AirPods are a major convenience, but only when they last as long as they are supposed to. You should be able to use your AirPods all day whether you are talking on the phone or listening to music. Many Apple users have asked themselves the question: why are my AirPods dying so fast?
The main reason why your AirPods are dying so fast is that special features such as noise cancellation and Siri are enabled. Old AirPods will also die quickly because the battery life eventually diminishes over time. Otherwise, AirPods die fast when they experience dramatic temperature changes or if the volume is too high for over an hour.
Disable special features if you want your AirPods to last longer. Sometimes, all that you need to do is update the firmware to extend your AirPod’s battery life. Follow along as we explore why your AirPods are dying so fast.
Why Do My AirPods Battery Drain So Fast?
Everything from special features to temperature changes can explain why your AirPods are dying so fast. You don’t necessarily need to replace your AirPods right away if they are dying fast, but it’s a sign that you need to take action. Let’s take a look at the most common reasons why your AirPods are dying so fast.
Volume Is Too High
It can be tempting to turn the volume on your AirPods as high as possible, but that can be damaging. Not only is it bad for your ears but turning the volume too high can drain your battery quickly. Your AirPods will have to work harder to maintain a high volume for an extended period.
AirPods will quickly drain if you turn the volume up past 50%-60%. That doesn’t mean that you should always keep the volume low, but it’s not ideal to turn it up loud regularly.
Temperature Changes
Almost all electronics are sensitive to extreme temperatures, and that includes AirPods. Any battery-powered device risks performance problems when in extreme cold or heat. This is often unavoidable if you are commuting to work in hot or cold weather, but it could also explain why your AirPods battery drains so fast.
The battery drainage can be even worse if you go from one extreme temperature to another. For example, leaving a warm office environment to walk outside in cold weather can quickly drain your battery. You can mitigate the risk of temperature changes affecting your AirPods if you keep them in their case.
That doesn’t mean that you always need to keep them in their case, but it’s a great idea if you’re about to enter a hot or cold environment. Never leave your AirPods in an extremely hot or cold environment for too long or the battery could drain without you even using them.
Noise Cancellation Is Enabled
Noise cancellation is a useful and popular feature that Apple implemented with AirPods. You can block outside sounds when you enable this feature, but it’s at the risk of your battery life. Check to see if noise cancellation is enabled if your AirPods are dying so fast.
Sometimes, you may not even know that noise cancellation is enabled until it’s too late. Open the control center on your iPhone to check for noise cancellation if your AirPods are dying quickly. It’s all too easy to accidentally enable this function with your hand while you’re adjusting the volume, and it will eventually drain your battery.
Your AirPods Are Old
Aging AirPods cannot hold their charge as well as they would if they were relatively new. For example, you may be able to get up to 6 hours of listening time out of new AirPods. However, your AirPods may eventually die after 3-4 hours of listening, or even sooner if you use them to talk as well.
AirPods can last for up to 3 years or even longer if you take great care of them. With that said, their performance and battery life will suffer after 2 years or sooner if you use them frequently. It’s a sign that you need to replace your AirPods if the battery only lasts for half as long as it used to.
Physical Damage
Physical damage can reduce your AirPod’s performance or make them stop working entirely. The battery inside of an AirPod is smaller than a nickel, so it is susceptible to damage. You can typically drop your AirPods 2-4 feet without damaging them too seriously, but there is no guarantee.
However, you are likely to damage your AirPods severely if you drop them from a height higher than 5 feet. The potential for damage increases with every inch beyond 5 feet, so your AirPods will likely suffer damage. Cosmetic damage is generally unavoidable at this height, but battery damage is the worst-case scenario.
A damaged battery can stop working or will work at a diminished capacity. Unfortunately, this can explain why your AirPods are dying so fast in many cases.
How To Fix AirPods Dying Fast
You can stop your AirPods from dying fast if you optimize the charging and update the firmware. There are several tricks to extend your AirPod’s lifespan, but not all of them work for everybody. It ultimately comes down to what is wrong with your AirPods in the first place that explains why they are dying so fast.
For example, there is likely no way to stop your AirPods from dying fast if they’ve dropped and suffered physical damage. However, you can quickly fix AirPods with outdated firmware to extend their lifespan. Let’s take a look at what you should do when your AirPods are dying so fast that you can barely use them.
Optimize Charging
Apple makes it easy to maximize the battery life of your AirPods with a somewhat new feature. AirPods come with a feature called Optimized Battery Charging that does exactly what it sounds like. Luckily, you can easily enable this feature from the settings menu on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac that your AirPods are connected to.
