When your AirPods appear to be connected, but you can’t hear any sound, it could be due to an issue with one or both of them. Fortunately, there are several reliable solutions for resolving this problem quickly and easily.
First, reset the Bluetooth connection on your phone. This should prompt it to reestablish a Bluetooth connection with your AirPods and typically resolve this issue for most people.
1. Check the battery
If your airpods are connected but the sound is muted, it could be due to a low battery. Batteries have a lifespan, so make sure they’re checked regularly for optimal performance.
A battery is composed of different chemicals that react with each other to transform chemical energy into electrical current. When these molecules come together in the right combination, electrons flow freely and create power for your device.
To check if your airpods’ battery has run out, open the charging case and look for an LED light that indicates how much remaining. A green light indicates full charge while an amber light implies less than one charge remains.
It’s wise to periodically check your earbuds’ audio balance. This can easily be done through the Settings app.
If the right AirPod isn’t as loud as the left, or vice versa, you can fix this by sliding the slider on the right earbud back to its original position.
Maintaining your earbuds can also help address sound issues. Gunk and wax accumulation in AirPods may clog the speaker, preventing sound reproduction.
Your AirPods’ bottom metal ring, charging port, speaker and sensors can be cleaned with a Q-tip and isopropyl alcohol. Doing so not only may help fix sound issues but it’s best to do a thorough job in order to prevent further issues from arising.
Another step you can take to improve connectivity with your iPhone is updating its software. Doing so will improve its compatibility with AirPods and other devices.
2. Turn off Automatic Ear Detection
If your AirPods are connected but not playing sound, you might want to disable Automatic Ear Detection. This feature allows the earbuds to play music only when they’re inserted in your ears, but can cause issues when not used.
To disable this feature on your iPhone, open Settings > Bluetooth. When in that screen, find and tap on your AirPods by name and tap “i” at the right.
Finally, turn off the toggle next to “Automatic Ear Detection” to disable it completely. Not only will this save your battery life, but it will also stop your airpods from pausing music when they’re not in your ears.
This issue could be due to a malfunctioning sensor on your airpods. To verify if this is the cause, disable the feature in settings and check if that solves the problem.
Another possible culprit may be interference from other nearby electronics, such as a laptop or TV. To minimize this effect, keep your AirPods and Android device close together so they aren’t affected by walls or other objects in their path.
You may try factory reseting your AirPods to see if that resolves the problem. This will delete them from your device’s memory and reconnect them again, which may resolve audio and connectivity-related issues as well.
Apple’s AirPods are unique in that they can detect when you put them in your ears and pause audio when removed. This makes them ideal for long-form audio like podcasts or audiobooks; however, this feature may cause random pauses while listening. To resolve this issue, simply turn off Automatic Ear Detection in both iPhone and iPad’s settings.
3. Turn off Volume Level Limit
If your AirPods are connected but no sound is coming through, it could be due to low volume. Thankfully, Apple has included a setting in their iOS devices which limits headphone volume in an effort to prevent hearing damage.
This feature may be beneficial to some users, but it can also make your AirPods sound too quiet. To disable this limiter in the Music app, simply turn it off.
To access this setting, open the Music app and scroll down until you find the Settings button on your device. From there, navigate to the Sound section.
Once in the Sound section, tap on “EQ” to toggle its on and off. Doing so can reduce bass frequencies – making your audio quieter overall.
Another solution for fixing your quiet AirPods is to enable the “Sound Check” feature in the Music app. This works similarly to what studio compressors do – making quieter songs louder and reducing loud ones so they all remain around the same volume level.
On your iOS device, open the Music app and swipe down from the top of the screen. You’ll then see an option for “Sound Check” in the bottom corner.
Once you’ve turned off the AirPods, try restarting your iOS device to resolve any underlying software issues that might be causing them to have low volume. On iPhone X and later models, press both side and volume down buttons until the slider appears in Control Center.
If your AirPods still don’t have enough volume, try cleaning them with a soft bristled brush to clear away any earwax that is blocking the microphone holes on the stems of the headphones. Doing this will enable the mic to work more effectively and enhance sound quality.
4. Turn off Reduce Loud Sounds
If your airpods are connected but without sound, try turning off Reduce Loud Sounds. This feature automatically lowers the volume of loudest sounds played from your iPhone to the earbuds.
It does this by analyzing audio played through your headphones and reducing the volume of sounds that exceed a preset threshold, such as an abrupt crescendo in a musical performance. These modifications are temporary, only applying to sounds over your predetermined volume limit.
Apple Music users will notice that your earbuds cannot play songs at a volume higher than what is set in the app. While this can help protect your hearing, many people prefer listening at higher volumes when listening to music.
By turning off Reduce Loud Sounds on your iPhone or iPad, the volume of your earbuds will be reduced if the audio output is too loud, such as when in a noisy restaurant. This helps protect against permanent hearing damage if you use your headphones at too high of a volume.
If a family member wishes to disable this feature, they can do so through their device’s Screen Time settings. To do so, go to Settings > Screen Time and select Content & Privacy Restrictions from the menu.
For other headphone-related problems, you may want to check the volume level limit in your iPhone’s settings. Typically, this limit is 85 decibels; however, if you don’t listen to music more than eight hours a day, this can be reduced to 80 decibels.
5. Reconnect the AirPods
If your AirPods and iOS device are connected, but you don’t hear any sound, the first step to take is to reset the Bluetooth. Doing this should force your phone to reestablish its connection and hopefully solve the issue.
Additionally, you can try connecting the AirPods to another iOS device such as your iPhone or iPad. To do this, turn on Bluetooth on that device and then connect the AirPods directly.
To do this, open the Control Center and long-press on the Bluetooth widget until it expands to fill your screen. From there, tap on the info icon (which looks like an “i” inside a circle) next to your AirPods for further instructions.
Before proceeding, ensure your AirPods are charged. If they aren’t, place them in their case and connect to a USB power source for at least 1-2 hours.
Once your AirPods are connected to the iOS device you wish to use them with, try playing some music and see if any sound comes through. If not, you may need to take your device into a certified Apple repair shop for further assistance.
Many people report that disabling the Automatic Ear Detection feature of their Apple AirPods fixes their issue. This feature uses infrared sensors to automatically pause any audio on your device when you take them out of your ears.
Another possible issue could be that the volume level limit on your iPhone or iPad is causing issues. You can disable it, but be sure to do so correctly. Similarly, check to see if Reduce Loud Sounds is enabled in settings to see if that has any effect on audio quality.