Your AirPod’s mic not working can be incredibly frustrating as they’ve become one of the most popular accessories for making calls, participating in meetings, and speaking to loved ones.
You may be worried about having to repair or replace your AirPods, which may cost you hundreds of dollars. Fortunately, there are many solutions to fix it when your AirPods mic is not working.
We’ll go through all the possible reasons why your AirPods mic is not working and how to fix the problem.
Why Is My AirPods Mic Not Working?
There are several possible reasons your AirPods mic is not working, including:
- Dust and debris
- Low/Empty battery
- Pairing issues
- Mic settings
Now that you know why your AirPods mic is not working, let’s jump through the fixes.
How Can I Fix My AirPods Mic Not Working Issue?
To get your AirPods mic to work, reconnect your AirPods to your iPhone. You can do this by simply putting your AirPods back in their case, closing the lid, then putting them back in your ears again. Your AirPods will then be connected to your iPhone after doing this.
Here are the tips that will help you fix it when your AirPods mic not working.
1. Clean Your AirPods Microphone
Before doing anything special, check if your AirPods microphone is clean or not. Sometimes, dirt and debris block your sound, which can’t deliver to others.
You can use a cotton swab, microfiber cloth, or Q-tip tools to clean your AirPods. You can also use a soft brush to remove dirt and debris from microphones and speaker meshes.
2. Charge Your AirPods
If your AirPods batteries are dead or less than enough (usually under 20%), they start showing abnormal behaviors.
Sometimes, the AirPods mics are not working because they don’t have enough power. To check the battery percentage of your AirPods, open the Charging Case lid and hold it close to your iPhone.
A pop-up window appears and shows the battery level. Put your AirPods in their Charging Case, charge them for at least 30 minutes, and try again.
3. Reconnect AirPods to Your iPhone
Sometimes, the simplest way is the best way. Reconnecting your AirPods may solve the problem of the mic not working.
Put your AirPods in their Charging Case, close the lid, wait at least 30 seconds, and put them back in your ears.
This process will reset the Bluetooth connection and make everything return to its typical performance.
4. Check Microphone Settings
As you may know, AirPods have a microphone in both earbuds and are designed to automatically use the one in the ear.
You can also specify in settings which earbud should always use the mic. Sometimes, settings may change without reason and cause the microphone to not work on AirPods.
You can check the settings to make sure everything is fine. To do this, put your AirPods on and:
- Go to Settings.
- Open Bluetooth.
- Tap on “i” icon next to your AirPods name.
4. Choose the Microphone section.
- Turn Automatically Switch AirPods on.
5. Restart Your iPhone
Restarting iPhone can be the quickest way to get back up and running if the problem with your AirPods mic is related to something inside your iPhone.
A software driver that allows the microphone to function with a specific app may be one of the reasons you must restart your device.
If you need a refresher, check our guide on how to restart your iPhone, no matter which model you own.
6. Forget and then Re-pair AirPods
If none of the steps mentioned above helped you, it’s time to do something more serious. The microphone not working on AirPods may be due to a corrupted connection on your iPhone.
Forgetting the AirPods and repairing them with your iPhone will refresh all the connections as if they were brand new.
- Go to Settings.
- Open Bluetooth.
- Tap on the “i” icon next to your AirPods name.
- Select Forget This Device and confirm.
- Put AirPods in their charging case and wait at least 60 seconds.
- Open the lid, bring AirPods close to your iPhone and hold the connection button on the back of the Charging Case.
- A pop-up screen appears. Follow the instructions and pair AirPods once again.
7. Contact Apple Support
If none of these solutions have helped, you might have to think about having your AirPods repaired or replaced.
Despite their resilience, AirPods are still fragile pieces of technology. Dropping them can cause wear and tear that finally causes damage.
You might want to speak with Apple’s customer support or bring your AirPods for repair to the nearest Apple Store.
Final Thoughts on AirPods Mic Not Working
Many reasons can make your AirPods microphone stop working. Low battery, Bluetooth connection issues, dirt, debris that block sounds, and hardware issues may be the culprit.
Software and minor problems can be solved with DIY solutions. Still, if the AirPods microphone is not working due to physical damage or hardware problem, you have to contact Apple Support and let them repair or replace your AirPods.
Let me know if this helped fix your AirPods mic not working problem. If you found success doing something else, leave me a comment down below!
