Only One AirPod Working? Here's How to Fix the Problem

AirPods and AirPods 2 are designed to work seamlessly with all of Apple's Bluetooth-supporting devices, and nine times out of ten the wireless earbuds 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 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.

Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.

Tap Bluetooth, and then tap the 'i' icon next to your AirPods in the list.

Tap Forget this Device.
Ensure that both AirPods are in their charging case and that the case has charge.

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.

Open the charging case lid.

Press and hold the button on the back of the case for at least 15 seconds. If you are using a first-generation (i.e. non-wireless) 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 AirPods 2 or a Wireless Charging Case, you can find this light on the front of the case.

Now, close the lid of your AirPods case and then open it up again.
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. To do so, launch the Settings app and select General -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings, then try re-pairing your AirPods by repeating the steps above.

Related Roundup: AirPods 2

Tag: AirPods Guide

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Top Rated Comments

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djlythium

27 weeks ago

What if both AirPods are working, but for about 50% of their advertised talk time due to battery degradation? o_O

Rating: 8 Votes

comp.doc

26 weeks 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.

Rating: 7 Votes

Smith288

27 weeks 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

Rating: 5 Votes

HoosBruce

26 weeks 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

Rating: 4 Votes

farewelwilliams

26 weeks ago

clean the bottom of the AirPod. I saw some blue gunk which caused the AirPod to not charge sometimes and therefore would not connect.

Rating: 2 Votes

joeblow7777

26 weeks 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

Rating: 2 Votes

dannyyankou

26 weeks ago

I wonder if AirPods 2 will have Bluetooth 5.0 and help fix this problem

Rating: 2 Votes

nortonandreev

26 weeks ago

What if both AirPods are working, but for about 50% of their advertised talk time due to battery degradation? o_O

You should be happy it’s only 50 lol. I am getting about 30 minutes on mine.

Rating: 2 Votes

mudflap

19 weeks 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

Holy cow this actually worked. My right AirPod was super quiet. I was afraid to try this because I was worried the suckage would rupture the diaphragm. I tried a few times and it didn't do anything. Then I really sucked the hell outta that AirPod like I had the disease and it had the cure and it totally worked.

Thanks!
[doublepost=1557436496][/doublepost]

No thanks. I would rather try multiple other alternatives to fix the issue before doing any such thing you’re suggesting.

it works. And no the earwax doesn't go flying into your mouth like a Dillion Harper money shot. Just wipe it off afterwards with a swab dipped in rubbing alcohol and it's good as new.

Rating: 1 Votes

HMFIC03

26 weeks 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.

Rating: 1 Votes

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