Going wireless, whether you’re talking about a mouse, a speaker or a pair of headphones, is wonderfully convenient: who wants to worry about cables getting tangled up or snagged? However, there are some downsides. The most obvious is the battery.
Apple’s AirPods wireless earbudsThey have a primary battery life that is approximately six hours. After that, you will need to charge them again. That’s time when you can’t listen to music, but at least you can do it on the go. But after around 30 hours the case itself will be drained of power, and at that point you’ve got to head to a mains plug.
Do you know of any way to extend the life expectancy of your earbuds between charges? Yes. In this article we offer some tips that will help you extend the AirPods’ battery life.
How long can AirPods last?
Apple says a pair of 3rd-gen AirPods (the 2021 model) should last around six hours if you’re playing music, or around four hours of talk time, before needing to be recharged. The battery should last for about 30 hours, and the case can hold 20 hours of talktime.
Current Pro 2nd-Gen AirPodsApple claims that the buds will have an additional 30 minutes of talk time and the case an additional four hours.
| 3rd-gen AirPods (2021) | 2nd-gen AirPods Pro (2022) | |
| Listening time (buds). | 6 hours | 6 hours (upto 5 hours with Spatial audio and Head Tracking enabled). |
| Talk time (buds). | 4 hours | 4.5 hours |
| Total listening time (with case). | 30 hours | 30 hours |
| Talk time total (with case) | 20 hours | 24 hours |
If you’re seeing times significantly lower than this, your AirPods may be faulty. This could indicate a problem with your AirPods. Contact Apple SupportYou might also consider the possibility that you could be eligible for a Battery fixYou can also call it: Purchase a brand new pair. (Check out our roundup on the best AirPods deals first, though.)
How to prolong the life of your AirPods battery
We’ve got seven tips to help you maximise the battery life of your AirPods. Find out how to extend the life of your AirPods batteries.
1. AirPods can be kept in their cases
You should return your AirPods to the case if they are not being used. This is a good way to protect them from damage and loss. This won’t improve your overall battery life but will mean the buds are always topped up and you’ll get more listening time before you next have to charge up.
2. Don’t fiddle with the case
Apple warns you that repeatedly opening and closing your case can cause a reduction in battery charge. So don’t do that.
3. One earbud should be listened to at a time
If you listen to a single earbud instead of both at once, you’re using up power at half the rate you normally would. Because one bud charges and the other is active, you don’t need to stop listening to music until it is completely empty.
Granted, the resultant mono audio experience isn’t quite what you signed up for when you shelled out $179/£189 for the AirPods (and you’ll need to alternate between left and right ears), but it’s better than nothing, and a manageable compromise if battery life is a concern.
It is not uncommon for people to listen this way (at least at some time), as it helps you be more aware and alert to possible dangers in the environment.
Lewis Painter / Foundry
4. Avoid extreme temperatures
Extreme heat and cold can cause battery damage. Try to keep your AirPods out of direct sunlight where possible (namely, when you’re not using them) and store them somewhere that won’t get very cold overnight.
5. Take it easy with the smart features
AirPods are smart, but not necessary.
You can turn off Automatic Ear Detection on the paired iPhone: go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the AirPods, then tap Automatic Ear Detection so it turns gray-white. If you do this, however, you must remember to turn off music manually when you take out your buds, or you’ll be burning power unnecessarily.
Similarly, you can turn off any other features you don’t need to use: noise cancellation, Transparency (and Active Transparency), Spatial Audio, charging case sounds and so on. You shouldn’t tap the controls unless absolutely necessary.
6. Reduce the volume
AirPods with music at a lower volume will last for a little longer than a pair that blasts it at high volume. It’s also better for your ears.
Note, however, that AirPods expend more power on things like Bluetooth than on the drivers, so we’d expect the savings to be small.
7. A power bank is a must-have
If you try the above tips and still aren’t happy with your AirPods’ battery life, there’s nothing for it: you’ll have to spend some money. A good-quality power bank shouldn’t be too expensive, and even a moderate-capacity unit will be sufficient for multiple charges.
The AirPods charging case has a Lightning port, so make sure you’re set up for that: either get a power bank with its own dedicated Lightning cable or remember to bring your own USB-to-Lightning cable along.
The Guide to the Best power banks and battery packsThis will allow you to choose the right option.
What length should AirPods be charged for?
This is a separate question, but the same one. Overcharging electronic gadgets or charging them more often than necessary can accelerate their battery aging and decrease their lifespan. The key point is not to charge your AirPods if they don’t need it.
Apple has the longest time. NotesEven short charging times can make your AirPods play music for a long time. The latest AirPods Pro (3rd generation) and both AirPods Pro versions should charge in just five minutes to allow for music playback for up to an hour. With the older AirPods 2nd generation, it should take no more than five minutes. Three hours.
Obviously you’ll frequently want to charge longer than that in order to use them for extended periods away from mains power. The amount of time it takes to fully charge an AirPods case varies depending on which model you’ve got and whether you charge wirelessly (which is slower) or using a cable. However, a charge of one to two hours is sufficient. Anything beyond that will cause the battery to age.
We recommend using Optimized Battery Charging. This allows the AirPods’ to monitor your day and adjust their charging accordingly. In other words, they will charge to around 80 percent, then wait until you’re about to wake up before topping up the rest. This helps reduce battery wear and prolongs its useful life.
Optimised Battery Charging should be enabled by default, but you can check by going to Settings > Bluetooth and tapping the letter I next to your AirPods. Scroll down and make sure the appropriate toggle is set to green.
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