With the first wave of AirPods Max orders now arriving into the hands of customers, as always there are bound to be a few hiccups encountered when trying to connect and use the over-ear headphones with different devices for the first time.

airpods max pairing
If you're experiencing issues, the first thing you should do before anything else is reset the headphones and see if that resolves the problem. If that doesn't work, or if you've decided to return the headphones, you can reset them to factory settings and unpair them from your iCloud account.

How to Reset AirPods Max

  1. Before you reset your ‌AirPods Max‌, make sure they have some charge by plugging them into a charging point via the supplied USB-C to Lightning Cable.
  2. Press and hold the Noise Control button and the Digital Crown until the LED status light at the bottom of the right-hand earcup flashes amber.

If that doesn't solve your problem, you can reset the ‌AirPods Max‌ to factory settings. If you go down that route to return the headphones to Apple, remember to unpair them from your ‌iCloud‌ account.

airpods max digital crown

How to Reset AirPods Max to Factory Settings

  1. Make sure the headphones have some charge by plugging them into a charging point via the supplied USB-C to Lightning Cable.
  2. Press and hold the Noise Control button and the Digital Crown for 15 seconds, until the LED status light at the bottom of the right-hand earcup flashes amber, then white.

If neither of these options work to resolve your particular problem, contact Apple Support.

There are a couple of other notable customization options with the ‌AirPods Max‌ that are worth knowing about. You can reverse the direction of the Digital Crown volume controls, and also customize the mode selection of the Noise Control button.

Related Roundup: AirPods Max
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Max (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

Top Rated Comments

RPhoto Avatar
66 months ago

Wait - so you can remove them from your iCloud account (removing activation lock) just by pressing the buttons on the headset, without entering your iCloud password at any point? That's not great for something that costs £550!
No, I think it's just been worded badly/confusingly.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Franjelisco Avatar
66 months ago

Wait - so you can remove them from your iCloud account (removing activation lock) just by pressing the buttons on the headset, without entering your iCloud password at any point? That's not great for something that costs £550!
There is no activation lock in Airpods. You can use stolen Airpods just fine.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mazz0 Avatar
66 months ago

No, I think it's just been worded badly/confusingly.
Yeah, looks like its been edited. Phew, that would have made them a thief magnet! Mind you, the case might
make thieves too embarrassed to be seen with them. People might think the thief's stolen somebody's bra which I think has a substantially harsher punishment.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...