Let’s face it, AirPods are expensive, and we don’t want them to die out so fast. That’s why many Airpods owners are concerned about their battery life and ask themselves, “why do my AirPods die so fast?”
All AirPods have lithium-ion batteries, and fast battery drain is a common problem. We’ll go through all the possible reasons why your AirPods die so fast and how you can extend their battery life.
How Long Do AirPods Last?
Before you’re wondering why your AirPods are dying so fast, it’s worth knowing about your AirPods battery life.
You may see a difference in battery life depending on your AirPods model, whether you’ve enabled certain features, and how you use them.
| Charging Time | AirPods (2nd generation) | AirPods (3rd generation) | AirPods, AirPods Pro 1st Generation | AirPods Pro, AirPods Pro 2nd Generation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Charge | Up to 5 hours of listening time Up to 3 hours of talk time | Up to 6 hours of listening time (up to 5 hours with Spatial Audio enabled) Up to 4 hours of talk time | 4.5 hours of listening time Up to 3.5 hours of talk time | 6 hours of listening time (up to 5.5 hours with Spacial Audio and Head Tracking enabled) 4.5 hours of talk time |
| Multiple charges in your case | +24 hours of listening time Up to 18 hours of talk time | +30 hours of listening time 20 hours of talk time | +24 hours of listening time 18 hours of talk time | 30 hours of listening time Up to 24 hours of talk time |
| Charged for 5 minutes in their case | N/A | 1 hour of listening time Around 1 hour of talk time | Around 1 hour of listening time Around 1 hour of talk time | 1 hour of listening time 1 hour of talk time |
| Charged for 15 minutes in their case | Up to 3 hours of listening time Up to 2 hours of talk time | N/A | N/A | N/A |
If your AirPods die much faster than how they’re rated by Apple, there might be a few factors affecting your AirPods battery life. Let’s find out.
Why Are My AirPods Dying So Fast?
There are many reasons why your AirPods batteries are draining too quickly. Here are five common reasons why your AirPods are dying so fast.
1. Airpods Are Not Placed in the Charging Case
When you use your AirPods for a long day, they must be returned in their charging case. They will charge and rest in their case before getting back to work.
Sometimes you forget to put them back in, and your AirPods batteries will drain entirely, and they can recharge.
When you see a low-power state on your AirPods, don’t panic! Your AirPods sensors are active, and they need to be charged. Sensors use power unnecessarily, searching for your device and your ears.
Check out this article if you have problems with one AirPod not charging for step-by-step instructions.
2. Your AirPods’ Volume Is Too High
The higher the volume of AirPods, the more power they use. There is a transistor in any device that amplifies sound.
A transistor amplifies tiny sound waves stronger. It needs the energy to work and gets it from batteries in the AirPods.
When you listen to music at a high volume, the transistor works harder, and therefore it needs more energy. Using your AirPods at a high volume will damage your battery and affect your hearing.
3. Use of Smart Features
AirPods have different sensors and make your listening experience more convenient. Automatic Ear Detection, Active Noise Cancellation, and tap commands function with these sensors.
When you take off AirPods, Ear Detection sensors activate and pause the music. You can pause, play, and control music using tap commands.
AirPods Pro comes with Active Noise Cancellation and removes all the external and disturbing sounds after it fits in your ears. These features are interesting, but they can drain your AirPods batteries fast.
4. Charging Case Doesn’t Have Enough Charge
One of the most exciting features of AirPods that makes it popular is charging everything wirelessly. You don’t need wires to charge your AirPods.
If your AirPods battery is dying fast, check the charging case to see if it has enough power to charge both AirPods or not.
If the AirPods charging case doesn’t have enough energy, it won’t charge your AirPods, and they will lose battery quickly.
5. AirPods Are Getting Old
AirPods have small lithium-ion batteries. They are compact and rechargeable, but they will degrade over time.
After 16 months of working, AirPods batteries naturally get old. Continuous charging and discharging of AirPods will affect battery health, and they will drain sooner than before.
Hot temperatures also affect battery function, and we don’t suggest using your AirPods under the sun or leaving them in your car.
How to Stop AirPods From Dying Fast
Now that you know the reasons why your AirPods are dying so fast, it should be easier for you to prevent your AirPods batteries from draining too quickly. The following tips will help you improve your AirPods battery life.
- Reset your AirPods using iOS
- Put AirPods In The Charging Case
- Fully Drain AirPods Battery
- Reset AirPods
- Turn Off Automatic Ear Detection
- Use One AirPod at a Time
- Decrease AirPods Volume
- Repair or Replace Your AirPods Battery
- Turn Off Noise Cancellation
- Buy a New Pair of Airpods
Before you go through the troubleshooting tips, make sure you didn’t buy yourself a pair of fake AirPods. We’ve got a great guide that will show you how to spot fake Airpods. Let’s get to the fixes.
1. Reset your AirPods Using iOS
Resetting your AirPods is the first and most straightforward method. It is the go-to option if you have any issues with your AirPods.
