If one AirPods doesn't work? Tips for solving the problem

When Apple first introduced AirPods, jokes immediately appeared on the Internet that owners of headphones would have to buy an additional elastic band, like the one that mothers tie to the mittens of absent-minded children. There is some truth to every joke, and soon such accessories actually appeared (and they are still in demand), and AirPods users began to lose their headphones. Either they accidentally fall out of the case, or you just forget it somewhere - there are many options. And as luck would have it, only one earphone is lost - what to do in this case?

AirPods headphones tend to get lost

Reasons why one ear does not work when connecting Airpods

Insufficient battery power is the real reason why AirPods pro one earphone does not work.
The speaker is dirty, the membrane is clogged, so one earphone has become quieter than the other AirPods.
The activation of the Bluetooth module has disappeared, as a result of which the device turns off after a minute.
The device firmware is outdated. Because of this, only 1 wireless earphone is connected or both are not activated. The problem is solved by upgrading the system.
The system is frozen on an iPhone or iPad; as a result, the iPhone cannot see the right AirPods.
The earbuds are out of sync, resulting in the left AirPods not connecting.

There are other possible faults, each of which has its own solution.

Lost my AirPods

Apple seemed to have suspected in advance that this would happen, so the company provides for the purchase of AirPods headphones separately ( $69 each for regular AirPods or $89 for AirPods Pro), as well as charging cases that cost the same. But... this service is not available in Russia. And if a user in the Russian Federation loses one earphone, he needs to immediately buy a new set entirely, although in fact this is not necessary.

Enterprising AirPods owners quickly found a way out - they go to an ad site like Avito and start looking to see if anyone is selling one AirPods earphone. Spoiler: they sell. Moreover, they are often sold by those who find the earphone, for example, on the street, from people like you who have previously lost it. At the same time, at flea markets there is a high probability that you will be sold a fake under the guise of an original earphone. Chinese craftsmen have long learned to make headphones that are almost indistinguishable in appearance from real AirPods. They even know how to show the same pairing window as the original ones! Therefore, buying AirPods on sites with advertisements is still a risk.

Buying an AirPods earphone for 2 thousand rubles is not a good idea

Step-by-step algorithm of actions if the right AirPods are not charging

The case must be fully charged; if not, connect it to the charger.
If both headphones do not work at the same time, place them in their places in the case and leave for 30-60 seconds.
Open the lid of the case next to the iPad or iPhone, the screen of which will display the charge level of both the case and the headphones.
Insert headphones into your ears, turn on a music track. If one AirPods does not work or the music does not play at all, it is recommended to reset the headphones through the “Settings” menu.

In most cases, if one AirPod earphone stops working, reconfiguring it helps.

Where to buy one AirPods

Which exit? If you still don’t want to buy a complete set (new), you can find the missing earphone in online stores with spare parts for Apple equipment. Yes, where they usually sell cables, batteries for iPhones and other components. It will be much cheaper than buying new AirPods: in the iReplace store, for example, you can buy one AirPods earphone (second generation) for 4,990 rubles - both left and right. Also on sale are the first generation AirPods headphones and even AirPods Pro separately.

Use promo code lost10 to get a 10% discount on replacing AirPods at iReplace.ru.

Why buy at flea markets when you can get it in a normal store?

The advantage of such a purchase is that you are not buying a headphone from someone from Avito, whom you will never see again, but from a trusted store that provides a guarantee on the goods sold. And if something goes wrong (which is unlikely), there will always be someone to “show.” But in fact, we at the editorial office often use iReplace to buy spare parts for iPhones and are very pleased with both the service and the quality of the components.

Reboot AirPods

When one earphone does not work on AirPods, the first thing all experts recommend is to restart the device. Detailed instructions can always be found on the Internet. An important condition is that it is recommended to charge both the case and the headphones. Next, the “Forget device” option is activated.

Place the inserts in the case and close the lid.
After 30 seconds, open the lid, hold the button on the back of the box, wait for the indicator to turn orange, and release it.
The white LED indicates that the operation was successful.

If the problem when the left AirPods does not work, or in another case the right ear does not work, has not been resolved, we are looking for a solution further.

