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Find out which part isn't charging before you do anything else
Put both AirPods in the case, close the lid, connect a cable, and leave it for at least 15 minutes — Apple's stated minimum before a flat case will respond at all. Then open the lid next to your iPhone and read the case and each earbud as three separate batteries. Whichever one fails to climb is the thing you're actually fixing.
Applies to: AirPods 1–4, AirPods Pro 1–3, and their Lightning, USB-C, MagSafe and Qi wireless cases. AirPods Max charge differently and need a shorter minimum — Apple gives five minutes.
Which part has stopped charging?
“AirPods won't charge” covers three different faults with three different fixes: a case that never takes power, a charged case that won't pass power to an earbud, or a battery that charges fully and then drains in an hour. The battery readings tell them apart in seconds. Work from the one that matches, and retest after each change.
The case shows no charge at all
Does the status light respond when you connect a cable?
Check the caseThe case charges, one earbud doesn't
Is that earbud's battery missing from the display?
Check the earbudIt charges on a cable but not wirelessly
Is the case centred with the light facing up?
Check wireless chargingIt charges but drains unusually fast
How old are the earbuds, and does one side drain first?
Check battery health1. Charge it properly, then read three batteries
Apple's instruction is specific: place the AirPods in the case, close the lid, connect the Lightning or USB-C cable for your model, and charge for at least 15 minutes. A deeply discharged case can show nothing at all for the first several minutes, so a 30-second test tells you nothing. Use a cable and adapter you have seen work with another device — a failed charging cable is far more common than a failed case, and it costs nothing to rule out.
After 15 minutes, open the lid next to an unlocked iPhone or iPad and wait for the battery card. You get three readings: the case, the left earbud, and the right. This is the whole diagnosis. A case climbing while an earbud stays flat is a contact problem inside the case. A case that never climbs is a power delivery problem. An earbud missing from the display entirely is not communicating at all, which is different from an earbud reading zero.
If no battery card appears, the earbuds may simply be unpaired from that device rather than dead. Check Bluetooth settings for the AirPods before assuming a charging fault, and note which side, if either, still appears.
2. If the case itself won't take power
Work outward from the case. Swap the cable, then swap the power adapter, then try a different outlet or a computer's USB port. Test that same cable and adapter on another device to confirm they deliver power. Only once all three are known good does the case become the suspect.
Then look inside the charging port with a bright light. Pocket lint compacts into the bottom of a Lightning or USB-C port over months and forms a pad that stops the connector seating fully — the plug feels connected but makes no contact. Apple's guidance is to clean the case to remove debris from the charging port. Use a dry, soft-bristled brush or a wooden toothpick, working gently and never with anything metal, and never introduce liquid into the port.
A plug that feels loose or falls out on its own is a strong signal here. So is a cable that only charges at one particular angle, which usually means the cable rather than the case.
Never put anything metal into the charging port, and don't spray cleaner into it. A bent contact inside the port is not a repair you can undo, and it turns a cleaning job into a replacement.
3. If the case charges but an earbud doesn't
This is nearly always contacts rather than battery. Each earbud charges through small metal contacts at the bottom of its well in the case, and earwax, skin oil and lint transfer off the earbud stem and build up on exactly those points. The earbud sits in the case looking seated while touching nothing.
Take the earbud out and inspect both the tip of its stem and the bottom of the well it sits in. Apple's cleaning guides cover the materials that are safe for each model — a soft, dry, lint-free cloth for the exterior, and no abrasives or sharp tools. Clean both the stem tip and the well, reseat the earbud, close the lid for 30 seconds, and read the battery again.
Watch for the earbud not seating flush. A worn magnet, a case ear tip left on a Pro model, or debris underneath will hold the earbud a fraction of a millimetre proud of the contacts, which is enough. If the same well fails with both earbuds swapped into it, the fault is the case. If the same earbud fails in both wells, the fault is the earbud. That swap test is the fastest way to separate the two, and it is the single most useful thing to tell support.
4. If wireless charging specifically fails
Wireless charging has a tighter alignment tolerance than people expect. Apple's instruction for a Qi charger is to place the case with the status light facing up. The light should turn on for several seconds and then turn off while charging continues — the light going out is normal and is not a failure.
