How to Check AirPods Battery Life - A Quick Guide

If you’ve followed Apple through the years, you’ve probably noticed a trend: novel, innovative products that offer impeccable quality but often come with a steep price. Another notable trend for Apple is creating fantastic products for music lovers, going back to the original iPad. Enter the AirPods: cordless, cool-looking, and super convenient earbuds that marry the convenience of wireless listening with the audio quality you’d expect from high-end wired headphones.

Among its many incredible features, the AirPods’ battery life is a high point. Still, every battery runs out sooner or later. If you’re still not sure how to check the AirPods’ battery life, worry not: we’re here to walk you through all the steps and ensure that your precious earbuds will never run out of juice in the middle of a song.

AirPods and the AirPod Charging Case: a Match Made in Heaven

With the AirPods, you’ll be able to listen to music or podcasts on your phone while running or have Siri read the messages to you on the go, no matter where you are. Plus, they look damned fancy, so you can do all that in style.

As if that wasn’t enough, Apple also launched an upgraded version of these earbuds; the AirPods Pro. With a more snug fit and better sound quality enhanced with noise cancellation, your only concern should be how to check the battery life of your AirPods so that they don’t leave you hanging at the worst possible time. 

Thanks to Bluetooth, whether you have the AirPods or the AirPods Pro, pairing them up with other devices is about as easy as it gets. All you need to do is open the charging case with both AirPods inside and put them close to your iPhone. Once the phone recognizes the earbuds, it’ll display the Connect button; hit it, et voila - you’re all set. As long as you’re using the same iCloud account on all of your Apple devices, this process will automatically pair them with your iPad, IMac, Apple TV, or Apple Watch. Now, let’s show you how to check your AirPods battery life. 

Charging Your AirPods Battery: Check!

Before we give you some tips and tricks on checking the AirPods and AirPods Pro battery life, let’s take a look at charging the AirPods first. The AirPods come with a charging case, so the only thing you need to do is put the buds in it when you’re not using them; they will charge on the go while you do other things. The front LED indicator will flash green to let you know that your earbuds are charging.

Now, you might be wondering how to check the battery life of your AirPods case.

Here’s a tip: once your charging case turns amber, you’ll have less than half of one charge remaining. Now lay it on any Qi-compatible charging mat, or use the lightning port to charge if one is unavailable. The best policy is to carry the mat with you whenever you go on a longer trip. The AirPods can support up to 5 hours of wireless music listening goodness or 3.5 hours of talk time on a single charge. While not bad, it’s certainly not enough without a charger if you plan to chat or listen to your MP3 collection extensively.  

iPhone Apple AirPods: How To Check the Battery Life

Now that you’re all tech-savvy when it comes to charging, we can move onto the main topic at hand: checking the status of your AirPods battery. 

The sound from the buds will inform you that your AirPods battery life is under 10%, and you’ll get notifications on the screen of your iPhone or iPad once the charge is at 20, 10, or 5%. Although this gives you plenty of time to react, some people may prefer to be notified of the earbuds’ battery status much earlier.

First, let’s see how to check AirPods’ battery life on iPhone or iPad while the earbuds are in the AirPods charging case. The easiest way is to swipe up from the bottom of the screen and toggle on Bluetooth. Now, make sure to open the case and keep the buds near the paired device. Wait for the pop-up to appear and show you the battery life of both your AirPods and their case. If you want to check only one earbud, take out one or the other to get the results you need. Here are some other handy methods for performing a battery check on the iPhone and other Apple devices:

1. If you’re wondering how to check the AirPods’ battery life while wearing them, try the battery widget on your iPhone. First, you’ll have to enable it by clicking the “plus” button on your Home screen, finding it in the widgets menu, dragging it to the Home screen, and hitting done to save your choice. This procedure can be done for every Apple device you have connected to your phone: with a few simple clicks, they should all now show the remaining battery percentage when clicking on the widget.
2. If you wish to check the AirPods’ battery status from an Apple Watch, the process is somewhat similar. You’ll have to open the AirPods case near the smartwatch. Next, find and tap the battery option in the Control Center, and you’ll be notified precisely how much juice your earbuds have left.
3. Now let’s see how to check the AirPods’ battery life on your iMac, provided that they are paired with it. If you have the buds on, it’s super easy: simply take a look at your desktop and view the battery status. If not, then first things first: open the AirPods charging case. Now search for the Bluetooth icon on the upper menu bar of your Mac device and turn it on. Once it’s on, you’ll be able to see a readout of your bud’s battery life under the “device” tab in the Bluetooth menu on your Mac. 
4. What if you don’t have any paired device around you? How to check the battery life of your AirPods without an iPhone or iMac? Fret not; we’ve got you covered. Simply take a look at the charging case and check the color of the LED. The green color means that earbuds are over 50% charged, and you’re good to go. The amber color is a warning sign that you have less than 50% battery life remaining and that you should put it back in the case to charge. 

How Long Do AirPods Last?

According to Apple’s official website, your AirPods,  with their multiple charges, allow for more than 24 hours of music listening time or up to 18 hours of conversation. Now that you know how to check the battery life on Apple AirPods, you can recharge them whenever you feel the need, even if multiple charges are still available. When you’re down to a single charge, you’ll be able to listen to music for up to five hours or talk with your friends for up to three. 

The AirPods Pro have slightly better performance when it comes to quick charging times. If you charge your earbuds for only five minutes, you’ll be able to talk for an hour or so.