All that you need to do is open the settings menu and click on the Bluetooth tab. Find your AirPods in the list of devices that are connected to your IOS device. Click on your AirPods and tap the information tab next to them.
Now, you will find the option that reads Optimized Battery Charging. Tap the bar to enable it to improve your battery’s lifespan and help preserve it. In the future, you can tap the same bar to disable the feature if you don’t want to use it anymore.
Disable Special Features
AirPods come with several special features, such as automatic ear detection, noise transparency, and noise cancellation. These features can drain your AirPod’s battery faster than if you simply used them as usual. Luckily, disabling these special features can stop your AirPods from dying so fast.
You can disable the noise cancellation feature from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac if your AirPods are connected. Swipe down from the top right corner to pull up the control center on your iPhone. Locate the noise cancellation icon in the bottom left corner of the screen beneath the volume slider.
Apple also lets you disable noise cancellation manually if you have AirPods Pros. Hold the button on either of your AirPods for a few seconds to disable or enable your AirPods.
Update The Firmware
Outdated firmware can prevent your AirPods from working properly. This can result in your AirPods dying so fast even shortly after you charge them in some cases. Generally, your AirPods are supposed to update automatically so you don’t have to worry about doing it manually.
However, updates can fail to install in many cases and you will need to initiate the update. You can check to see if your firmware is up to date if you click on the Bluetooth tab and select your AirPods. Tap the information icon next to your AirPods on the list and it should tell you if you have the latest firmware update.
If you don’t, then you can trigger the update if you place your AirPods in the charger case. Make sure that your case is either charged or plugged into an outlet via a USB cable. Put your AirPods in the case, then open your iPhone and make sure that it is connected to them. Your AirPods should automatically update in the span of 15 to 30 minutes.
Charge Them Daily
Regularly charge your AirPods each day so that they don’t die quickly. Ideally, you should charge your AirPods to 80% or higher before you leave for the day so that they last as long as possible. Your AirPods may not even last for 2 hours if you pull them out at 40% and use the microphone or special features.
Your best bet is to charge them between 30 minutes and an hour before you leave for the day. This will give you the best battery life and they are likely to last until you get back home. It also helps to bring your charging case with you so that you can charge your AirPods if they die sooner than expected.
It’s also important to remove your AirPods from the charger when they are charged. Overcharging AirPods and similar electronics can permanently damage the battery. This will cause your AirPods to die quickly, and it will only get worse over time if it continues.
Keep Your Case With You
While this won’t fix weakened batteries, keep your case with you so that your AirPods don’t die. This will let you charge your AirPods on the go whether you’re at work, the store, or a friend’s house. Make sure to charge the case itself with a USB charger so that you can use it without a cable.
Simply put your charger in your bag before you leave and charge your AirPods once they drop below 30% or 40%. It takes up to an hour to charge an AirPod case, so make sure it’s fully charged before you bring it with you. A charging case can last for up to 20-30 hours before you need to charge it again, depending on how much you use it.
Why Does One Of My AirPods Drain Faster?
Many users will use one AirPod at a time whether they are listening or talking. This will naturally cause the one that you use more often to die faster than the other one. A single AirPod can also die faster than the other if you enable special features for it, such as Siri or noise cancellation.
This can also happen if you had to replace one of your AirPods in the past. In that case, the older AirPod from your original set will die faster than the new one. Replace the AirPod that is dying so fast if the difference in their battery life becomes too frustrating.
Check to see if the microphone function is enabled for both AirPods if one of them is dying quickly. It’s easy to accidentally disable the microphone for one of your AirPods which will cause the other one to work harder. Otherwise, it could simply be that you damaged one of the AirPods by dropping it or getting it wet and you’ll need to replace it.
How Long Should AirPods Battery Last?
Modern AirPods can last for up to 24 hours if you only use them to listen to music if your case is fully charged. They won’t last for quite as long if you use them to talk on the phone primarily. In that case, you can only expect your AirPods to last for up to 18 hours.
However, your AirPods will only last for 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours off of one charge without your case. This is enough for most people, but it’s worth bringing your charger case with you if you need them for work. In that case, you can charge your AirPods enough to last for 18 to 24 hours.
So, Why Are My AirPods Dying So Fast?
Your AirPods are likely dying so fast because you have special features enabled. Disable special features like Noise Cancellation and Siri so that your AirPods will last much longer. Update the firm if your AirPods are outdated because that can explain why they are dying so fast.
AirPods that are 3 years old or older will likely die quickly because of the diminished battery life. In that case, you need to replace your AirPods so that they will last as long as you need them to. Try to keep your AirPods at a neutral temperature because extreme heat and cold can explain why they are dying so fast.