AirPods Not Connecting

AirPods not connecting is usually fixed by resetting the connection rather than the AirPods: put both buds in the case, close the lid for 15 seconds, open it next to your device and choose them as the audio output. When that fails, the cause is often a flat case, out of date software, AirPods held by another device, or on Windows and Android a pairing that never finished. This guide goes through each device in turn, then the reset steps for every model, firmware, Find My and a single AirPod that stays silent. Once they connect, play the headphone test to check that each bud plays its own side.

Quick checks

• Charge both. Put both AirPods in the case and the case on a charger for a few minutes. If the status light stays dark when you open the lid, the case is flat.
• Close, wait, open. Close the lid with both buds inside, wait 15 seconds, then open it next to your device. Apple lists this step too.
• Bluetooth fully on. On an iPhone, the Bluetooth button in Control Center only disconnects accessories until tomorrow. Turn it on in Settings, Bluetooth.
• Update the device. Apple asks you to install the latest iOS, iPadOS or macOS before anything else, because newer AirPods need recent software.
• Choose them as the output. They can be connected while sound plays elsewhere. Open Control Center, tap the AirPlay icon on the music controls, and pick your AirPods.

AirPods not connecting to an iPhone or iPad

1. Open Settings, Bluetooth. If your AirPods are under My Devices, tap them to connect.
2. If they are not listed, put both in the case, open the lid and hold the case next to the iPhone. The setup card should appear.
3. If no card appears, put them in pairing mode. On AirPods 1, 2 and 3 and AirPods Pro 1 and 2, press and hold the setup button on the back of the case until the light flashes white. On AirPods 4, AirPods 5 and AirPods Pro 3, double-tap the front of the case until it flashes white.
4. If they connected but keep moving to your iPad or Mac, that is automatic switching between devices on the same Apple Account. Pick them again in Control Center, or set Connect to This iPhone to When Last Connected to This iPhone in their settings.

On a new iPhone, such as an iPhone 17, AirPods set up with your old phone appear automatically when both phones use the same Apple Account. If they do not, reset them and pair them as new.

AirPods not connecting to a Mac

1. Open System Settings, Bluetooth, and check Bluetooth is on.
2. If your AirPods are listed, click Connect. If not, open the case with both buds inside, put them in pairing mode as above, and click Connect next to them under Nearby Devices.
3. If the Mac speakers keep playing, open Control Center, select Sound and choose your AirPods.
4. If the Mac takes them from your iPhone, or the other way round, set Connect to This Mac to When Last Connected to This Mac in the AirPods settings.

Still failing? Click the Info button next to the AirPods in Bluetooth settings, choose Forget This Device, and pair again.

AirPods not connecting to a Windows 11 laptop

1. Open Settings, Bluetooth & devices, and turn Bluetooth on.
2. Open the case with both AirPods inside and put them in pairing mode. Apple's steps for non-Apple devices: hold the setup button for about 5 seconds until the light flashes white, or double-tap the front of the case on AirPods 4, AirPods 5 and AirPods Pro 3. On AirPods Max, hold the listening mode button for about 5 seconds.
3. Select Add device, then Bluetooth, and choose the AirPods.
4. If they show as Paired but not connected, select them and choose Connect. If that fails, choose Remove device and pair again from step 2.

If the AirPods never appear in the list:

• Select Show all devices if it appears in the Add a device window. On Windows 11 versions before 24H2, set Bluetooth devices discovery to Advanced in Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Devices instead.
• Keep them away from USB 3 hubs and drives, which interfere with Bluetooth.
• Update the Bluetooth driver from your laptop maker's support page. An old driver can let AirPods pair and then drop again within seconds.

Windows 10: use Settings, Devices, Bluetooth & other devices, Add Bluetooth or other device.

AirPods also tend to jump back to a nearby iPhone the moment you open the case, which looks like a failed connection on the laptop. Turn off Bluetooth on the iPhone while you work. If Windows will not pair any Bluetooth device, the fault is the laptop's Bluetooth, covered in bluetooth not working windows 11.

AirPods not connecting to an Android phone

1. Turn on Bluetooth. On Samsung phones, open Settings, Connections, Bluetooth. On Pixel phones, open Settings, Connected devices, Pair new device.
2. Put the AirPods in pairing mode, as for Windows above.
3. Select them when they appear in the list of Bluetooth devices.

If they connect and then drop, make sure no other phone or tablet nearby is grabbing them, then forget them on the Android phone and pair again. Siri does not work on Android, but music and calls do.

