AirPods have been dominating the Apple market with their immense popularity since their release in 2016. However, regardless of when you bought your AirPods, you may have been experiencing issues with them in terms of their battery life. If that is the case, then you may be trying to lower your usage so as to not completely damage your expensive accessories.
In this article, we will be explaining why this might be happening and the measures you can adopt to optimise the battery life of your AirPods.
Reasons for a quick death
AirPods contain a small battery of 93 mW and even though Apple does guarantee 5 to 6 hours of listening time and 3-4.5 hours of talking time varies from generation to generation, every battery declines with use over time. So if you are currently using AirPods since 2016 or 2018, they may not be able to work for more than an hour or two at one stretch. The same goes for its charging case as well.
Both the left and right AirPods may also have separate time duration for reaching full charge. This duration might vary as one AirPod might be receiving signals from your iPhone and relaying it to the other AirPod, hence working more than the other AirPod. Therefore, you may not have adequately functioning AirPods within two years of your purchase.
Also read: AirPods case not charging: 6 Fixes
How to slow down the death?
Well, death is inevitable, be it humans, animals, or our beloved and slightly expensive electronic gadgets. Your AirPods will not last for very long after purchase and everyday use. However, you can try out the temporary solutions given below to slow down the battery deterioration process and extend its life:
Clean AirPods
You should keep your AirPods and the charging case clean of any dirt which can accumulate if left unclean for a long time. This dirt can cause irritation and infection in your ear in addition to causing hindrance for your AirPods to charge accordingly. Clean all the ports thoroughly.
Noise Control off
If you have AirPods Pro or AirPods Max, then you might be using their Noise Cancellation feature to reduce background noise. This usually eats up your AirPods’ battery life. You can turn off this feature by heading to your iPhone’s Control Centre and opening your volume level. Here, you will find three options for Noise Cancellation, Off, and Transparency. You can switch to either the Off or the Transparency option.
Ear detection off
AirPods can detect when you place them in your ears as they have an automatic ear detection feature enabled. This means they can also detect when you take them out which allows them to pause any video or music that you have been listening to or viewing.
Since this can also cause a drain on your AirPods’ battery, you can switch off this feature by following the steps given below:
- Head to Settings on your Apple device and tap on Bluetooth.
- Tap on the ‘i’ button in front of your AirPod’s name.
- Now switch off the Automatic Ear Detection toggle.
Keep the case charged
If you keep your Lightening or MagSafe charging case fully charged then your AirPods can quickly charge when placed in the charging case. Keeping your case fully charged and reducing the number of times you open and close the case can lower the battery drain of your case as well. With optimised charging, you can be assured that your AirPods will not overcharge if they stay in the case when not being used.
Lower volume
If your AirPods are operating on a lower volume, then they will require less battery to operate. Lowering the volume is beneficial for your eardrums as well as your AirPods’ battery life.
Reset AirPods
You can unpair your AirPods from your Apple device to check if it makes a difference in the battery life of your AirPods. You can reset the AirPods on your device by following the steps given below:
- Head to Settings and tap on the Bluetooth option.
- Tap on the ‘i’ button in front of your AirPod’s name.
- Tap on Forget This Device and confirm the removal.
Place your AirPods back into their case and after 15 minutes, press the setup button at the back. An orange light and then a white light will be visible indicating that the AirPods have been reset. You can now pair them back with your device.
Avoid high temperature
Try to place both your AirPods and their charging case in a cool environment. Extreme heat is not advisable for any of your devices as it can heat up the battery quickly. With its small size, the battery of the AirPod and its case is more likely to get damaged easily.
Get repair
If none of the above fixes are working or helping you to extend the battery life of your AirPods, you can always have the battery replaced by heading to an Apple Store. You can have the battery of a single AirPod bud changed as well as the battery of your charging case for a service fee which is usually 70% of the original cost of the device. Apple Repair and Services also takes care of lost items or any other damage. They charge extra if your device no longer comes under warranty.
Also read: Fix: AirPods connected but no sound