Finding the cause of the malfunction

The first step is to look for the potential cause of the malfunction. There are times when the earphone stops working after a specific action. For example, if it fell on the floor, then there is a chance that it will be impossible to solve this problem on your own, and you will have to buy new headphones. However, the popular reasons for headphones malfunction are as follows:

Bluetooth is not enabled on the device. To do this, you need to check the “settings”.
A possible reboot of the mobile device will help get the headphones working and fix the problem if the right EarPods are not working.
Insufficient charge in the headphones. There are times when a user listens to music for hours and at a certain point the headphones stop working. In this case, the primary cause of the malfunction is lack of charge.

Poor quality sound in one earphone

When 1 earphone is louder than the other AirPods, a common cause is clogging, which causes various failures: the right one crackles, the left one makes noise, the left earphone constantly turns off, etc. What to do?

We check the speaker and microphone grids on both earbuds.
We clean the dust very carefully: do not rinse with water, wet clean with a lint-free cloth!!!
Use headphones only after they are completely dry!!!
We also check the headphones in the “Settings” menu, adjusting the position of the slider between the “L” and “P” channels.

How to fix a headset that won't produce sound?

Insert the two earbuds back into the charging case and double check them (swipe your iPhone on the Home screen from left to right to view the charging status).

If the battery level is correct, try putting the headphones back in your ears. Put them back in the case, close the lid and try again. If the right EarPods are not working, you should try the following solutions to resolve the problem:

Go to Settings, then Bluetooth on iPhone when the headphones are connected to the phone.
In the list of devices, click “e” next to EarPods.
Select Forget this device. Then we perform a similar operation to confirm the actions.
Place the EarPods in the charging case. After half a minute, we take out the headphones for further checking.
Press and hold the configuration button on the back of the charger until the status light begins to flash white.
Connect the EarPods by moving them closer to the device, following the instructions on the device.
Make sure they are functioning normally again.

If this still doesn't solve the problem, gently clean your EarPods.

If all else fails

You have made all the attempts described above, but the situation has not changed, is the left earphone of your AirPods still disconnecting? In this case, you should contact our service center, whose engineers will quickly determine why the right AirPods earphone is not working or not charging, and where the problem is coming from in the first place. If the malfunction occurs due to incorrect operation, you can replace one earphone by purchasing it in our store. If the case is under warranty, repair or replacement will be carried out free of charge.

We are always happy to help you!

How to fix a malfunction of one headset?

In this aspect, it is worth considering three primary reasons:

The first way is to check the functionality and charge of the device. To do this, you need to disconnect both headphones from your mobile device and put them in their original case for a few seconds. Of course, it is advisable to let the headphones sit for at least a minute. Then we take out the headphones and connect them to the previous mobile device. This method works in 20% of the total amount, and helps fix the problem regardless of whether the left or right EarPods are not working.
The second method is to turn Bluetooth off and on again on your phone. If the next time connecting the headset does not help, you need to try rebooting the headset and checking the connection again.
The last method is to look for an “invisible” headset. Many mobile devices may simply not see the connection, so it’s worth digging into the “settings” of the headphones themselves, selecting the “Forget device” option, and then reconnecting to the mobile phone.

Testing methods

Photo: EarPods Testing Ear Pods can be done in different ways.
The most convenient way will be online testing on special websites. The most functional of them is WebCamMicTest (www.webcammictest.com/test-headphones.html). This test portal works well in the Safari browser on all supported iPhones. The functionality of the site includes:

music player of 2 types: “deep bass” and “classic”;
balance regulator;
generator of arbitrary frequency and shape.

If you click on the adjacent link, you can check not only the sound playback, but also the microphone built into the EarPods headset.

Buttons on earpods don't work

A problem that became relevant not so long ago. The buttons stop working, making it difficult to use the headphones comfortably. Among the key factors of breakdowns:

Buttons sticking. A few firm presses fix the problem;
Manufacturing defects;
Presence of mechanical damage.

Any headset can break, regardless of build quality and cost. Therefore, it is worth promptly contacting a technician if independent attempts to restore the original functionality are unsuccessful.