www.makeuseof.com 10 Ways to Fix AirPods That Keep Disconnecting From Your iPhone
Do your AirPods keep disconnecting intermittently while using them with your iPhone? Bugs, glitches, and conflicting settings often cause that to happen.
The list of troubleshooting tips and fixes below should resolve most connectivity issues between your AirPods and iPhone.
1. Re-Establish the Connection With Your iPhone
If your AirPods started disconnecting from your iPhone just a moment ago, then re-establishing the connection between both devices can help.
Just put your AirPods or AirPods Max in the Charging Case or Smart Case, wait for a few seconds, and then take them out again to reconnect them.
Related: Tips to Get the Most Out of Apple’s AirPods Max
2. Keep Your AirPods and iPhone Closer Together
This one’s probably obvious, but the further you move away from your iPhone, the higher the chances that your AirPods won’t stay connected. Keep the distance between you and your paired device to under 30 feet and you should be fine.
3. Disable and Re-Activate Bluetooth on Your iPhone
Disabling and re-activating Bluetooth on your iPhone can eliminate minor technical glitches and help fix AirPods-related connectivity issues.
Simply bring up the iPhone’s Control Center (swipe down from the screen’s top-right corner or swipe up from the bottom of the screen) and tap the Airplane Mode icon.
Wait for up to 10 seconds before tapping the Airplane Mode icon again, to re-activate Bluetooth.
MAKEUSEOF VIDEO OF THE DAYRelated: Is Your iPhone’s Bluetooth Not Working? We’ll Help You Fix It
4. Disable Automatic Ear Detection
Automatic Ear Detection is a feature that automatically detects when your AirPods are in your ears. But it can also cause the audio to disconnect, especially if you tend to fidget with the left or the right AirPod while wearing them. If your AirPods won’t stay connected to your iPhone, disabling Automatic Ear Detection can help.
Go to Settings > Bluetooth and tap the Info icon next to your AirPods. Then disable the Automatic Ear Detection option.
3 Images ExpandExpandExpand5. Deactivate Automatic Switching
Starting with iOS 14, AirPods automatically switch between Apple devices when you start playing audio. If you have another iPhone, iPad, or Mac lying around, you should disable this functionality to avoid sudden disconnects.
Go to Settings > Bluetooth and tap the Info icon next to AirPods. Then, tap Connect to This iPhone and select When Last Connected to This iPhone. You must repeat that on each iOS and iPadOS device that you own.
4 Images ExpandExpandExpandExpandOn a Mac, go to System Preferences > Bluetooth and select Options next to your AirPods. Then set Connect to This Mac to When Last Connected to This Mac.
6. Avoid Wireless Interference
Wireless interference can also prevent your AirPods from working correctly. Check whether you’ve got common sources of interference around you—such as poorly shielded power cables, microwave ovens, wireless speakers, and so on. If so, you should move away from them.
7. Update the Firmware on Your AirPods
If your AirPods won’t stay connected, outdated device firmware might be the reason behind the issue. With your AirPods connected to your iPhone, head over to Settings > General > About > AirPods and check whether Firmware Version is up to date.
4 Images ExpandExpandExpandExpandA cursory search on the internet—or the AirPods’ Wikipedia page—should reveal the latest version of the firmware.
To update the firmware on your AirPods, start by connecting the earbuds or headset to a power source. Then, keep your iPhone close and wait for at least 30 minutes before checking back. Your AirPods should have updated in the meantime.
8. Update Your iPhone
The latest iOS updates for the iPhone come with numerous bug fixes that could resolve connectivity issues with your AirPods. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to update your iPhone.
Related: Can’t Update Your iPhone or iPad? Ways to Fix It
If you don’t see any pending updates, try restarting your iPhone instead. Go to Settings > General > Shut Down and drag the Power icon to the right. Once the device shuts down, wait for 30 seconds before booting it back up.
9. Reset Your AirPods
If you still keep running into issues with your AirPods disconnecting randomly, you should reset them.
Put the AirPods in the Charging Case or Smart Case. Then, hold down the Status button (or both the Noise Control button and the Digital Crown on the AirPods Max) until the indicator flashes amber. You’ve finished resetting them.
Now take the AirPods out and follow the onscreen prompts on your iPhone to re-connect them.
3 Images ExpandExpandExpand10. Reset the Network Settings
Resetting the network settings on your iPhone should resolve corrupt network-related settings preventing the device from communicating with your AirPods correctly.
To do that, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset and select Reset Network Settings. Then, punch in your device passcode and tap Reset Network Settings again.
3 Images ExpandExpandExpandReconnect your AirPods after the reset procedure and check if the issue recurs.
No More Randomly Disconnecting AirPods
The fixes above should’ve helped you fix issues with the AirPods disconnecting from your iPhone. If not, you’re likely dealing with a defect on the hardware level, which means that you must contact Apple for assistance.
8 Common Apple AirPods Problems and How to Fix Them Read NextShareTweetShareEmail Related TopicsAbout The AuthorDilum Senevirathne(49 Articles Published)Dilum Senevirathne is a freelance tech writer and blogger with over three years of experience contributing to online technology publications. He specializes in topics related to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Windows, and Google web apps. Dilum holds an Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting from CIMA and AICPA.
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