How Long Do AirPods Last: Tips to Improve AirPods Battery Life

What to Know

  • Depending on which model you have, your AirPods battery can last up to 30 hours with the Charging Case.
  • To extend AirPod battery life, avoid fidgeting with the case and disable nonessential features.
  • Avoid exposing your AirPods to extreme temperatures and keep them clean to maintain AirPods' battery life.

AirPods and AirPods Pro allow you to listen to music, ask Siri a question, or make a phone call without ever touching your phone. But these fantastic features are battery-draining, so how long do AirPods last? Can you learn how to make earphones last longer? This article will answer all your questions about how to improve AirPod battery life.

Jump To:

How Long Should Apple Headphones Last?

Apple headphones and earbuds are known for their sound quality and impressive features, but what about their battery life? That depends on whether you mean on a single charge or their overall lifespan. To improve both the daily and long-term battery life of AirPods, follow these tips.

​​How Long Do AirPods Stay Charged?

How long should AirPods battery last? When the charging case is fully charged, the third-generation AirPods can get up to 30 hours of listening time or 20 hours of talk time, while the second-generation AirPods Pro can get up to 30 hours of listening time or 24 hours of talk time. Both can be charged for just five minutes to gain enough battery life for one hour of either listening or talking time.

iPhone Life
Discover your iPhone's hidden features
Get a daily tip (with screenshots and clear instructions) so you can master your iPhone in just one minute a day.

According to Apple, first-generation AirPods can last for up to 5 hours of listening or up to 2 hours of talk time on one full charge. Second-generation AirPods have an extended talk time of 3 hours. Third-generation AirPods can last for about 6 hours of listening time and 4 hours of talk time. AirPods Pro battery life is about 6 hours of listening or 4-and-a-half hours of talking. To find out which AirPods you have, check out this useful guide.

How long do AirPods take to charge? It takes up to an hour to fully charge an AirPod charging case. The case can then charge your AirPods to full in 20 minutes. A fully charged case can fully recharge your AirPods three or four times. Sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter to learn how to see AirPods battery percentage and other useful tips.

AirPods Lifespan: How Long Do AirPods Pro Last?

AirPods have a feature called Optimized Battery Charging. This allows your iOS devices to learn your daily routine and only charge your earbuds (or other Apple devices) to 80 percent until just before you are ready to use them. This saves the battery from being left in the case at 100 percent for too long, which could end up damaging your battery. Utilizing this new update and trying the tips in this article can help extend your AirPods battery life, and get you through all of your music and phone calls for the day. AirPods not charging at all? Here's what to do.

How long do AirPods last? In general, AirPods' battery lifespan will vary depending on the amount of use they endure and how well they are cared for. On average, though, Apple AirPods batteries can last for about two years. The most common issue of older AirPods is for one to stop working or become significantly quieter. If you are wondering why do AirPods only work in one ear or why does one AirPod die faster, read this.

Related: How to Save Battery on the iPhone: Maintaining Your Lithium-Ion Battery

How to Improve AirPods Battery Life

AirPods are quite small devices with an even smaller battery, so any damage can result in loss of functionality and battery life. There are a few good habits you can get into to help extend the battery lifespan of your AirPods. To learn how to improve AirPods battery life, follow these steps.

1. Always store AirPods in their case.

Depending on the AirPods model, the case itself can supply up to 30 hours of battery life, so keep them in their charging case whenever you are not using your AirPods. This will make them ready for use any time you need them. 

2. Don’t fidget with the AirPods case.

One great feature of AirPods is their instant connection via Bluetooth. This connection happens as soon as you open the case near any of your iOS devices, so every time you flip open that top, your AirPods Bluetooth is activated and using their battery. If you're wondering how to improve AirPod battery life, then you should only open the AirPods case when you're planning to use your AirPods. You can also get in the habit of checking the battery level without opening the case. Learn how to check your AirPod battery and know if they are charging.

3. Keep your AirPods safe from extreme temperatures and direct sunlight.

Extreme temperatures (heat or cold) can damage the batteries in your AirPods. To extend your AirPods battery life, try not to use them when conditions are unfavorable, and do not leave them in direct sunlight when not in use. It's also best not to store the AirPods or case anywhere that's frequently cold or warm.

4. Turn off Smart features such as Automatic Ear Detection and noise cancellation.

Are your AirPods dying fast? There are various features that may not be essential to everyday use that you can easily turn off to save your AirPods' battery life. One example is Automatic Ear Detection, which switches the audio from your connected device to your AirPods the moment you put them in your ear. Once disabled, you can manually press play or pause, saving just a bit more battery life for your AirPods.

If you're looking for how to save AirPods Pro battery, turning off Active Noice Cancellation or Transparency mode can also help conserve power. While these features improve the listening experience, they also consume more battery. Disabling these options should make your AirPods Pro battery last longer.

5. Use one AirPod at a time.

If you are concerned about not having your AirPods working all day long, using one at a time while charging, the other could give you round-the-clock battery life. It may not be ideal for listening, but this style of use will only utilize half the battery power at a time.

Now that you know how long AirPods battery life is and how to optimize the listening and talking time you get out of your AirPods, you should be able to make your AirPods last much longer! Just remember also to keep them clean and safe as well, and they'll be in good shape for quite some time. 

6. Keep your AirPods dry and clean.

Both AirPods Pro and the newer AirPods are sweat-proof and water-resistant to a certain extent, but they are not waterproof. Keep your AirPods dry, and make sure to clean them well if they get wet or dirty.

7. Repair faulty AirPods with Apple Care.

Sometimes there is no saving older or damaged AirPods, but that doesn't mean you need to buy brand new ones because you can buy a single replacement AirPod. A single AirPod Pro will cost you $89, and a single AirPod is $69. Fixing a damaged AirPod costs the same as replacing AirPods out-of-warranty or just $29 per incident if you have AppleCare+. 

If your AirPod or Charging Case holds under 80 percent of the battery's original capacity, you can send them in for Battery Service. This is free if you have AppleCare+ and costs $49 each for both AirPod and AirPod Pros out-of-warranty. You have to go through the official Apple Support website to do this.

Now you know how to make earbuds last longer! Of course, you can also upgrade to a newer model; keep in mind that AirPods Pro battery life may not be longer than AirPods since there are more advanced features. It is also important to note that no matter how many times you perform an AirPods battery check without opening the case or how careful you are, your Apple AirPods battery life will deteriorate over time, no matter what. Still, we hope that these tips will give you more bang for your buck! Next, learn how to troubleshoot one AirPod not working.

Master your iPhone in one minute a day: Sign up here to get our FREE Tip of the Day delivered right to your inbox.

Topics

Author Details

Erin MacPherson's picture

Author Details

Erin MacPherson

Erin is a Web Editor for iPhone Life and has been a writer, editor, and researcher for many years. She has a degree in communication with an emphasis on psychology and communication, and has spent many of her professional years as a coach in various business and specialty fields. Erin officially joined the ranks of iPhone and Apple users everywhere around nine years ago, and has since enjoyed the unique and customized feel of Apple technology and its many gadgets. When she’s not working, Erin and her son enjoy outdoor adventures, camping, and spending time with their eclectic collection of pets.