Audio guides
Headphones, earbuds and wireless audio — pairing, charging, dropouts and sound faults.
20 guides
AirPods only working in one ear
Fix a left or right AirPod with no sound: check charging, audio balance, cleaning, and model-specific resets for AirPods and AirPods Pro.
AirPods not charging
Fix AirPods that won’t charge: read the case and each earbud as separate batteries, clean blocked contacts, check wireless alignment, and tell a contact fault from a worn battery.
AirPods not connecting
Fix AirPods that won’t connect: the Bluetooth list splits the fault in two — missing entirely means pairing mode, listed as Not Connected means a stale pairing or another device holding them. Includes model-specific pairing and reset steps.
AirPods keep disconnecting
Fix AirPods that keep cutting out: a locally stored track separates a failing stream from a failing Bluetooth link, then check distance and interference, ear detection pausing playback, and automatic switching stealing the connection.
AirPods case light meaning
Read the AirPods case status light correctly: what it reports depends on whether the AirPods are inside. Covers green, amber, pulsing and flashing amber, flashing white, no light, and where the light sits on each model.
AirPods microphone not working
Troubleshoot an AirPods microphone that is silent or muffled: check input, app permissions, left and right microphones, cleaning, firmware, and reset options.
AirPods sound muffled
Fix AirPods that sound dull or distant: debris in the speaker mesh removes treble first, which is exactly what muffled means. Covers Apple’s cleaning method, the ear tip seal, and why calls sound worse than music.
Sony WF-1000XM5 one side silent
Compare music, call audio and the earbuds' own prompts. The WF-1000XM5 has different routes for a silent music output, call-only behavior, wear detection and a second device holding the audio connection.
Sony WF-1000XM5 not charging
Compare wireless charging with the supplied USB cable, then read the case light with both earbuds seated. Pad alignment, temperature, dirty contacts and a failed power source lead to different checks.
Sony WH-1000XM5 not charging
Read the orange indicator beside USB-C, rather than the power-button light. Sony documents separate temperature and charging faults, plus computer-sleep and cable limitations.
Bluetooth headphones sound muffled
Compare music before and during microphone use. Mac Bluetooth audio changes mode during calls; supported Windows 11 LE Audio systems have separate controls for playback while the microphone is active.
Bluetooth headphones disconnecting
A connection that repeatedly drops needs different checks from first-time pairing. Windows documents power saving and driver checks; Apple documents interference from nearby wireless and USB devices.
Bluetooth headphones: one side only
On Windows 11, compare channel balance with incomplete earbud pairing. Microsoft's procedure charges the device, checks left and right levels, re-pairs both earbuds and compares another headset.
Headset microphone not working
On Windows 11, a recorded microphone test separates a headset or system-input failure from an app-permission or app-selection problem. Check physical mute and the selected recording device first.
Headphones volume too low
Compare two apps on the same headphones. Windows has system, app and device volume controls; audio enhancements or an unsupported format can also reduce output even when the main slider looks correct.
AirPods volume too low
Fix quiet AirPods: after a loud week, iOS lowers headphone volume automatically at the next connection. Covers Headphone Safety, Reduce Loud Audio, the balance slider and the physical causes.
AirPods microphone muffled
Two different complaints hide behind a muffled AirPods microphone: everything you hear drops in quality during calls, which is how Bluetooth works, or callers say you sound distant, which is the microphone itself.
AirPods noise cancellation not working
Fix weak Active Noise Cancellation: it depends on a seal, so an ear tip that does not fit is the usual cause. Covers Apple’s Ear Tip Fit Test, the Adaptive Audio mix-up and the covered microphones that cause squealing.
Bluetooth headphones not connecting
A first pairing and a failed reconnection are different faults. Headphones that have never paired here need pairing mode, a state you enter deliberately. Ones that paired before need the saved pairing removed.
Bluetooth connected but no sound
Windows treats connecting and selecting as separate things, so headphones can pair, connect and report themselves as working while audio keeps going to the laptop speakers. Check the output device first.