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How To Check Your AirPods Battery Level on ALL Devices

It is important to know how to check AirPods battery levels frequently, especially if you are a new user. Keeping tabs on the battery level of your AirPods will help you avoid long train or airline travel without your favorite tunes. You can check AirPods battery levels by following some easy steps.

How to check AirPods battery? Open the AirPods case lid with the AirPods placed within it. After that, place the case next to your Apple device. Allow a few seconds before checking AirPods battery charge state. Additionally, you can monitor the charge using the Batteries widget on your Apple devices like iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. 

Interestingly, your AirPods use Bluetooth technology, which allows you to view their battery percentage on a linked iPhone, iPad, or Mac. This guide will explain different methods about how to check AirPods’ battery life. 

How to Check AirPods Battery

The use of AirPods for video conferencing and for listening to music or podcasts has reduced their battery life and increased the need to recharge more often. Here’s how to check that you have enough charge for your needs. 

Check the Status Light On Case

If you’re pressed for time and only want to check if the battery is charged, rather than the precise battery level or percentage, you can open your AirPods case without the AirPods in it to check the temporarily activated status light. 

The status light is an approximation of the battery level. When the light on your charging case turns green, you know it’s charging properly. You can’t tell for sure if the case is fully charged or if the AirPods themselves are fully charged. As long as the AirPods are in their charging case, they’ll get a little juice. If the charging case is plugged in, a green status light notifies you that everything is well.  The orange light indicates that you have some energy, but don’t go overboard. 

airpods wireless charging case status light
AirPods Wireless Charging Case Status Light

When you’ve just purchased AirPods, a half-charged battery may easily provide 2.5 hours of listening time. Even if AirPods are older, 50 percent of the charge could drain in around an hour. While orange may not be ideal, at least it’s better than not having any light at all. No light means that there is no charge in the charging case. 

Low Battery Tone 

You can also check the battery by looking out for the low battery tone that your AirPods make when they are running out of power. You’ll hear an alert tone from the AirPods when the battery is running low and another one after it has lost all charge. Since it’s normal for one AirPod to run out of power before the other, each has its own battery level indicator.

Notifications

App notifications and widgets are stored in a distinct Notification area on iOS devices. The Battery widget tells iPhone users how much juice they have left on their supported devices such as AirPods. You may use the notification panel to find out how much battery life is left on your AirPods. 

  1. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Battery > AirPods and check the battery level of your AirPods 
  2. Your AirPods should be linked to your iPhone
  3. Open the Notification Center by swiping right from the left (from the Home Screen) 
  4. The Batteries widget is at the bottom of the page
  5. From there, you can check the battery life of your AirPods

The battery status of both AirPods and their case will be shown in your iPhone’s notification area. The iPhone will show the battery status of your AirPods in the battery widget when the AirPods case is away. 

The battery widget displays the remaining battery life of the Apple AirPods and any other connected devices. There is no battery widget in the notification center by default. You need to enable it in your panel by tapping the “edit” option in the notification panel and choosing the widget from there.

How to Check Your AirPods Battery on iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch

Apple perfected the integration between iOS and AirPods. The technique of connecting your iPhone with AirPods is the simplest for any wireless earbuds.  After syncing these devices, your iPhone will notify you when the battery on your AirPods is running low. Use the methods below to check AirPods battery on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. 

Using the AirPods charging case

When you open your AirPods case, a pop-up displays the battery life of your AirPods.  Your iPhone should show a notification whenever the charging case is opened. The charging case and your AirPods’ remaining battery life are displayed in this pop-up. 

Pop-up alerts are shown if one of the AirPods has a lower battery percentage than the other. This pop-up alert goes away when you close the case or remove your AirPods. 

Using the Batteries Widget

Your battery levels are shown in the Batteries widget.  The Batteries widget is another option to monitor the status of your AirPods’ battery. You can add this widget to the Today View or your Home screen. 

airpod battery widget
AirPod Battery Widget

When at least one of your AirPods is removed from the charging case, the Batteries widget displays your AirPods and charging case. 

