Over time, the batteries in your AirPods won’t last as long as they used to, and you may find yourself struggling to listen to everything you want before it dies.
To combat this, let’s look at everything you can do to prevent your AirPods’ batteries from draining so fast.
1. Store Your AirPods in the Case
If you’ve been a long-time user of wired earbuds, you may feel it’s harmless to take your AirPods out from your ear and leave them on the side until your next use.
One problem with this habit is, of course, potentially losing your AirPods. However, another issue is that if you don’t store your AirPods in the case, they will continue to lose battery power. That’s because the earbuds are still connected to your device’s Bluetooth.
Even if you turn off Bluetooth, your AirPods remain in an active, ever-ready state to connect immediately for your convenience. Therefore, remember to put your AirPods back in their case when they’re not in use to prevent your AirPods from losing charge.
2. Don’t Open and Close Your AirPods Case Lid Repeatedly
Much like clicking a pen cap or pushing the slider of retractable USB drives, every single AirPods owner has probably been guilty of flicking the case lid open and shut repeatedly.
But each time you open and close the charging case, you activate your AirPods’ Bluetooth and suddenly turn it off again. Sending endless instructions like this drains your AirPods’ battery life.
This happens whether the AirPods are in the case or not. Once you’ve successfully paired and connected your AirPods, place the case somewhere your hands can’t reach!
3. Disable Automatic Ear Detection
Notice how your AirPods perfectly pause a song or video when you remove one earbud from your ear and continue to play once you put it back in?
Automatic Ear Detection is the convenient feature that enables this function. But, needless to say, it also consumes your AirPods’ batteries.
If Automatic Ear Detection isn’t a must-have feature for you, you can turn it off:
Go to the Settings app and select Bluetooth. Ensure that your AirPods are connected to your iPhone. Tap the More Info (i) button next to your AirPods. Now, use the toggle to turn off Automatic Ear Detection.
4. Turn Off Noise Cancellation
Noise cancellation provides a better listening experience by blocking out sounds in your surroundings. However, the feature also consumes your AirPods’ battery.
Only the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max have this feature; the standard AirPods do not. So, find out what AirPods you have, and if you’re using the first two models, you can turn off noise cancellation to preserve battery life.
When your AirPods Pro or AirPods Max is connected to your device, go to Settings > Bluetooth. Tap the More Info (i) button next to your AirPods. Under Noise Control, select Off.
5. Use Only One AirPod at a Time
Let’s say you’re about to watch a live stream that’s more than two hours long, but you see your AirPods only have 40% battery left.
In this case, you can make the battery last as long as possible by using only one AirPod at a time. Meanwhile, leave your other AirPod to charge in the case.
This method isn’t always ideal because it does affect user experience. However, it’s the most practical way to prevent your AirPods from dying when you need them, as only half the battery power is being used at once.
6. Lower the Volume of Your AirPods
Turning up the volume to enjoy a song in its full glory is a satisfying experience. But if you’re tapping into a 3-hour playlist and listening to it at near-maximum volume throughout, you’ll likely notice that your AirPods are dying even though you just fully charged them.
Therefore, besides using only one AirPod at a time, lowering the volume can help to save battery life and prevent your AirPods’ battery from draining too fast. This practice protects your ears as well; constantly blasting the volume is harmful in the long term.
7. Practice Good AirPods Charging Habits
Many of us are probably guilty of using up our AirPods’ battery until it’s completely flat. But if this is a regular occurrence, it’s going to wear down your battery quickly. Thus, this may be why your AirPods aren’t holding charge as well as before.
Place your AirPods back in its case to charge when it falls below 40 or 50 percent. The same applies to your AirPods case itself. Don’t wait until the battery is empty before charging it.
Similarly, don’t overcharge your AirPods either. While it’s safe to keep your AirPods in its case when you’re not using them, it might be easy to forget you’re charging your AirPods case after you plugged it in. It’s best to set a reminder to unplug it, and don’t leave both your AirPods and its case to charge overnight.
8. Enable Optimized Battery Charging
The AirPods (3rd generation) and AirPods Pro have an Optimized Battery Charging feature that learns from your charging routine. This feature preserves the battery health because your AirPods will only charge past 80 percent when you’re about to use them soon.
Taking care of the battery will help reduce further wear that would otherwise weaken your AirPods’ charge-holding capabilities. You can go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap More Info (i) on your AirPods, and toggle on Optimized Battery Charging to enable the feature.
9. Reset Your AirPods
If you experience excessive battery drain on your iPhone, a go-to solution is to reset your device. The same goes for your AirPods.
Here’s how to reset your AirPods if they’re draining more than they should be:
Place your AirPods in the case and close the lid. Wait for 30 seconds, then open the case lid. On your device, go to the Settings app and select Bluetooth. Tap the More Info (i) button next to your AirPods. Select Forget This Device. Tap Forget Device to confirm. With the lid still opened, press the round Setup button on your AirPods case for 15 seconds. The status light should flash amber, then white. Lastly, simply reconnect your AirPods to your device to use them again.
10. Repair or Replace Your AirPods’ Battery
If nothing works, it may mean that your AirPods need fixing. You can visit an Apple Authorized Service Provider to repair or replace the batteries in this case. This service doesn’t usually replace the actual batteries, instead you get replacement AirPods. It’s not usually free, but it is cheaper than buying brand new AirPods.
If you love your current AirPods, there’s no need to upgrade your AirPods every year. Paying for a battery replacement is a good way to fix the issue. It’s more eco-friendly as well because it ensures your old AirPods will be recycled however possible.
Preserve the Battery Life of Your AirPods
Like all tech devices, AirPods occasionally have hiccups here and there, but they can often be solved easily yourself. By using the methods explained here, you should find that it will help preserve your AirPods’ battery better while you’re watching videos, listening to music, or having a phone call.
When you frequently notice that the battery of your AirPods dies fast, it may also be time to review how you’re caring for your device to ensure that you’re not accidentally speeding up the battery’s degradation process.