To reset AirPods, follow the steps below:
1. Put your AirPods in their charging case and close the lid.
2. Wait at least 30 seconds and open the cover.
3. On your iPhone, go to Settings.
4. Open Bluetooth.
5. Find your AirPods and tap on the “i” icon.
6. Tap on Forget This Device and tap again to confirm the process.
7. Press the button on the back of the charging case when the AirPods case lid is opened, and hold it for about 15 seconds until you see the LED light flashing.
8. A pop-up tab will be opened; tap on Connect.
9. Follow the instructions and let the AirPods pair with your iPhone.
2. Put AirPods In The Charging Case
If you’ve always used wired earphones, you might think it’s safe to pull your AirPods out of your ear and set them on the side until you need them again.
One issue with this behavior is the possibility of losing your AirPods. Another issue is that your AirPods continue to lose battery if they aren’t kept in their charging case.
They’re still connected to your iPhone’s Bluetooth, and even if you turn off the Bluetooth, your AirPods remain active and available to connect to your device at any time.
3. Fully Drain AirPods Battery
Resetting the battery cycle is one approach to help improve battery life. You can do this by draining the battery entirely first, both the AirPods and the AirPods charging case. Then fully charge them at the same time.
4. Reset AirPods
You can also reset your AirPods using the AirPods charging case. To do this, follow the steps below:
- Flip open the charging case.
- Press and hold the round pairing button on the back of the charging case.
- After 10 seconds, the status light should change from flashing amber to white.
- The AirPods will be reset, and you can pair them again.
5. Turn Off Automatic Ear Detection
As we said earlier, Automatic Ear Detection is a useful feature that makes your AirPods smart enough to understand when you put them out of your ear to pause or stop the music.
This feature needs batteries to work, which may be why your AirPods die so fast. To deactivate Automatic Ear Detection, follow the steps below:
1. First, head to the Settings app.
2. Select Bluetooth.
3. Make sure your AirPods are connected to your iPhone.
4. Tap on the “i” button next to AirPods name.
5. Tap to turn off Automatic Ear Detection.
6. Use One AirPod at a Time
This isn’t a long-term solution, but it’ll come in handy when you need it. A microphone is included in both AirPods. You can also select to use only one AirPod at a time.
So, the next time you’re on a long phone call, start with one AirPod while the other charges in the case.
When the first AirPod fails, replace it with your other AirPod and charge the first AirPod in the case.
7. Decrease AirPods Volume
Decreasing the volume on your AirPods is a quick and easy way to extend their battery life. You’re wasting a lot of power if you turn the volume up, and your battery life will suffer.
The simplest solution is to reduce the volume to a level at which you can still listen/hear comfortably.
If your AirPods still die so fast, move on to the next solution.
8. Repair or Replace Your AirPods Battery
Maybe it’s time for your AirPods to be repaired. In this case, you can fix or replace the batteries at an Apple Authorized Service Provider.
Instead of replacing the batteries, this service typically provides replacement AirPods. It isn’t always free, but it is less expensive than purchasing new AirPods.
9. Turn Off Noise Cancellation
Only the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max have Active Noise Cancellation. Though it’s a helpful tool, you may not require it all of the time.
ANC can help you save a few extra minutes of active use by turning it off. You can do this by following a few steps.
1. Go to Settings.
2. Select Bluetooth.
3. Tap the “i” icon next to your AirPods name.
4. After that, tap Active Noise Cancellation to turn it off.
You can also turn off Automatic Noise Cancellation using Control Center. Here’s how:
1. Swipe down the top right corner (in iPhone X and later) and swipe up the home button widget (in iPhone 8 and older)
2. Press and hold the volume slider.
3. Tap the Noise Cancellation icon to turn it off.
10. Buy a New Pair of AirPods
If the above recommendations don’t work for you and you’ve been using your AirPods for about two years, you should get a new pair of AirPods.
Sell your old AirPods and upgrade to the new AirPods. They have a longer talk time, “Hey Siri” features, and faster pairing.
FAQs – AirPods Dying Fast
There are a lot of things that can shorten the lifespan of your AirPods, including listening to music at high volumes, leaving them in extreme temperatures, and not charging them until they fall below 20%.
The most common reason why one AirPod dies faster than the other is that it’s not getting enough charge in the case. Try cleaning your AirPods and the case thoroughly and charging your AirPods again.
You can replace your AirPods battery at no additional cost if you have AppleCare+ for Headphones and the battery holds less than 80% of its original capacity.
Conclusion: Why Do AirPods Die So Fast?
Now that you’ve learned everything about AirPods batteries and mechanisms, you should know why your AirPods die so fast. AirPods have lithium-ion batteries, and they degrade over time.
You can’t stop this process, but you can slow it down by taking care of your AirPods. Avoid exposing your AirPods to extreme temperatures. Don’t overcharge them, and don’t let them discharge entirely.
If you have used your AirPods for over two years, trade them with a new pair or upgrade to a more recent generation.
Let us know in the comment section below about any other tips that you know can extend your AirPods battery life.