Here are the instructions to add the widget to your page: 

  1. Enter Jiggle mode by pressing and holding the Home button
  2. The Add (+) button is located at the top left of the screen
  3. Select Batteries from the drop-down menu
  4. Tap Add Widget once you’ve selected the size of the Batteries widget you want 
  5. It’s easy to reposition the widget by dragging and dropping it where you wish

Alternatively, you can add the widget to your Today View, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and hit Edit.

Checking battery percentage on AirPods separately

Put one AirPod back in the charging case or remove one if the widget solely shows the cumulative charge of your AirPods. The widget should provide battery information for both the left and right AirPods and the charging case at any given time. 

Checking the charging case battery status

When both AirPods are in the charging case with the lid closed, the case switches off. To see the battery level in the batteries widget, open the cover or remove one AirPod.

Using Siri to check AirPods battery

Finally, Siri can let you monitor the battery life of your AirPods. Simply ask Siri, “Hey Siri, What is the AirPods battery level?” Siri tells you how much battery life is left in your AirPods.

Checking AirPods Battery – On your Mac

If your Mac is linked with your AirPods, you can see how much battery life you have remaining on the desktop. Wearing AirPods, you’ll be able to see how much battery life you have left. Open the case first if you aren’t wearing the AirPods. 

How to check AirPods battery on Mac:

  1. Look for the Bluetooth icon in the upper menu bar. Bluetooth by going to “System Preferences > Bluetooth” and clicking the box next to “Show Bluetooth in the menu bar.” 
  2. Verify that Bluetooth is enabled by clicking on the Bluetooth icon. Under “Devices,” your AirPods will be listed. 
  3. You can view the battery life of your left and right AirPods and the case by hovering over them.

Checking AirPods Battery Without Using a Paired Device

It’s possible to get an estimate of your AirPods’ battery life even if you don’t have a linked device with you. Check the LED’s color by opening the cover. AirPods are more than half-charged if the LED is green. Amber indicates that they have less than half of their charge remaining.

How to Check Your AirPods Battery Without the Case

To check the battery level of your AirPods without the case, follow the steps below.  

  1. Your device must have Bluetooth enabled to use this feature. Select Bluetooth in Settings and make sure it’s turned on. Make sure your AirPods are also linked to your Apple device. 
  2. Then press and hold any empty spot on your iPhone or iPad’s home screen. Your applications will wiggle as a result of this. 
  3. Then, touch the + sign in the upper-left corner of your screen. Batteries are next on the list, so click on that one. 
  4. The next step is to decide on the widget’s size. This feature allows for a variety of widget sizes and styles to be selected simply by swiping left. 
  5. Then click on the Add Widget button
  6. Rearrange the widget on your home screen after that. You can stack your widgets by dragging them on top of each other on your home screen if their sizes match. Alternatively, you may add your widget on your home screens in whatever location you choose.
  7. Then press Done. You’ll see a little button at the top-right of your screen. 
  8. Finally, you can check the battery level of your AirPods without the case on. Using the Batteries widget, you can see the battery level of your AirPods even if they are linked to a different device. 

Place one AirPod in the case if you want to monitor the individual battery levels of each AirPod and the case’s battery status. Then re-open the case and shut it.

Checking AirPods Battery on an Android

If you are an Android user with an AirPod, you must be thinking about how to check AirPods battery on Android? Don’t worry; there is a simple way to pull that off. Even though Apple’s AirPods are designed for Apple products, they are still Bluetooth earbuds compatible with Android devices. However, you will need the help of a third-party app to check the battery levels of your AirPods on Android. 

Air Battery App
Air Battery App

Follow the steps below to check your AirPods battery on an Android:

  1. Head to the Play Store on your Android device, and download the AirBattery app
  2. After installing the AirBattery app, make sure you have the AirPods paired with your Android. 
  3. Now, open the lid on your AirPods case and wait for a pop-up to show up on your Android device’s screen. 
  4. The pop-up will show you the Battery stats for the case and the left/right AirPods, respectively. 

How to Charge Your AirPods

Put your AirPods in their case to charge them. You can charge your AirPods while you’re on the road, thanks to the many full charges in your case. When you’re not using your AirPods, store them in the case to keep them charged.

