Why AirPods disconnect and how to reconnect them
AirPods stop connecting for a handful of specific reasons, and most of them take under five minutes to fix. The most common cause is that your AirPods have drifted out of Bluetooth range, lost their pairing, or need their battery charged. Less often, your phone or computer's Bluetooth is turned off, or your AirPods are paired to a different device and won't switch over automatically.
The fastest fix is almost always to put your AirPods back in their case for 15 seconds, then take them out again. If that does not work, the next step depends on whether your AirPods ever connected to this device before, or whether they are brand new.
Key Takeaways
- Put your AirPods in their case for 15 seconds and remove them — this resets the connection and fixes most problems in under a minute.
- Check that Bluetooth is turned on in your device's settings, because a disabled Bluetooth radio will block any connection attempt.
- If your AirPods are paired to a different device, they will not automatically switch — you must manually select them in Bluetooth settings on the device you want to use.
- Forgetting and re-pairing your AirPods clears out old connection data and fixes persistent problems that a straightforward reset does not solve.
- If none of these steps work, your AirPods may have a hardware problem or a dead battery that requires charging in the case for at least 15 minutes.
The 15-second reset that fixes most connection problems
Place both AirPods in their charging case and close the lid. Wait 15 seconds. Open the case and remove both AirPods. They should reconnect to your device within a few seconds — you will hear a chime in each ear when they connect.
This reset clears the temporary connection state without erasing your pairing. It works because AirPods lose track of their connection when they drift out of range or when your device's Bluetooth radio restarts. Putting them back in the case forces them to power down and reconnect fresh.
If you hear the chime and your AirPods show as connected in your device's Bluetooth menu, the problem is solved. If the chime does not play or they still do not show as connected, move to the next step.
Turn Bluetooth on and check your device's settings
Open your device's settings and confirm that Bluetooth is turned on. On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, then Bluetooth, and look for the toggle at the top of the screen. It should be green or blue, not gray. On Mac, click the Apple menu, then System Settings, then Bluetooth. On Android or Windows, the location varies by device, but Bluetooth is usually in Settings under Connections or Wireless.
If Bluetooth is off, turn it on and wait five seconds for your device to scan for nearby devices. Your AirPods should appear in the list. If they do, tap or click them to connect.
If Bluetooth is already on but your AirPods do not appear in the list, they may be paired to a different device. Check your phone, tablet, computer, or watch — whichever device you used to set them up originally. AirPods can only connect to one device at a time, so if they are currently paired to your Mac, they will not show up on your iPhone until you disconnect them from the Mac first.
Switch AirPods from one device to another
If your AirPods are already paired to a different device, you need to manually tell them to connect to the device you are using now. Open Bluetooth settings on the device you want to use, find your AirPods in the list, and tap or click them. They will disconnect from the other device and connect to this one.
This is different from the automatic switching that AirPods do when you are signed into the same Apple account on multiple devices. That feature only works if your AirPods have connected to all those devices before and if they are all using the same iCloud account. If you are using a new device, a borrowed device, or a device on a different account, you have to manually select your AirPods every time.
After you tap or click your AirPods in Bluetooth settings, wait 10 seconds for the connection to complete. You should see "Connected" next to your AirPods' name, and you should hear audio through them.
Forget and re-pair your AirPods
If the reset and manual connection do not work, forgetting your AirPods and pairing them again clears out old connection data that may be causing the problem. On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, then Bluetooth, find your AirPods in the list, tap the information icon (a small circle with an i), and tap "Forget This Device". On Mac, open System Settings, click Bluetooth, find your AirPods, click the three dots next to them, and select "Remove".
After you forget them, put your AirPods in their case and close the lid. Wait 10 seconds, then open the case. Your AirPods should enter pairing mode — you will see a white light blinking inside the case. On your device, go back to Bluetooth settings and look for your AirPods in the list of available devices. Tap or click them to pair.
Your device may ask you to confirm the pairing. Tap "Connect" or "Pair" when prompted. The pairing usually takes 30 seconds. Once it is complete, your AirPods will connect automatically whenever you open the case near your device.
Check the battery level in your AirPods and case
AirPods with a dead battery will not connect at all. Place your AirPods in their case and close the lid. On iPhone or iPad, open Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner of the screen (or up from the bottom on older models), and look for the battery widget. It will show the charge level of both your AirPods and the case. On Mac, click the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar and look for your AirPods — the battery percentage appears next to the name.
If your AirPods show 0% or very low battery, leave them in the case for at least 15 minutes. The case charges them, and they will not connect until they have enough power. A full charge takes about an hour. If your case itself is dead, plug it in with the Lightning cable or USB-C cable that came with your AirPods.
If your AirPods have been charging for 30 minutes and still show 0%, the battery may be stuck in a low-power state. Try the 15-second reset again after charging.
Reset your AirPods to factory settings
If none of the steps above work, resetting your AirPods to factory settings erases all pairing data and returns them to the state they were in when new. This is a stronger reset than the 15-second case reset and fixes persistent problems that other steps do not solve.
Place your AirPods in their case and close the lid. Wait 30 seconds. Open the case and hold down the setup button on the back of the case for 15 seconds. You will see the light inside the case flash amber, then white. When it flashes white, your AirPods have been reset. You can now pair them to your device as if they were brand new.
After a factory reset, you will need to go through the pairing process again. Open Bluetooth settings on your device, wait for your AirPods to appear in the list of available devices, and tap or click them to pair.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my AirPods keep disconnecting even after I reconnect them?
Repeated disconnections usually mean your device's Bluetooth radio is unstable or your AirPods are too far from your device. Try moving closer to your device and away from other wireless devices like microwaves or routers. If the problem continues, restart your device completely — turn it off and back on — and then try the 15-second reset again.
Can I use my AirPods with two devices at the same time?
No. AirPods can only connect to one device at a time. If you want to switch to a different device, you must manually select them in Bluetooth settings on that device. They will disconnect from the previous device automatically.
What if my AirPods are lost or out of range?
If your AirPods are out of Bluetooth range, they will not connect. Bluetooth typically works within 30 feet in open space, but walls and interference can reduce that. Bring your AirPods closer to your device and try again. If you cannot find them, you can use Find My on iPhone or Mac to locate them, or erase them remotely if they are lost.
Do I need to unpair my AirPods from my old device before using them with a new one?
Not always. If your new device is signed into the same Apple account as your old device, your AirPods should switch automatically when you open the case near the new device. If they do not, manually select them in Bluetooth settings on the new device. You do not need to unpair them from the old device first.
Why does the white light in my AirPods case keep blinking?
A blinking white light means your AirPods are in pairing mode and waiting to connect to a device. This happens when you first set them up or after a factory reset. Open Bluetooth settings on your device and tap or click your AirPods to pair them. Once paired, the light will stop blinking.