Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Jimtom

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 27, 2016
8
1
I have had my airpods for about a week now and have been experiencing the battery drain problem. I ran the case down but the pods were still 100% last night. Went to use the pods today and they wouldn't work. It was my understanding that the case was dumb so shouldn't they work when the case is depleted or did they completely drain overnight by themselves?
 
I don't think the case serves as a connection point since mine work fine when I go out for a run, so they should work fine even if the case is dead.
 
Yes they will.. My case was dead because I forgot to charge it and the headphone still had 70%... I used them today for an hour and a half in the gym while the case was charging at home.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 44267547
Yes they will.. My case was dead because I forgot to charge it and the headphone still had 70%... I used them today for an hour and a half in the gym while the case was charging at home.

Agreed. I second this. I was in the same situation with you the other day as I was using mine as well.
 
Wow, thanks for the answers. That is crazy because I know the left one had 100% and the right was at 85%. That's disturbing. I will have to try and recreate it and contact Apple.
 
I have had my airpods for about a week now and have been experiencing the battery drain problem. I ran the case down but the pods were still 100% last night. Went to use the pods today and they wouldn't work. It was my understanding that the case was dumb so shouldn't they work when the case is depleted or did they completely drain overnight by themselves?

Did you try to connect to them using the bluetooth settings on you're device?
I've had it once also, seamless connection wouldn't work so I connected to them like I would connect to other devices.
 
Did you try to connect to them using the bluetooth settings on you're device?
I've had it once also, seamless connection wouldn't work so I connected to them like I would connect to other devices.

I didn't, just grabbed my old pair of lg tone 910s to use. I will try that next time. Thanks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cremerhm
If the AirPod Case is completely dead (not even a light) Then the AirPods will not know to shut off when you put them back in the case. Therefore they will continue to stay on even inside the case. This is due to the fact the case applies A small voltage to the AirPods to let them know they are docked. From experience a low case battery will still shut off the AirPods but not charge them. No battery at all and the AirPods don’t know whether they are in the case or not. They will actually probably think they are in your ears.
 
  • Like
Reactions: haruhiko
If the AirPod Case is completely dead (not even a light) Then the AirPods will not know to shut off when you put them back in the case. Therefore they will continue to stay on even inside the case. This is due to the fact the case applies A small voltage to the AirPods to let them know they are docked. From experience a low case battery will still shut off the AirPods but not charge them. No battery at all and the AirPods don’t know whether they are in the case or not. They will actually probably think they are in your ears.

That seems logical. ^guy knows his stuff.
 
If the AirPod Case is completely dead (not even a light) Then the AirPods will not know to shut off when you put them back in the case. Therefore they will continue to stay on even inside the case. This is due to the fact the case applies A small voltage to the AirPods to let them know they are docked. From experience a low case battery will still shut off the AirPods but not charge them. No battery at all and the AirPods don’t know whether they are in the case or not. They will actually probably think they are in your ears.

That doesn't make any sense. AirPods would still know they are in a case. They would read it as out of charge. If they didnt then when a case discharges all its stored energy into the AirPods the AirPods would think they are out of the case and would connect to iPhone and all sound would go through the AirPods.

AirPods know they are in the case. The magnets in the case are there for a reason. They ensure the AirPods pull down onto the contacts at the bottom of the case.


That seems logical. ^guy knows his stuff.
 
That doesn't make any sense. AirPods would still know they are in a case. They would read it as out of charge. If they didnt then when a case discharges all its stored energy into the AirPods the AirPods would think they are out of the case and would connect to iPhone and all sound would go through the AirPods.

AirPods know they are in the case. The magnets in the case are there for a reason. They ensure the AirPods pull down onto the contacts at the bottom of the case.

Are you certain the magnets are what tells the AirPods they are in the case? I agree, the magnets are there to seat the AirPods to the charging contacts but I would think the battery itself would be the “communicator”. Similar to the magnet on the Apple Watch charger.....it’s just a tool to keep the two devices in contact with each other, that’s all.
 
Are you certain the magnets are what tells the AirPods they are in the case? I agree, the magnets are there to seat the AirPods to the charging contacts but I would think the battery itself would be the “communicator”. Similar to the magnet on the Apple Watch charger.....it’s just a tool to keep the two devices in contact with each other, that’s all.

I never said the magnets were what tells the AirPods they are in the case. The contacts at the bottom connects them and tells them they are being charged. The magnets hold them down and assist in placing them in the case. If you hold a magnet to an AirPod whilst its still in your ear it wont stop playing so its not the magnets. Its the circuit.
 
Well the case has no power so the headphones would sit there draining as it cannot make “contact” with the case since it’s dead
 
I’ve had issues twice where I put my AirPods in the case and the next day the left AirPod was 100% and the right one like 15%.

One time I heard music still playing through the right AirPod with them in the case closed.
 
Sorry for bumping this thread, but I experienced the same issue, I tried connecting the AirPods to my MacBook and it didn't connect for some reason, I couldn't figure out why, I tried everything, then I realised the case was dead(both left & right still had 75% charge), once plugged in the case, it connects to my Mac again, no problems... so it basically means when the case is dead, its game over?! Or am I missing something?
 
Wow, thanks for the answers. That is crazy because I know the left one had 100% and the right was at 85%. That's disturbing. I will have to try and recreate it and contact Apple.
[doublepost=1554400599][/doublepost]I’m having the same issue and ever since yesterday when i let my case die my air pods keep making the dieing sound
 
If the AirPod Case is completely dead (not even a light) Then the AirPods will not know to shut off when you put them back in the case. Therefore they will continue to stay on even inside the case. This is due to the fact the case applies A small voltage to the AirPods to let them know they are docked. From experience a low case battery will still shut off the AirPods but not charge them. No battery at all and the AirPods don’t know whether they are in the case or not. They will actually probably think they are in your ears.
.

I don’t think that’s true. Your airpods know they’re off your ears even if they’re not in the case, that’s why your movie/music pauses when you take at least one off.
 
I know this is an old thread, but has this ever officially been clarified? Just experienced this today. I know the case was close to dead last night, but each AirPod had plenty of battery. Got to the gym and they wouldn’t work. Tried manually connecting Bluetooth, restarting phone, but they refuse to work.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.