What happens if you drop AirPods?

As an AirPods owner, I have experienced the frustration of watching my beloved earbuds take a tumble. It can be a worrying experience, especially if you don’t know what will happen when they hit the ground. After doing some research, I’m here to discuss what happens if you drop your AirPods, potential solutions, and how to protect them from future falls.

Key Takeaways
Apple’s AirPods are drop-resistant and water-resistant. However, it is not a good idea to drop them.
AirPods can survive drops from significant heights and surfaces without taking damage.
AirPod Pros are drop-proof, but their ear tips may pop off when dropped.
The AirPod case is less durable than the AirPods themselves, but it can still withstand multiple falls.
You can replace damaged AirPods through your AppleCare plan, warranty, or aftermarket retailers.

What Happens If You Drop AirPods?

The short answer to this question is that they bounce and that’s it. Your AirPods are some of the most drop-proof technology that you own.

As it turns out, AirPods can be dropped from pretty significant heights on very tough surfaces without so much as a scratch.

This doesn’t mean that you should start throwing your AirPods around, but it does mean you don’t need to worry about occasionally knocking them off the side of your desk. 

Read more: Why is one of my AirPods dying so fast?

What Happens If You Drop AirPods Pro?

AirPod Pros have a few more concerns when we drop them. This isn’t because they’re more fragile, but it is because they have ear tips which can pop off when dropped.

Losing ear tips isn’t the end of the world as you can find replacements cheaply from Apple or other online retailers. 

Outside of that, AirPod pros are just as drop-proof as regular AirPods. 

What Happens If You Drop AirPods In Water?

Apple rates your AirPods at IPX4 which means they are resistant to sweat and minor water exposure and not waterproof at all. However, plenty of Apple fans have described their AirPods as “accidentally waterproof.” 

Your AirPods were designed with a few features in mind that allow them to withstand drops into water as long as you take them out quickly.

There are a few internal seals that provide more protection than their rated forward. It doesn’t mean they’re waterproof or safe to take swimming, but it does mean that you can rescue your AirPods if you pull them out of water quickly. 

What To Do If You Drop AirPods In Water?

The best thing you can do if you drop your AirPods in water is to take them out immediately. The quicker you take them out of the water, the more likely you are to be able to save them.

After that, you just need to ensure that you dry them out before you use them again to give them their best chance of surviving in their brief swim.

There are also apps that eject water from your AirPods that seem very successful. These apps work by turning your AirPods up to maximum volume and then emitting low frequency sounds that vibrate the AirPods and create air pressure that expels water. 

What Happens If You Drop The AirPods Case?

Your AirPod case is a little bit heavier and easier to damage than the AirPods themselves. It also has a hinge which can be damaged during a fall if it lands the wrong way.

This means that your case stands to suffer more damage when it’s dropped than the AirPods themselves. 

Most of the time, your AirPod case will be fine if you drop it. Most users only experienced some scratching and scuffing when they dropped their AirPod case.

However, if you drop the case while it’s open, and it lands the wrong way on its lid, you could damage the hinge that holds the top half of the case to the bottom half. 

How Far Can You Drop AirPods?

Apple doesn’t have an official stat for how far you can drop your AirPods and expect them to keep working.

However, tech writers have dropped AirPods off of rooftops and found that they simply bounce and keep working when they land. Let’s take a closer look at what it means to drop your AirPods and expect them to keep working.

Your AirPods are designed to be able to drop from typical heights like out of your pocket and off your ears without taking too much damage.

However, it looks like your AirPods can take even larger drops of 10 feet or more without being noticeably damaged. This doesn’t mean they’re indestructible, but it should mean that they can handle most drops without worry. 

Is It OK If I Drop My AirPods?

This question is a little bit tricky to answer because you never want to intentionally drop your expensive smartphone accessories.

It’s okay if you drop your AirPods every now and then because they’re designed to be able to take this kind of a beating and keep on working.

Dropping your AirPods from ear height onto surfaces like carpet and even wood floors probably won’t do any damage to them. 

How Durable Are AirPods?

Your AirPods are some of the most durable accessories Apple has ever created. While Apple doesn’t list an official status for how high you can drop them from, drop tests online have repeatedly dropped individual AirPods from Heights of 10 feet or more onto concrete without them being damaged at all.

Your AirPods are made out of a high-quality plastic, silicon, end of extremely light. These three factors come together to mean that even if you drop them from incredibly high heights, they’re still going to have very soft landings. 

How Durable Is The AirPods Case? 

The AirPod case is only slightly less durable than the AirPods themselves. This isn’t because it has a worse build quality, but because it is heavier which means it’s going to take falls a little bit harder.

Most users report that even after multiple drops from a height, the worst their case has experienced was some scuffing and scratching.

All in all, the AirPods case is incredibly durable. 

How Do I Know If My AirPods Are Damaged?

There are a few quick ways to tell if your AirPods have been damaged after a drop. The first thing you should do is give them a quick visual inspection to make sure there are no cracks, chips, or other easily spotted damage.

After that, you should test all of their features including the microphone, sound playback, and other advanced features like the tap controls and noise cancellation.

After you’ve run all of these tests, you’ll be able to figure out if your AirPods are still in good working shape or if they have any damage. 

How To Replace Damaged AirPods? 

One of the easiest ways to replace damaged AirPods is to use your AppleCare plan or the warranty.

You can get replacement AirPods at your local Apple Store as long as you still have an active AppleCare plan, or they’re in their original warranty.

You can also purchase aftermarket replacement AirPods through various online retailers.

These can often be cheaper options than going to an official Apple Store, but you do run the risk of getting knockoff products or damaged goods. 

Pros

1. Apple’s AirPods are incredibly drop-resistant and surprisingly water-resistant.
2. AirPods can handle drops from pretty significant heights and surfaces without taking any damage.
3. The AirPod case is slightly less durable than the AirPods themselves, but it can still take multiple falls without suffering too much damage.
4. You can replace damaged AirPods through your AppleCare plan or warranty, or through aftermarket retailers.

Cons

1. AirPod Pros have ear tips which can pop off when dropped.
2. Apple rates your AirPods at IPX4 which means they are resistant to sweat and minor water exposure and not waterproof at all.