Has one of your AirPods stopped working? More often than not, you can fix this issue yourself by using the easy-to-follow troubleshooting fixes below.
In this guide, we’ll discuss what you can do when your left or right AirPod stops working.
Check Your AirPods Battery
A possible reason one of your AirPods stopped working is that it ran out of battery. In case you don’t already know, each of your AirPods has its own battery charge.
When this charge gets drained on a single AirPod, that particular AirPod stops functioning.
In this case, put your non-functioning AirPod into the charging case and let it charge for a while. Just make sure your AirPods charging case is charged up first.
Restart Your Devices
It’s worth rebooting the device that you use your AirPods with to see if this can fix your AirPod not working. Sometimes, there’s an issue with your connected device, like your computer or your smartphone, that causes one of your AirPods to not work.
Reboot your iPhone, Windows, Android, or Mac—whatever it is that you use with your AirPods—and then see if both your AirPods work again.
Adjust the Audio Balance on Your Devices
Most of your devices let you set the volume level for each of your AirPods individually. If you or someone else has tweaked this adjustment, and the audio has been made to route only to one of the AirPods, that’s probably the reason for the issue.
You can fix this volume adjustment fairly easily on your Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices.
Let’s show you how to do just that.
How to Adjust the AirPods Audio Balance on an iPhone
- Launch the Settings app.
- Tap General and then tap Accessibility.
- Scroll down until you see the Hearing section.
- You’ll see a slider with an L on the left and an R on the right. Adjust this slider so that the marker is in the middle. This ensures both your AirPods play equally loud.
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for (var i = 0; i How to Adjust the AirPods Audio Balance on Android
The following steps are for a OnePlus Android phone. If you use any other Android device, the steps should most likely be similar, if not exactly the same:
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll all the way down and tap System.
- Tap Accessibility at the top.
- Scroll down and you’ll see a slider that says Audio balance.
- Bring the marker to the middle of the slider so that both your left and right AirPods get the audio content.
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for (var i = 0; i How to Adjust the AirPods Audio Balance on a Mac
- Go to System Preferences > Sound > Output.
- Select your AirPods in the list of sound devices.
- You’ll see a slider saying Balance. Drag the marker for this slider and put it in the middle.
How to Adjust the AirPods Audio Balance on Windows
Ensure your AirPods are connected to your PC when you follow these steps:
- Right-click the speaker icon in the system tray and select Open Sound settings.
- Select your AirPods from the dropdown menu at the top, and click Device properties.
- You’ll see a section saying Balance on the following screen.
- Ensure both L and R have the same volume levels. This should be the case as dragging one marker automatically drags the other marker.
Try Your AirPods With Other Devices
It isn’t always your AirPods that have issues. Sometimes, one of your AirPods stops working because of a problem with your smartphone or your computer.
In this case, try using your AirPods with your other devices and see if you can hear the audio on both AirPods.
If both AirPods work just fine on your other device, you know the issue is with your first device and that needs to be fixed. Have a look at an AirPods troubleshooting guide for your specific device to see if one of the suggested fixes can rectify your problem.
Forget Your AirPods From Your Devices
One of the best ways to fix issues with Bluetooth devices is to forget them on your phone and then re-pair them. This allows your device to establish a fresh connection with your Bluetooth devices.
Here’s how you do just that with your AirPods on an iPhone or Android phone.
How to Forget AirPods on an iPhone
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Bluetooth.
- Find your AirPods in the list, and tap the i icon next to them.
- Tap Forget This Device.
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for (var i = 0; i How to Forget AirPods on Android
- Access the Settings app.
- Tap Bluetooth & device connection.
- Select Bluetooth.
- Tap the cog icon next to your AirPods in the list.
- Select Forget on the resulting screen to unpair your AirPods.
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for (var i = 0; i Once unpairing is done, you need to reconnect your AirPods to your device. Then, see if both your AirPods work.
Reset Your Phone’s Network Settings
Your phone’s network settings define how your phone connects to various other devices. It’s worth resetting these settings to see if this fixes your AirPods issue.
Once the settings are reset, you can manually reconfigure them on your devices. You’ll need to reconnect to Wi-Fi networks after resetting your network settings.
How to Reset Network Settings on an iPhone
- Launch the Settings app.
- Tap General followed by Reset.
- Tap Reset Network Settings.
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for (var i = 0; i Reset Network Settings on Android
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and select System.
- Tap Reset options to view the reset menu.
- Select Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth to reset your network settings.
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for (var i = 0; i What to Do If One AirPod Still Isn’t Working
If your left or right AirPod still doesn’t work even after following the above methods, your AirPods might have a hardware issue. Your best option is to order a replacement AirPod from Apple.
Of course, that comes at a cost but that’s the only option you’re left with now.
If you don’t wish to spend extra bucks to get an AirPod, you can continue to use the AirPod that’s still working. It should work just fine even without the other AirPod.
These Tips Fix Most AirPods That Stop Working
If you can only hear audio on one of the AirPods, use the methods outlined above and see if you can get your faulty AirPod to function properly again. It’s highly likely you can fix the issue if it’s caused by a software tool or a settings option.
AirPods have their own fair share of issues. But the good thing is you can fix most of these issues yourself by applying some easy solutions.