Since the initial release of AirPods back in 2017, they have become one of the most popular accessories from Apple, selling millions of units every year. Nowadays, you will find the AirPods to be an ideal choice and a better alternative over hundreds of different TWS options available on the market right now. There are numerous benefits of switching to Airpods. For starters, AirPods are relatively lightweight, easy to use, and reliable. They eliminate the hassle of tangled wires and connect seamlessly with many devices via Bluetooth. You can also access Siri with a simple tap or voice command, making it easier to control your music, calls, and other functions.
But just like any other cordless device, AirPods are also powered by a standalone battery unit, both the case and the pods themselves. So, it comes with limited reliability when it comes to battery backup. While Apple ensures 5 hours of playback or over 3 hours of voice calls on a single charge, users often find themselves with discharged AirPods or the case. This usually happens when you don’t monitor your AirPods battery. To avoid such instances, we will offer you all the information you may need in the future about monitoring the battery performance of your AirPods. In this guide, we will include numerous methods to check your AirPods battery with ease, so make sure you check out all the sections thoroughly.
Importance of Monitoring AirPods Battery
Monitoring the battery level of your AirPods is important for several reasons. By checking the battery level of your AirPods regularly, you can avoid running out of power in the middle of a call, a podcast, or an important meeting. You can also plan ahead and charge your AirPods before you need them so you don’t miss any important notifications or messages. By using some advanced features and settings on your iPhone, you can also extend the battery life of your AirPods slightly and prevent them from aging faster.
For example, you can turn ON the Optimized Charging option, which adapts to your charging routine and reduces wear on the battery. Furthermore, you can turn OFF some features that you may not be using actively, such as noise cancellation, or use the AirPods at a lower volume to save battery.
Here are different methods to monitor AirPods battery status
1. Via an Apple Smartphone or Tablet
Checking your AirPods battery level is pretty easy if you are using an iPhone or a tablet. Thanks to the intuitive UI and seamless compatibility, all of the Apple accessories connected to the device can be easily monitored.
- If you have an iPhone or iPad, you can check the battery level of your AirPods by opening the case near your device and waiting for a pop-up window to appear.
- You can also swipe from left to right on your home screen to access the widget page and add the Batteries widget. This will show you the battery level of your AirPods and the case whenever they are connected to your device.
- Another way is to ask Siri to tell you the battery level of your AirPods by simply saying something like, “Hey Siri, how is the battery on my AirPods?”.
2. On MacBook
The same goes for MacBook since the OS on Apple smartphones and laptops is highly compatible and offers cross-support for all Apple devices.
- If you have a MacBook, you can check the battery level of your AirPods by clicking on the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar and selecting your AirPods from the list.
- You will see a small battery icon next to your AirPods name that indicates the battery level. You can also hover over the icon if you want to see the exact percentage.
2. On Android Devices
Unlike many other Apple accessories, AirPods can be paired with any Android device and you can use them just like any other universally compatible TWS Earpods. If you have an Android device, you can check the battery level of your AirPods by downloading a third-party app from the Google Play Store, such as AirBattery or Assistant Trigger.
- These apps are specifically designed to enhance the compatibility of AirPods with Android devices. Thus, they will show you the battery level of your AirPods and the case on your notification bar or lock screen whenever they are connected to your device.
- Apart from that, you can also customize some settings and features, such as automatic ear detection, double-tap gestures, and voice assistant activation.
3. On Apple Smartwatch
If you have an Apple Watch, you can check the battery level of your AirPods without needing to access your smartphone all the time.
- You can just swipe up from the bottom of the watch face to access the Control Center and tap on the Battery icon.
- You will see a small battery icon next to your AirPods name that indicates the battery level. You can also tap on the icon to see the exact percentage.
4. Using The AirPod Case
It is also possible to check the battery level of your AirPods directly via the case by using the status LED indicator provided on the case itself. The status light is usually on the front of the MagSafe Charging Case or between the spaces for your AirPods in the Lightning Charging Case.
- The LED shows different colors depending on the charge level, where green means fully charged, orange means low battery level. You may also see a white light sometimes, which means the AirPods are in pairing mode.
- To see the status light, you need to open the case or place it on a wireless charger. The light will stay on for about 8 seconds at a time.
5. Without Any Paired Device
If you don’t have any paired devices nearby, you can still check the battery level of your AirPods by using one of them as a microphone.
- To do this, you need to put one AirPod in your ear and press and hold it until you hear a beep.
- Then, say “Battery level” and wait for another beep.
- You will hear a voice telling you the battery level of both AirPods and the case.
