Do you know why people get very frustrated when they find their AirPods battery case not charging? Well, among other things, AirPods is one of those very few devices that work most of the time flawlessly. For most users, it is part of a routine. After a day of work, they put the AirPods charging case for recharge and take it up in the morning. Now, won’t it be frustrating if they find out that the AirPods battery case has not been charging at all? We sure would.
As frustrating as the problem is, solving it is not Rocket Science. You do not have to be a tech expert, either. On the other hand, there are a few solutions that will help you solve the AirPod case not charging issue with ease. So, if you are wondering why your AirPods are not charging, continue reading to know more. Before we explore the core solutions, shall we check what the possible causes why your AirPods cases are not getting charged are?
Table of Contents
Potential Reasons Your AirPods Case is Not Charging
Here are the common factors that lead to a charging error on your Apple AirPods battery case.
- Hardware issues with the AirPods are the most common reason for the situation. If the AirPods battery case has some issues, it would not be able to recharge, and this might as well be true with one Airpod being louder than the other.
- Connection issues may happen due to the presence of dust and dirt on the charging port, among other factors. A thorough cleaning of your AirPods will be required in this case.
- Software issues may not be the first bet, but they are also sometimes known to cause charging issues with the AirPods battery case.
- Charger issues are also probably why your AirPods aren’t charging properly. If you do not use the Apple-recommended charger cable and adaptor, you can expect these issues to appear.
Based on these understandings, we will try to fix the problem of your AirPods not being charged. We hope this will help you solve the issue and start using your AirPods normally.
Airpod Case Not Charging: Fixes
Method #1 Clean the AirPods Charging Case
Dust and debris are the common enemies of all electronic equipment. The case of AirPods charging case is not different, either. Therefore, you have to make sure that the accumulation of dust and debris is not stopping the case from getting charged.
You can start with an inspection that focuses on the charging port of your AirPods charging case. The Lightning port has been designed to keep dust away as much as possible, but it might have collected some lint or dust, especially if you keep the AirPods case in your pocket all the time.
Once you find some lint or dust in the Lightning port, you can proceed to clean your AirPods case and get those dangerous things out. To do it, you will need to follow the steps given below.
- You can use a cleaned toothpick or a static brush for the cleaning process
- In the next step, you can insert the toothpick/brush into the Lightning port and pull the dust. Make sure that you do not push it inside
- You may have to repeat the process a few times until the Lightning port is clean
After you have removed most of the dust and debris from the charging case, you can try connecting the Lightning cable and see if the AirPods charging case is being charged.
Method #2 Charge without the AirPods Inside
Have you tried charging the AirPods case without the AirPods inside? Most of the time, when you put the case for charging, the AirPods are inside, right? Well, it may not be the best scenario. Some cases say that AirPods in the AirPods charging case may cause disruptions in the charging process. As a result, your AirPods case will not take in power, thus causing the error that we are talking about.

So, if you cannot charge your Apple AirPods charging case as you normally do, you should take out the AirPods and try again. After some time, the issue may get solved. If it does not, you may have to reach out to Apple tech support. Otherwise, you may have to deal with the inconvenience of always keeping the AirPods out whenever you want to charge the case.
Method #3 Using the Recommended Charger
Which charger are you using to charge the AirPods? If you are using a third-party charging cable and adaptor, it could be a problem. Therefore, we recommend sticking with the charging cable that you received when you got the AirPods. Alternatively, you can use the Lightning cable that comes with your iPhone or iPad. In either case, make sure that you are using an Apple-certified cable.
If you want to use a third-party cable, you should check if it is MFi certified. Otherwise, you may come across a number of issues, including the AirPods case not getting charged error. For instance, some people have reported that their AirPods take more time to charge when using third-party cables. You can use the same logic when it comes to charging problems as well.
By the way, you should also make sure to use a direct connection while charging the AirPods case. That is, you should not rely on extensions and dongles. These devices may reduce the amount of power being transferred, thereby stopping the charging process. Alternatively, you can use one of the certified wireless chargers to get the AirPods charged.
Method #4 Update Your AirPods
Did you know that firmware updates are available for AirPods? Apple uses these updates to fix bugs and make sure that everything is working properly. At times, running an outdated version of the firmware can cause the AirPods case not charging issue. You cannot do it manually, though.
Instead, you have to keep your AirPods connected to the charger and leave it overnight. During the process, it will update the firmware as well. On the other hand, if you want to know the current firmware of the AirPods, you can go to Settings à General à About on your iPhone and look for the AirPods detail. Of course, AirPods must be connected to your iPhone all this time.
Method #5 Reset Your AirPods
As we mentioned in the introduction, software issues are known to cause charging issues on AirPods. So, it is a good idea to reset your AirPods to the factory settings and connect to it again. To do this,
- Locate the reset button on your AirPods case.
- Hold it for a few seconds.
- You should watch for the light, which should flash amber color and then move to white flashing.
- After this point, you would have successfully reset the AirPods.
As you can guess, you will have to connect the AirPods to your iPhone as though it is a new one. However, you have a better chance of solving the charging problem with this solution. In the end, this little inconvenience is nothing compared to the frustration that we mentioned earlier.
Method #6 Try a Wireless Charger
If you have a pair of AirPods with wireless charging support, you should see if the case is being charged when using a wireless charger. If it does, you can conclude that the batteries are working fine. If the charging process does not work with wireless chargers as well, you may have to think twice.
Ultimate Solutions
For instance, if you have been using your AirPods for a long period, it is bound to have battery issues. However, it does not happen overnight, but in a gradual way. For instance, you may have noticed that the battery backup of your AirPods has reduced in the past years.
In that case, you may have better luck by taking your AirPods to an Apple service center. If your product seems to be under warranty, there is nothing to worry about. Otherwise, you may have to spend a considerable amount to get it fixed. If the price for fixing the AirPods case is high, you can actually consider buying a new pair, which doesn’t cost much.
There is also another option that you can explore. Instead of buying a brand-new pair of AirPods, you can get a new charging case, which will not be that expensive. In fact, with the money you may need for fixing the old case from an Apple store, you would be able to afford a new charging case with wireless charging support.
Frequently Asked Questions

AirPods or Case? Where is the problem?
If your AirPods case is not charging properly, the problem is most probably with the charging case itself. If there was a problem with the AirPods, you might have noticed some issues in listening.
How do I know if the AirPods case is charging?
The AirPods charging case has an LED indicator that lets you know whether the device is charging. When the device is being charged, the light will be active in orange color.
Why won’t my AirPods case light up?
It may be due to the fact that your AirPods charging case is not being charged. Alternatively, problems with the LED lights could also be responsible.
How do I reset my AirPod charging case?
You can reset your AirPod charging case by pressing and holding the reset button that you can find on the back of the charging case.
What does it mean when the AirPod case flashes orange?
The flashing orange light means there is something wrong with your AirPods. The best thing to do here is to reset the device to factory settings.
Conclusion
We believe we have covered everything you want to know about solving the AirPods case not charging problem. As you have probably noticed, the problem can be hardware and software-related at the same time. So, you will have to check out the methods we have mentioned below to understand what exactly is wrong with the charging process.
Devan
It might not be the case’s fault it is not charging. It could be the AirPod itself. The best way to fix that is to replace them. It is really difficult to open an Airpod up and fix that issue with them. Replacing them would make it easier and save time. Hope this helps! ;)
Bertha M
Hmm can I use another case to charge my AirPods though?
Pearly
Yes, you actually can use another charging case to charge your AirPods! Just make sure that the AirPods is compatible with the charging case you’re going to use.