Apple AirPods Pro with Wireless Charging Case
Apple AirPods Pro with Wireless Charging Case

You can use a Qi-certified charging pad to charge your MagSafe Charging Case or Wireless Charging Case. Ensure the status light is facing up and the lid is closed when you plug your case into the charger. It should take 8 seconds to display the actual charge level on the status light. Your AirPods Pro or AirPods (3rd gen) show amber light when charging and a green light when completely charged. 

When you use a Qi-certified charging pad or connect your MagSafe Charging Case to a charger, the status light will remain on for eight seconds. AirPods are ready to connect to one of your devices if the light blinks white. Your AirPods may need to be re-configured if the light turns amber. 

You can use the Lightning cable that comes with your AirPods to charge your case by connecting it to the Lightning socket on the back of your case. Either a USB-C to Lightning or a USB-to-Lightning Cable can be used for this task. Next, connect the other end of the cord to a USB charger or port. You don’t have to remove your AirPods from the case to charge it. 

How Long Do AirPod Batteries Last?

It’s best to know what to expect from your AirPods regarding battery performance and charge cycles. So let’s take a look at different battery life stats on AirPods 3rd gen, AirPods 2nd gen, and AirPods Pro. 

Battery Life On AirPods (3rd generation)

  • You receive up to 30 hours of listening time or up to 20 hours of talk time with repeated charges available in the case.
  • On a single charge, your AirPods 3rd gen delivers up to 6 hours of listening time and up to 4 hours of talk time.
  • If you are on the move, a 5-minute charge to your AirPods can easily give you around 1 hour of listening time and talk time.

Battery Life On AirPods Pro

  • You get more than 24 hours of listening time or up to 18 hours of talk time with multiple charges available in the AirPods case.
  • A single charge gives you up to 4.5 hours of listening time and up to 3.5 hours of talk time.
  • It takes 5 minutes to charge your AirPods Pro for an hour of listening or talking.

Optimized Battery on AirPods 3rd Gen & AirPods Pro

Optimized Battery Charging reduces the time your AirPods Pro and AirPods (3rd generation) are fully charged, extending battery life. As a result, your AirPods Pro or AirPods (3rd gen) will not charge over 80% unless you require them.

An iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad with iOS 15 or later is required to take advantage of Optimized Battery Charging for AirPods Pro and AirPods (3rd gen). After disconnecting your AirPods from your device, you can enable the feature and head over to Settings > Bluetooth. Look for your AirPods Pro or AirPods (3rd gen) in the list by tapping the More Info button. Toggle the optimized battery charging feature from there. You can also turn off or disable the feature from the same menu. 

Battery Life On AirPods (2nd generation)

  • You receive up to 18 hours of talk time or over 24 hours of listening time with multiple charges available in your AirPods case.
  • You can listen to music for 5 hours or talk for 3 hours on a single charge.
  • With just 15 minutes of charge left in the AirPods case, your AirPods can get charged for 4 hours of listening time and up to 2 hours of talk time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Now that we know all the info about how to check AirPods battery, it is time to jump on to some other related questions about the AirPods. 

How do I get my AirPods battery to pop up?

Open the lid of your case with your AirPods within and hold it near to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch while listening to music on the go. Wait for a few seconds before checking the state of your AirPods’ battery charge through a pop-up on your device’s screen.

Why can’t I see my AirPods battery?

If you do not see AirPods battery status, try shutting and reopening the case of your AirPods for a few seconds to see if that helps. If that does not fix the issue, you need to check your AirPods’ battery level by unplugging them from any other devices they’re linked to.

How do I know if my AirPod case is charging?

Charging status on your AirPods case is indicated by an amber or red light on the case when you place your AirPods inside. As soon as you open the case, the light will become green to indicate that the AirPods are fully charged. The front-facing light becomes amber when you connect your AirPods case to a wired charger or use a wireless charger.

Conclusion 

We hope this guide helps you understand how to check AirPods battery and how to interpret different AirPods charging indicators. Let us know in the comments! 

Now that you know how to check battery levels on your AirPods, the next step should be about learning how to keep them safe, and we have the best guide for that — How to not lose AirPods

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About Melissa

Hey! I'm Mel, I write the occasional article for Spacehop, amongst other things. I love meeting new people and chatting, so if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

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