Also, AirPods will ring a notification to indicate when the battery is running low if the AirPods are in use. You will be easily able to identify this distinct notification as it also lowers the volume of the media playing currently momentarily so that you don’t miss it. You will receive the notification 2 times. First would indicate the AirPods battery is below 10%. The next one would be the warning sound. Shortly after the second beep, the AirPods will shut down.
Adding AirPods Battery Widget To iPhone
Apart from many other helpful features, iOS offers support for widgets that allow you to add quick shortcuts or banners for various applications for quick access. And thankfully, there is a battery widget available in the iPhone.
Adding a battery widget on your iPhone screen can make it easier to check the battery status of your iPhone and other connected devices, such as AirPods, Apple Watch, or Bluetooth speakers. This way, you can avoid running out of power unexpectedly and plan ahead when you need to charge your devices. You can also see the exact percentage of the battery level, which is more accurate than the small icon on the status bar.
To add AirPods battery widget to your iPhone, you need to have iOS 14 or later installed on your device. Then, you can follow these steps:
- On your device’s home screen, press and hold any empty space until the apps start to jiggle.
- Tap the + icon at the top left corner of the screen to add widgets.
- On the search widgets screen, scroll down or type “Batteries” in the search bar.
- On the battery screen, swipe left or right to choose between small, medium, or large widget sizes. The medium and large sizes will show the battery percentage of your devices.
- Then, tap on Add Widget at the bottom of the screen. You will see the widget on your Home Screen.
- Drag the widget to your desired location on the screen. You can also resize it by pressing and holding it until you see a menu. Then, tap on Edit Widget and choose a different size.
AirPod Battery – FAQs
Ans: There are different ways to check if your AirPods are charging or not. There is a status indicator LED present between the spaces for your AirPods in the lightning charging case. The easiest way to determine if your AirPods are charging is to look at the LED indicator on the front of the charging case. An amber light when you open the case means that the AirPods are charging, but they’re not fully charged yet. The lights should turn green once they’re fully charged. If your AirPods are connected to your Apple device, you can also listen for audio cues to check the charging status. When you place the AirPods in the case, you should hear a chime, indicating they are charging. If they’re removed from the case while charging, the sound might change.
Ans: The battery performance of AirPods can vary depending on the specific AirPods model (generation) you own, your usage, and the age of your AirPods. If you own a 2nd or 3rd Gen Apple AirPods Pro, you can expect nearly 6 hours of battery backup with each charge. As for the AirPods 2nd Gen, the battery backup ranges up to 5 hours.
Ans: There are a few tips that you can follow to improve the battery performance of your AirPods. However, keep in mind that anything you do will not increase the battery performance of the AirPods above the original capacity of the device. However, if you are noticing an excessively low battery life, following these tips will surely help you.
*Ensure your AirPods have the latest firmware version. Apple often releases updates that can include performance improvements and battery optimizations, which helps battery performance.
*When you’re not actively using your AirPods, make sure you always store them in their charging case. This not only keeps them protected but also keeps them charged and ready for use.
*If you don’t need features like active noise cancellation or Transparency mode, consider turning them OFF. These features can consume more battery power.
*Listening at lower volume levels can significantly extend your AirPods’ battery life. Try to find a comfortable listening volume that doesn’t require maxing out the sound.
*If you’re not using both AirPods for a call or listening to music, you can use one at a time. This can effectively double the usage time before needing to charge.
*Periodically check the battery health of your AirPods. If you notice a significant decrease in performance, it may be time to consider a battery replacement, especially if your AirPods are out of warranty.
Ans: If you cannot attach the battery widget on your iPhone because of an older smartphone model or iOS version, worry not. There are many different ways to check the battery status of the AirPods that you can find in our guide. While some options offer an exact percentage of the battery level, some options are rather vague and only indicate whether the AirPods are fully charged or not. Still, it would be more than enough if you regularly use your AirPods and maintain a consistent charging cycle. It can remind you to plug in your AirPods right before you leave for a morning run or workout to have enough charge until you are back home.
Conclusion
AirPods, compared to many other TWS options available on the market, have a relatively longer battery life that can last for several hours of continuous use. But it can be pretty frustrating if you notice your AirPods running out of charge when you are out and unable to charge the AirPods or the case. While you can always carry around a MagSafe charger to charge the AirPods, you may not be able to use the MagSafe charger at all times. But this can be avoided if you monitor your AirPods battery life regularly. This means you don’t have to worry about running out of power or finding a plug while using them. Once you are used to the battery performance pattern of your device, you won’t even need to check the exact battery percentage and keep the device charged on intuition.