If the light never comes on, reposition the case on the pad; a few millimetres off centre is enough to break the coil coupling. Thick cases, metal rings, and anything left between the case and the pad will also prevent it. If repositioning doesn't help, Apple's next step is to fall back to a cable: if it charges wired but never wirelessly, the wireless coil or the pad is at fault, and the earbuds themselves are fine.
Confirm the pad works by charging a phone on it. Charging pads fail quietly and are easy to wrongly exonerate.
5. Reset, and let firmware update
Apple lists a reset among the steps for AirPods that won't charge, so it is worth doing before arranging service — but do it after the cleaning and cable checks, not before. A reset cannot clear a blocked contact or a dead cable, and it will clear your custom settings.
Place both earbuds in the case, close the lid, wait 30 seconds, then forget the AirPods in your device's Bluetooth settings. Open the lid and use the method for your model: on AirPods 1–3 and AirPods Pro 1–2, hold the rear setup button about 15 seconds until the light flashes amber then white. On AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3, double-tap the front of the case with the status light on, again as it flashes white, and a third time as the flashing speeds up.
Firmware installs automatically rather than on demand. To give it the chance, connect the case to power with both earbuds inside, keep the lid closed, and leave it within Bluetooth range of an Apple device that is on Wi-Fi for at least 30 minutes.
AirPods 1, 2, 3 · AirPods Pro 1, 2
Hold the rear setup button for about 15 seconds, until the status light flashes amber and then white.
AirPods 4 · AirPods Pro 3
Double-tap the case front with the light on, again while it flashes white, then a third time as the flashing speeds up.
6. Battery age, and when to arrange service
Charging to full and then draining in an hour is not a charging fault — it is a worn battery, and no amount of cleaning or resetting changes it. AirPods batteries are physically small and heavily cycled, and after two to three years of daily use a noticeably shorter runtime is expected rather than defective. One side usually degrades before the other, because most people favour one earbud for calls.
The batteries are not user-replaceable, and the earbuds are not designed to be opened. Apple handles this as a battery service, and individual earbuds and cases can be replaced separately rather than as a set — worth asking about, since replacing one side costs less than replacing everything.
Before contacting support, have the answers ready: which of the three batteries fails, whether the earbud appears in the battery display at all, the result of the swap test between wells, whether it charges wired but not wirelessly, and roughly how old the set is. Those five answers separate a contact problem from a case fault from a worn battery, and they decide whether this is a clean or a repair.
Frequently asked questions
Why won't my AirPods charge in the case?
Most often the earbud's charging contacts are blocked by earwax or lint rather than anything being broken. Read the case and both earbuds as separate batteries: if the case climbs and an earbud doesn't, clean the stem tip and the bottom of its well and reseat it. If the case itself never climbs, suspect the cable, adapter, or debris in the charging port first.
How long should I charge AirPods before deciding they're dead?
At least 15 minutes on a cable, which is Apple's stated minimum. A fully discharged case can show no response at all for the first several minutes, so a brief test is genuinely inconclusive. AirPods Max need a shorter wait — Apple gives five minutes.
One AirPod charges and the other doesn't. Is it the earbud or the case?
Swap them between wells. If the fault follows the earbud, the earbud is at fault; if it stays with the well, the case is. That single test is the most useful thing you can do before contacting support, and it decides whether you need a replacement earbud or a replacement case.
The case light doesn't stay on when charging wirelessly. Is that broken?
No. Apple describes this as normal: on a Qi charger with the light facing up, the status light comes on for several seconds and then turns off while charging continues. Only a light that never comes on at all indicates a positioning or hardware problem.
Will resetting my AirPods fix a charging problem?
Sometimes, and Apple does list it among the steps — but do it after the cable and cleaning checks. A reset cannot clear a blocked contact, a failed cable, or a worn battery, and it clears your custom settings, so it is not a free action.
My AirPods charge fully but die within an hour. What's wrong?
That is battery wear rather than a charging fault, and it is common after two to three years of daily use. One side often goes first because most people favour one earbud for calls. The batteries aren't user-replaceable; Apple handles it as a battery service, and single earbuds can be replaced without replacing the whole set.
Sources and review notes
Checked on . Compiled by Glitchary from Apple's published support documentation. Cleaning methods and reset sequences differ between AirPods models — follow the guide for your exact model. Cleaning and contact checks are diagnostic steps, not a guarantee of repair, and battery service should go through Apple or an Authorised Service Provider. Glitchary is independent of Apple.