AirPods not connecting to Apple TV

If your Apple TV 4K is signed in with the same Apple Account as your AirPods, you do not need to pair them. Press and hold the TV button on the remote to open Control Center, select the Audio Controls button and choose your AirPods. If the Apple TV uses a different account, open Settings, Remotes and Devices, Bluetooth, put the AirPods in pairing mode next to the TV and select them.

Reset your AirPods: steps for each model

A reset clears every pairing and fixes most AirPods that refuse to connect anywhere. First, on your iPhone or iPad, open Settings, Bluetooth, tap the More Info button next to the AirPods, tap Forget This Device and confirm.

AirPods 1, 2 and 3, AirPods Pro 1 and 2

1. Put the AirPods in the case, close the lid and wait 30 seconds.
2. Open the lid.
3. Press and hold the setup button on the back of the case for about 15 seconds.
4. When the status light flashes amber, then white, hold the open case next to your iPhone and follow the steps on screen.

AirPods 4, AirPods 5 and AirPods Pro 3

These cases have no setup button. You reset them by tapping the front of the case:

1. Put the AirPods in the case, close the lid and wait 30 seconds, then open the lid.
2. Double-tap the front of the case while the status light is on.
3. Double-tap again when the light flashes white.
4. Double-tap a third time when the light flashes faster.
5. When the light flashes amber, then white, follow the steps on your iPhone.

AirPods Max

Press and hold the listening mode button and the Digital Crown for 15 seconds, until the light flashes amber, then white. Holding the same two buttons only until the light flashes amber restarts them without erasing anything.

If the light on an AirPods case does not flash white, close the lid for 20 seconds and repeat the steps for your model. Apple's AirPods reset guide and AirPods Max guide give the same steps.

Update the AirPods firmware

New iOS versions sometimes need newer AirPods firmware to connect smoothly. AirPods install firmware by themselves while charging near a paired iPhone, iPad or Mac on Wi-Fi. To check and push an update:

1. Find the version: on iPhone or iPad, Settings, Bluetooth, the Info button next to the AirPods, then About. On a Mac, System Settings, Bluetooth, the Info button.
2. Make sure the iPhone, iPad or Mac is on the latest software, on Wi-Fi, with Bluetooth on.
3. Put the AirPods in the case, close the lid and connect the case to power. For AirPods Max, plug the cable into the right earcup.
4. Leave everything together for at least 30 minutes, then check the version again.

Windows and Android cannot update AirPods. Without an Apple device, Apple suggests visiting an Apple Store or an authorized service provider. Apple lists the current versions on its AirPods firmware page.

AirPods not showing in Find My

• Pairing and account. AirPods appear in Find My only after you pair them with an iPhone or iPad signed in to your Apple Account, with Find My turned on.
• Find My network. With the AirPods connected, open Settings and tap the AirPods name near the top, then turn on Find My network. Apple lists it for AirPods 3, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max.
• Offline or No location found. The AirPods are out of range or flat. Find My shows their last known place until they connect again.
• Paired to another Apple Account. The previous owner has to remove them: in Find My, Devices, the AirPods, Remove This Device. Apple cannot remove this lock for you. Resetting stops the AirPods sharing their location with the old owner, but it does not let you add them to your account.

One AirPod not working

Apple's steps for a silent left or right AirPod:

1. Charge the case fully and make sure its charging port is clean.
2. Put both AirPods in the case for 30 seconds, then open it next to your iPhone and check that the battery screen shows a charge for each one.
3. Put the silent AirPod in your ear, leave the other in the case with the lid closed, and play audio.
4. If it plays, put both back for 30 seconds and test them together. If it stays silent, reset the AirPods.

If one side is only quieter, remove the ear tips and clear the speaker mesh with a soft, dry brush, then check that Balance in Settings, Accessibility, Audio & Visual sits in the middle. The left right audio test shows which side is weaker.

When it is a hardware fault

If a reset does not help, check for these signs:

• One AirPod never shows a charge after you clean its contacts and the case: its battery or charging contact has failed.
• The case light stays dark on a known good charger: the case has failed.
• Crackling or static in one bud on every device: a damaged speaker.

Apple sells single replacement AirPods and cases, and AirPods carry a one year limited warranty, longer with AppleCare+. Fake AirPods often fail to reset or update, so if yours were bought second hand, check the serial number on Apple's coverage page first. After a repair, run the mic test to check the AirPods mic, and the bluetooth audio latency test if sound lags behind video on a laptop.

AirPods questions