What To Do If AirPods Won’t Connect To An iPhone, iPad, Or iPod Touch

Apple’s AirPods are among the best wireless earbuds available, but even they can suffer from connection problems on occasion. Fortunately, Apple provides some tips for iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch users who are having difficulty connecting their AirPods to a device. Connection problems can be as simple as the AirPods being out of battery or the device’s Bluetooth being turned off, but they can also be more serious and require that the AirPods be reset.

It’s not just iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches with which AirPods can be paired. They can also be connected to other Apple devices like Macs and Apple Watches. For that matter, they can be used as Bluetooth headphones for Android devices too, although their functionality is limited in that scenario and Android users are almost always better off looking elsewhere for their earbuds.

Connecting AirPods to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch should be as simple as pulling up the home screen of the device in question, holding the AirPods charging case close to it with the earbuds inside, and then opening the lid of the charging case. At this point, a prompt should appear on the screen and the user should simply be able to tap ‘Connect’ to complete the process. If that doesn’t happen though, Apple provides a troubleshooting process for users to run through.

AirPods Connection Troubleshooting Process

To begin with, users should check that their iPhone, iPad, or iPods touch is up-to-date with the latest iOS or iPadOS software. Assuming that’s the case, users should then check that their device has Bluetooth turned on by pulling up the Control Center. It may seem like an overly obvious suggestion, but it’s all too easy to switch off Bluetooth and then forget to switch it back on.

At this point, users should ensure their AirPods are properly inserted into the charging case and that they are charging. AirPods with empty batteries will, of course, not be able to be paired with a device. Then, navigating to Settings > Bluetooth will allow the users to check if their AirPods are already connected — if so then the problem is solved, unless they’re connected but not making any sound even when the volume is checked.

If a user has established that their AirPods are not connected to their device, they should now close the lid of the charging case with them in it, wait for 15 seconds, and then open the lid. Now, press and hold the setup button on the case for up to 10 seconds and the status light should flash white, indicating that the AirPods are ready to be paired. Holding the case close to the device with its lid open should now bring up the connection prompt on the screen. If not, users should reset their AirPods and try running through the connection process again.

Source: Apple