How To Diagnose & Fix One AirPod Not Working

AirPods have revolutionized how the world listens to audio. But unfortunately, they aren’t invincible. For instance, one of the AirPods might stop working. But don’t fret – you can fix it.

If you’re faced with this problem, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll walk you through some quick fixes so you can continue to enjoy audio across your devices. Let’s get started.

One Airpod Works, One Doesn’t

There are several reasons why your AirPods aren’t working correctly. First, your AirPods may have run out of battery. It’s also possible that your AirPod has accumulated dirt, debris, and earwax over time. In some cases, the culprit might be your audio or network settings.

Sadly, there’s no one way of fixing the problem. For that reason, it would help to try all the fixes featured in this article until your AirPod starts working again. Also, note that you can apply all the solutions we’ve highlighted in this article to all the accessory models.

Here are the specific fixes you can try if one of your AirPods isn’t working.

Double-Check That Both AirPods Are Charged

Just like any other gadget, AirPods run on a charge. If one of your AirPods isn’t working, it’s probably run out of battery. To rule out this problem, follow these steps:

1. Place the two AirPods in their charging case for at least 30 seconds.
   
2. Once charging is complete, connect them to your phone.
   
3. Play audio on your phone to see if the issue is resolved.

Hard-Reset Your AirPods

If the above fix didn’t work, try resetting your AirPods. This should fix temporary glitches and form a new connection. Here’s how hard reset your AirPods:

1. On your phone, open “Settings” and navigate to “Bluetooth.”
   
2. From the listed devices, identify your AirPods and click the info icon against it.
   
3. From the options, select “Forget This Device.”
   
4. Open the case.
   
5. Press and hold the button in the back of the case for at least 15 seconds. If you’re bad at timing, simply wait until you see an amber light.
   
6. Close and reopen the case.
7. Finally, try connecting the AirPods to your device and test if they’re now working.
   

Reset Your Network Settings

Your device has settings that control your network connections. Sometimes resetting these settings might help resolve any connectivity issues you’re facing. Luckily, one of your AirPods not working isn’t an exception.

Here’s how to go about the process:

1. On your device, open the “Settings” app.
   
2. Open the General menu.
   
3. Go to “Reset” and select “Reset Network Settings.”
   
4. Once your network settings are adjusted, try connecting your AirPods to the device and test the audio to see if the problem is resolved.
   

Clean the AirPod

As mentioned, dust and debris might accumulate in your AirPods over time, causing the speaker mesh to clog. For this issue, there is only one solution – clean them up. However, it’s important to be careful when cleaning your AirPods. Otherwise, you might end up doing more harm than good.

Apple recommends that you don’t use any liquids other than alcohol containing 70 percent isopropyl.

Unpair Your AirPods From Your Mobile Device and Pair Them Again

Unpairing and pairing your AirPods might also help fix the issue.

1. On your device, go to “Settings.”
   
2. Open “Bluetooth.”
   
3. From the listed devices, identify your AirPods.
   
4. Tap the information icon against your AirPods and select the “Remove This Device” option.
   
5. Now connect your device using Bluetooth and see if the issue is resolved.

If none of the above fixes have worked, you should contact Apple customer service for further assistance.

FAQs

Why is the left AirPod not working during a phone call?

If your Left AirPod isn’t working during a phone call, you might have adjusted the settings to direct the call to the right AirPod. To fix the issue, follow these steps:

1. Go to “Settings.”

2. Open “Bluetooth” and navigate to “Microphone.”

3. From the options, select “Automatic.”

Get Back Your Audio Experience in Full

As you can see, one of your AirPods not working doesn’t always mean you have to buy a replacement. In most cases, you can resolve the issue in a relatively quick and straightforward manner. Some common fixes that have helped most users include resetting the AirPods, restarting their mobile devices, cleaning the AirPods, and tweaking the connectivity settings.

Has one of your AirPods ever stopped working? Did you use any of the fixes outlined in this article? Let us know in the comments section below.