AirPod case not charging? Here’s how to fix it

The AirPods and AirPods Pro are some of the best true wireless earbuds you can get and are an absolute no-brainer if you have Apple devices. The speedy connections, easy access to information, seamless cross-device usage between iPhones, iPads, and Macs, and of course, their excellent audio quality are why AirPods are so popular. However, like any tech, AirPods aren’t without problems, and it’s the worst when you put on a pair only to find them without a charge. If you’ve remembered to plug in your earbuds, the lack of a charge might be because of something else. Here’s what to do if your AirPods and AirPods case are not charging.

There are many reasons why your AirPods and AirPod case may not be charging. But the good news is that, more often than not, the issue is because of something simple and easily fixable. Dirt or any blockage around the contact point will stop the earbuds from charging in the case, or they might simply not have been placed properly. Dirt or debris around the AirPod case’s charging port, faulty charging cables or wireless charging pads, and random software glitches may also be the culprit.

You might also face charging issues if the case or AirPods have been damaged, exposed to water, or have dead batteries. In these cases, your only option will be to pick up a replacement.

If your AirPods aren’t charging in the case, it could be because it doesn’t have any battery life remaining. If the case has no battery life, you won’t be able to charge the earbuds either. There are a few ways to check the battery life of the AirPods case.

If the AirPods are in the case, open the lid and hold it close to your iPhone or iPad. A window will pop up on the screen showing the remaining battery of the individual AirPods and the case. While wearing the AirPods, open the Widgets screen on the iPhone or iPad. The Batteries widget will show the battery levels of the individual earbuds and the charging case. And on a Mac, go to the Control Center, click on the Bluetooth icon, and hover the mouse over the name of your AirPods to see their battery levels.

You can get a simple indication of the battery level of the charging case without your devices. When the AirPods are in the case, look at the charging level indicator on the case. A green light indicates a full charge, while an orange light shows that the case has less than a complete charge cycle remaining. If you see no light on the AirPods or AirPods Pro case, the case has no charge remaining.

Dirt and debris around the contact point will block the AirPods from charging in the case. Check out our guide on how to clean your AirPods and AirPods Pro to ensure that nothing is blocking the charging point on the earbuds. It would be best if you also cleaned the inside of the AirPods case.

Also, remember that the AirPods won’t charge in the case if the earbuds aren’t placed properly. They generally slot into place without issue, but there may be instances where the earbud doesn’t sit quite right. Take out the AirPods, place them in the charging case again, wait a few minutes, and see if they are now charging.

Update the AirPods firmware or reset it

Apple rolls out firmware updates for the AirPods to fix bugs and improve performance. These updates are usually automatic and occur behind the scenes when you connect the AirPods to your iPhone or iPad. However, if you haven’t used the AirPods in a while, the lack of firmware updates might also cause charging issues.

Check out our guide on how to update your AirPods’ firmware to ensure you have the latest version. Remember that you will need an iPhone, iPad, or Mac previously connected to the earbuds to complete a manual update.

If cleaning the AirPods and charging case, checking the placement of the earbuds, and updating the firmware don’t work, you might have to reset the AirPods and start over.

The only way to charge the AirPods is by using the case, so it’s a massive problem if the case itself isn’t charging. Check the case’s battery level using the steps mentioned above, and don’t forget to clean the inside, outside, and charging port of the case to ensure that dirt and debris aren’t causing charging issues. You can also try updating the firmware or resetting the AirPods. But there are a couple more steps to go through if the AirPods case is not charging.

Check the charging cable or wireless charging pad

and that’s to check the charging cable or wireless charging pad. Every AirPods case has a lightning charging port, and a faulty cable might cause issues. Check whether the cable is torn or frayed, and plug in other devices to see if the problem is with the cable itself.

If you have new AirPods or AirPods Pro, you can also use a wireless charging pad to charge the case. However, compatibility or alignment issues might cause problems when charging the case wirelessly. Ensure you’re using a MagSafe wireless charger, Qi-certified charger, or Apple Watch charging mat. Place the AirPods case on the center of the pad with the status light facing up. You’ve placed the case correctly if you see the status light turn on for several seconds.

If none of the steps above work, your only option is to contact Apple customer care and get a replacement AirPods case. The good news is that you can easily replace your AirPods case. The bad news is that Apple may not cover a replacement even if you have AppleCare Plus. Depending on the model, you will have to pay between $59 and $89 to get a new charging case.