AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max are the wireless earbuds and headphones from Apple, who launched them after removing the headphone jack from iPhones. They are one of the top selling products from Apple due to their minimalist design, good audio and microphone performance, intuitive software and decent battery life. Even though they are premium products from Apple, AirPods are still susceptible to fair share of problems. If you are one of those users who are facing issues with AirPods, then one of the simplest solutions is to Reset the AirPods. In this article, we will see How to Reset AirPods and make them work again properly with your Apple devices.
Why Do You Need to Reset AirPods?
Apple’s AirPods are undoubtedly one of the best wireless earbuds currently available in the market. They blend neatly into the Apple ecosystem and work very well with iPhones, iPads and Macs. When you buy such high-end products from a reputable company, you expect them to work flawlessly for years.
But usually this is not the case and even Apple products have some problems and issues. Speaking of AirPods related issues, here are some common problems faced by many users.
- The first and most common issue is connectivity. Apple made it very easy to connect AirPods to a compatible device. Once paired properly, simply opening the lid of the AirPods’ charging case will automatically get paired to the nearest iPhone (or compatible device). But this doesn’t happen some times.
- You put the AirPods back into the case for them to charge, but they don’t charge. This could be a simple issue as something blocking the charging pin contacts or a complex firmware issue. If it is related to dust and debris in the AirPods or the charging case, then you can properly clean the AirPods and remove the dust and gunk.
- Another common problem is battery life of AirPods. Normally, 100% charged AirPods have a battery life between 4 – 6 hours, depending on the model and usage. But if you are getting way less than these numbers, then it might a problem with the battery itself or the battery management firmware.
In all the three issues mentioned above, resetting the AirPods might actually resolve the problem. Hard resetting or factory resetting the AirPods will clear all the settings and gives them a clean slate to work with as if they were new AirPods. Another reason you might want to reset your AirPods is if you are planning to sell your AirPods. Resetting and unlinking them from your iCloud account will make the resale process hassle free.
How to Reset AirPods or AirPods Pro?
Let us now see the steps on how to reset AirPods. After following these steps, your AirPods will be unpaired from your iPhone and will be factory reset for a fresh start.
Step 1: If the AirPods are outside the case, put them back in the case and close the lid of the charging case (for at least 30s). This will disconnect AirPods Bluetooth connection with your iPhone.
Step 2: Now, open the lid of the charging case. This will once again connect AirPods to your iPhone. Do not take out the AirPods but keep the lid of the charging case open.
Step 3: In your iPhone, open settings and navigate to “Bluetooth”. Your AirPods will be listed under “MY DEVICES”. Next to the name of your AirPods, there will be an information icon with “ⓘ” symbol. Click on it.
Step 4: Next, click on the “Forget Device” option. This will delete the Bluetooth pairing between your iPhone and AirPods.
Step 5: With the lid open, press and hold the button on the charging case for 15 seconds or more until the color of the status LED changes from flashing amber to white. If you have a wired charging case, the status LED is inside the case (between the two AirPods). In case of wireless charging case, the status LED is on the front of the case. This will reset your AirPods and you have to initiate the setup process from scratch.
Step 6: After reset, you can open the lid (if it is closed) and keep it close to your iPhone to start the pairing process.
How to Reset AirPods Max?
All the steps mentioned above are applicable only for AirPods and AirPods Pro. What if you have the AirPods Max and want to reset it? The steps are slightly different with AirPods Max as it doesn’t have a dedicated power button. It has a ‘Digital Crown’ and a ‘Noise Control Button’.
There are two solutions with respect to AirPods Max. One is to simply reboot the device and the other is to perform a factory reset. If you reboot the AirPods Max, it will simply restart the unit without messing with the settings or pairing. But if you perform a factory reset, all the settings, pairing will be erased and you have to start fresh once again.
Before performing either reboot or reset operation, make sure that the AirPods Max are charged for a bit.
- To Reboot AirPods Max, press and hold the Digital Crown and Noise Control Button until the status LED flashes amber (it usually takes 5 – 10s). The status LED is located on the opposite side of the Digital Crown and Noise Control button. So, you can hold the AirPods Max upside down to properly see the status LED.
- If reboot your AirPods Max doesn’t fix your issue, then you can perform a factory reset. To do that, press and hold the Digital Crown and Noise Control Button for about 15s until the status LED flashes amber and then white.
After factory reset, you can once again pair your AirPods Max with your iPhone or Mac.
Conclusion
Apple AirPods (regular, Pro or Max) are definitely one of the best wireless earbuds and headphones in the market now. But even they are prone to problems and resetting them can easily solve the issues. We described how to reset AirPods (for regular and Pro variants) or how to reboot or reset AirPods Max in a step-by-step manner.
If you are facing any issues related to connectivity, charging or battery with your AirPods, then perform a factory reset as mentioned in this article and we hope that your problem goes away and you can continue to enjoy music and make calls using your AirPods.
