Why Are My AirPods Not Connecting? (9 Fixes)

Some of the reasons your AirPods won’t connect are Bluetooth problems, software-related errors, dirty AirPods or charging case, and charging issues.

Luckily, identifying what’s preventing your AirPods from connecting is pretty straightforward, and we’ll explore each fix one by one, so you can get your AirPods to connect again!

1. Restart Your iPhone

The first thing you should try when your AirPods don’t connect is to simply restart your iPhone. To do that, simply long-press the power button and the upper volume rocker simultaneously and slide the “Slide to Power Off” toggle to the right. 

2. Turn on Bluetooth

Your AirPods need to establish a Bluetooth connection with your iPhone for them to work. So, if Bluetooth isn’t working on your iPhone, your AirPods won’t connect.

There are many ways to turn Bluetooth on or off on your iPhone. These include:

• Toggling the Bluetooth icon in the control center (swiping down from the upper right corner of the screen)
• From Settings, choose “Bluetooth” and enable the toggle bar
• Using Siri, say “Turn on Bluetooth”

3. Keep Your AirPods Within Your iPhone’s Bluetooth Range

If your AirPods are too far from your iPhone, they may not connect due to Bluetooth’s range limitations. Try getting your AirPods closer to your iPhone and attempt to connect them again.

4. Make Sure That Your AirPods Aren’t connected to Another Device

If you use your AirPods with multiple devices, it might connect to the wrong device by accident. Turn off Bluetooth on your other devices and only keep it enabled on the phone you want to connect your AirPods to. 

Attempt to connect them after making sure that Bluetooth is active.

5. Update Your iPhone’s iOS Version

Sometimes, having an outdated version of iOS may cause connectivity issues with your AirPods. To fix this problem, all you have to do is ensure that your iPhone is updated to the latest software version. Here’s how to do it:

• Go to Settings and choose “General”
• Tap “Software Update” to check for updates
• If there’s an update waiting to be approved, your iPhone will prompt you to download and install it

6. Update Your AirPods’ Firmware Version

AirPods automatically update to the latest firmware version when you connect them to your device via Bluetooth. However, in some less-common scenarios, something could be stopping your AirPods from updating, so you’ll have to do it manually.

To check whether your AirPods are updated or not, go to Bluetooth, locate your AirPods on the list, and click on the ‘i’ icon. Then, check the firmware version and see if it’s the latest number.

If there’s a newer software release, you can manually trigger the update by following these steps:

• Put the AirPods in the charging case and connect it to a power source
• Pair your AirPods with your device, ensuring that it’s connected to an active internet connection
• Keep the case right next to your device; this should trigger the firmware update

7. Reset Your AirPods

Resetting your AirPods may fix connectivity issues. To reset your AirPods, press and hold the circular button at the back for approximately 15 seconds. The status light should display a blinking amber light, followed by a white light.

Another easy way to reset your AirPods is using your iPhone’s Bluetooth settings. Here’s how to do it:

• Put your AirPods in the charging case and wait for a few seconds
• Open your iPhone’s Bluetooth settings
• Click the ‘i’ icon next to your AirPods’ name and choose “Forget this Device”

Now, you’ve successfully reset your AirPods. To pair them again with your iPhone, follow these steps:

• Open Bluetooth settings
• Turn on Bluetooth
• Open the charging case and long-press the circular setup button at the back of the case until the status light flashes white
• A prompt should appear on your iPhone
• Tap “Pair” and put on the AirPods

8. Clean Your AirPods and Case

If your AirPods and charging case are dirty, debris and dirt particles may cause connectivity problems since your AirPods won’t touch the connective pins inside the case. Use a lint-free cloth with 70% isopropyl alcohol to clean your AirPods and case and see if that fixes the problem.

9. Charge Your AirPods

Your AirPods may not be connecting to your iPhone because they need to be charged. A surefire way to identify whether your AirPods are out of charge or not is to check the status light inside the charging case. 

If it displays a red light or no light, you need to charge your AirPods and case. Connect the charging case to a power source with the AirPods inside to charge them.

Troubleshooting AirPods Connectivity on Mac Devices

If you’re having a hard time connecting your AirPods to your Mac device, try this:

• Check for updates to ensure that you’re running the most recent version of macOS
• Put your AirPods in the charging case 
• Open the Apple menu and choose System Preferences
• Click Bluetooth to double-check that it’s turned on
• If your AirPods are already connected, ensure that they’re selected as your audio device
• In case the AirPods are visible in your device list, but they’re not connected, click on the ‘X’ icon on the right of your AirPods’ name to delete them from the list
• Close the charging case’s lid and wait for 15-20 seconds, then open the lid back
• Long press the circular setup button at the back of the charging case and keep holding it for 10 seconds or until the status light blinks white. Your AirPods should now be ready to pair
• Make sure that the charging case is right next to your Mac and that the lid is open
• Follow the on-screen pairing instructions that appear
• Test the audio on your AirPods and make sure that everything is working fine
• If you still can’t hear any sound coming out of your AirPods, reset them

Summary

So these were all the fixes you can try if your AirPods aren’t connecting. Cleaning your AirPods regularly and ensuring that your devices are up to date should prevent most connectivity issues. 

Otherwise, restarting your iPhone/Mac or resetting your AirPods should do the trick. Of course, you should also make sure that your AirPods are charging as they should.

If you’re still having connectivity issues with your AirPods, contact Apple Support for further assistance.