to make sure that you know what the problem is. After all, you can’t fix what you aren’t sure of. Let’s take a look at some of the more common ones.
The most common issue by far is spotty audio quality. For some people, this may mean fuzzy or tinny audio. Some people experience it as the audio cutting in and out. This almost always means that there’s an issue with your wireless signal.
AirPods get their best signal within 100 feet of the audio source. If you leave that range, your audio quality can drop dramatically. This can lead to the problems mentioned earlier. If there’s something blocking the signal, that can drastically reduce your effective range. For example, if there’s a wall between you and your audio source, your signal is going to be much weaker than it otherwise would be.
Another common issue is the ear detection in AirPods not working properly. This is a feature that is supposed to be able to detect whether your AirPods are in your ears or not. It then plays and pauses the audio automatically.
This is a great feature, but it doesn’t always work right. The most common issue is simply that people aren’t aware of it. If you expect this feature to work and it isn’t, check your device settings. The feature may have gotten disabled. Some updates may disable it. Certain permission settings can as well.
And then there’s the age-old issue with all wireless devices. Sometimes, your AirPods just won’t connect to your device. This one is difficult to troubleshoot because the problem often lies somewhere with the Bluetooth connection itself. But there are some things you can do.
First, always make sure your AirPods are fully charged when pairing them to a new device. Low battery charge can reduce the strength of your signal. And if they aren’t already paired, this can make it harder for your phone to recognize them as an option.
If that isn’t working, you may want to go into the Bluetooth settings on your device and manually pair it to your AirPods. Automatic pairing can be fickle. If it’s not working, it may be worth taking the problem into your own hands.
How to Fix Issues With AirPods
Luckily for us users, there are as many fixes for Airpod issues as there are issues in the first place. Let’s take a look at some easy ones.
First, you need to make sure your AirPods are up to date with their software. A lot of people might not realize that AirPods update just like phones does. Having outdated software increases your odds of experiencing an issue during use.
If you’re trying to troubleshoot your software, it’s a good idea to have the serial number of your AirPods. You should also know exactly what kind of AirPods you have. This means knowing if you have Pros, Airpod 2s, or the original AirPods.
You can find this information through your settings on your iPhone if the AirPods are already paired. By going into your General settings and finding your paired devices, you can select your AirPods. This will tell you the serial and model numbers, and which variety of AirPods you have.
If this isn’t an option for some reason, you can find this information on the AirPods themselves. There should be a small block of text printed on the side that will tell you the make and serial numbers. You can also find it on the inside of your charger.
This information is useful if you need to take your AirPods to a physical location to get them looked at. It can also make it easier to find an exact fix online.
As for updating your AirPods, they do that automatically. As long as they are near a paired device while they are charging, they will download any new updates as they become available. Unfortunately, you cannot manually look for updates. So your only option here is to charge them near the device and hope for the best.
There are some easier fixes you can do yourself if your Airpods connection failed. The issue may be as simple as some dirt and grime. In this case, you can gently clean the device as needed. Cleaning the speakers can go a long way towards improving audio quality. You can also gently clean the inside of the charger. If that gets dirty, it can affect your Airpod’s ability to get a full charge.
You can also check the audio balance of your device. Since you can change that for each connected device, your balance may have gotten shifted too far to one side. This is especially likely if only one of your AirPods is having audio problems.
Fix Your AirPods
AirPods aren’t cheap. If you spend the money on them, you want to be sure that they’re going to work well. It’s important to maintain them well by cleaning them and making sure they get a good charge after each use. Regular software updates are also important.
If your AirPods are giving you issues, try these fixes out yourself. Odds are, one of them will solve the problem you’re having.
