How to Fix AirPods Not Connecting to iPhone or iPad

Apple AirPods are an expensive pair of wireless headphones on the market. However, there are times when they stop working or fail to pair with your iPhone and iPad. To be honest, this is super annoying as I cannot listen to my music or trigger Hey Siri. Luckily, we have possible fixes for you in the section below.

Before we go any further, the first solution is to update your iPhone. Keeping your device up-to-date is a no-brainer for any user, as a new update usually includes fixes for bugs and errors. To update an iPhone, head over to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available updates. If the problem still persists, make sure you read on.

Ensure That Your AirPods Are Fully Charged

You can use the charging case to re-charge your wireless headphones. Pairing your AirPods with an iPhone or iPad requires at least 50% battery charge, so make sure you have enough charge on your headphones. If you now have a pair of AirPods with wireless charging case, simply place your headphones on a Qi-compatible charging mat to start charging your earbuds.

Make Sure Your Bluetooth Is Now On

You are going to need Bluetooth connection to pair your AirPods with your iPhone or iPad. So, we recommend you check if you have already turned on Bluetooth or not. To do this, open Control Center on your iPhone, then select the Bluetooth section and turn it on.

If the problem is still present, then try turning it off and then turn it back on. Once you are done, try re-connecting your AirPods with your iPhone or iPad.

Make Sure You Select Your AirPods as Your Main Audio Output

If you are not hearing anything through your AirPods, then there is good chance that you are sending audio to a different device. To fix this, open Control Center on your iPhone, then select the Music controls in the top right and you should see a list of all audio outputs. Select your AirPods and then try connecting your AirPods again to see if the problem is fixed.

Restart Your iPhone

If you still have the problem to deal with, then the next solution is to restart your iPhone. To do this, press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Volume Down button at once until you see the Power Off screen. Slide down to turn off your phone and then hit the Power button again to boot up your device. Once your iPhone finishes booting up, try connecting your AirPods to your iPhone.

Set Up Everything from Scratch

If none of the above solutions works for you, then the last hope for success is to remove your AirPods from your iPhone or iPad and then set up everything from scratch. This could be exhausting but worth a try.

Step one: Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and then tap Bluetooth.

Step two: From here, hit the i icon next to your AirPods and then proceed with tapping Forget This Device.

Step three: Confirm your action, then put your earbuds into the charging case, and close the lid.

Step four: Now just simply open the lid and then press and hold the setup button on the back of your charging case. After that, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.

If you now have a Mac, click on the Apple menu at the top, then select System Preferences and select Bluetooth. After that, select your AirPods from the list and hit the X button. Now just click on Forget This Device and set up everything again.