Want to use AirPods for longer on a single charge? Check out these 14 ways to improve and extend the battery life of your AirPods.
These tips work for all AirPods models, including AirPods Pro and AirPods Max.
Also see: The best AirPods deals you can get right now
Battery backup of AirPods and its charging case
Battery backup of AirPods depends on various factors. Apple advertises the number it derives from testing in special lab environments under set standards.
Apple claims the following hours of listening time for AirPods on a single charge when the volume is set to 50%:
- AirPods 1st generation: 5 hours
- AirPods 2nd generation: 5 hours
- AirPods 3rd generation: 6 hours
- AirPods 4th generation (with and without ANC): 5 hours
- AirPods Pro 1st generation: 4.5 hours
- AirPods Pro 2nd generation: 6 hours
- AirPods Max: 20 hours
You get the following hours of listening time with the AirPods case:
- AirPods 1st generation: Up to 24 hours
- AirPods 2nd generation: Up to 24 hours
- AirPods 3rd generation: Up to 30 hours
- AirPods 4th generation: Up to 30 hours
- AirPods Pro 1st generation: Up to 24 hours
- AirPods Pro 2nd generation: Up to 30 hours
- AirPods Max: The case cannot charge the headphones
Apple doesn’t talk about the lifespan of AirPods battery. But typically, results have concluded that your AirPods are good for two years. After that, their battery lifespan falls significantly and may even lead to permanent lower volume.
Must Read: How AirPods and their case charge: how fast, what gets prioritized (and when)
14 tips to improve AirPods battery life
Go through these tips to get more hours out of your AirPods on a single charge. I do not expect you to follow all these every time. But once you know about these, you can use them whenever you’re low on battery and away from a charger.
1. Use AirPods at a lower volume
The battery life mentioned above is when the volume is set to 50%. If you use your AirPods at the maximum volume, it’ll use more battery. So, unless needed, try to use them at a low volume, which is good for extended usages and also healthy for your ears.
2. Put your AirPods in the charging case
I often fall asleep with AirPods in my ear, and overnight, they come off and stay outside the case. In the morning, when I check their battery, it’s in the red. Whenever AirPods are not in use, put them inside their case to charge them and preserve their current battery.
3. Do not open the case lid unnecessarily
When you open the AirPods case, its status light glows, and it becomes available to connect with your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Opening the case lid when not needed will waste the battery. So, please avoid doing that.
4. Disable AirPods “Hey Siri”
AirPods 2nd generation and later support hands-free Siri. When this is enabled, the AirPods microphones are always listening to catch the “Hey Siri” hot word.
AirPods have tiny batteries, and if you want to get just a bit of extra backup from them, you can disable this feature by going to iPhone Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri or Siri > Talk & Type to Siri > Off. Note that this also turns off “Hey Siri” for your iPhone.
5. Turn off Spatial Audio and Head Tracking
When you go to the official Apple AirPods page, it mentions that your AirPods 3rd generation’s battery backup decreases by an hour when you use spatial audio.
There is no reason to think this won’t affect AirPods Pro and Max. So, if you want to get the most out of your AirPods, turn off spatial audio.
- Make sure AirPods are connected to your iPhone and open Control Center.
- Touch and hold the volume slider until it expands.
- Tap Spatial Audio and select Off in place of Fixed or Head Tracked.
6. Disable Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode
Apple’s AirPods page also mentions that turning off ANC and Transparency mode increases your listening time by 30 minutes. If you don’t need these features, turn them off to improve your AirPods battery life.
You can do this by touching and holding the volume slider in Control Center and selecting Noise Control > Off.
7. Cut down extra features
The battery life figures are simple listening time with extra features turned off. The moment you use additional conveniences, it starts taking a toll on the AirPods battery. Turn off anything extra like Live Listen audio, Headphone levels, Conversation Awareness (which reduces the media volume when people talk to you), and Conversation Boost to get the most time from your AirPods on a single charge.
8. Turn off head gestures
AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2nd generation let you pick up an incoming call or decline it by nodding or shaking your head. You can turn off this feature from AirPods Settings > Head Gestures to stop your earbuds from being ready to pick up head gestures, thus helping save every drop of battery.
9. Use a single AirPod instead of both
I never use this as I’m not very comfortable using just one AirPod. It feels incomplete. But if you’re in a tough situation with little battery left, and you just have to continue a long call or listen to something, keep one of the AirPods in the case and use just one. Use the other pod when the battery of one AirPod is out.
10. Avoid very hot or cold temperatures
Like all Apple products, the AirPods battery will offer the most when operated in non-extreme temperatures. If you’re in an extremely hot or cold surrounding, it can negatively impact the listening time you usually get.
Additionally, if your AirPods are hot because of charging on a MagSafe or wireless charger, consider leaving them unused for a while until the case and the AirPods cool down.
11. Update to the latest AirPods firmware
Just like your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, Vision Pro, and other devices, your AirPods also get firmware (software) updates. This isn’t very frequent and happens automatically without your manual intervention. But if you constantly get poor battery life, make sure your AirPods are on the latest firmware.
12. Turn off Find My
Newer AirPods support Find My network, which makes it easy to locate them if you ever misplace them. While this is a great feature to have, it can drain the battery a bit, and you can consider turning it off temporarily if you want to go all extreme on battery saving.
- Connect AirPods to your iPhone.
- Open the Settings app and select your AirPods from the top.
- Scroll down and turn off the switch for Find My Network.
13. Reset your AirPods
If none of the above solutions help, reset your AirPods and pair them again with your device. This has worked to fix charging case battery woes for some users.
14. Additional tips related to AirPods battery
These tips can also help you get the most out of your AirPods and their case battery:
- Use Optimized Charging.
- Do not overcharge the AirPods case.
- If you plan to store the AirPods unused for a long time, charge the case to 50%. Do not store any Apple product with full or empty charge.
- Keep your AirPods and their case clean and dry.
Apple Store tip and trick to get AirPods battery replaced
If your AirPods are too old, you may consider getting a replacement or even their battery serviced. Now, the Apple Store guy will ask you to pay more and insist on buying new AirPods. But if you like, here’s a trick for getting them to service the AirPods battery at a significantly lower price.
Related: AirPods no longer holding charge? Apple can replace batteries, but the fees are exorbitant
Consider a backup for your AirPods
Reportedly, AirPods demand is falling because of increased competition from cheaper brands.
I have been using AirPods since 2018 and love them. But if you are someone who travels a lot or for any reason constantly runs out of charge, consider buying a cheaper AirPods alternative or learn about charging your AirPods with your iPhone.
You can also keep a wired set of earphones to fall back on. Another handy option is to invest in a good power bank that can charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods multiple times.