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Why do my AirPods have different battery levels?

As an owner of Apple AirPods, I was frustrated to discover that the battery levels of my left and right AirPods were different. After a bit of research and some testing, I’m here to share what I discovered and the solutions I found. In this blog post, I’ll explain why my AirPods had different battery levels and how I resolved the issue.

Likely reasons why your AirPods have different battery levels are debris in the case or because the batteries have been getting used in different amounts which would be especially likely if you have been using your AirPods as a mic or you regularly only use one AirPod.

Quick Tips:
– Clean the charging case to avoid debris build-up and charging imbalance.
– Keep AirPods updated with the latest firmware.
– Try charging your AirPods in someone else’s case if your case is broken.
– If one AirPod drains faster, it might be faulty. Consider replacing it or taking it to an Apple store.
– Reset AirPods by holding the button in the charging case until the light flashes orange then white.
– Different usage can cause different battery levels between AirPods, so it’s normal if one drains faster than the other.

Why do my AirPods have different battery levels?

Below are likely reasons why your AirPods have different battery levels.

Debris

It might simply be the case that there is debris in the charging case that has caused one of your AirPods to charge more than the other.

It would help to clean the charging case and to try to wipe the inside of the case by using a cotton swab.

Updates

It is the case that AirPods receive updates. It might be the case that there is a software issue that is causing the problem. It would help to make sure your AirPods are updated to the latest firmware by putting them in the case, charging the case and putting an iPhone, iPad or mac, that is connected to the internet, near to the case. The AirPods should then automatically charge.

Broken case

It could also be the case that the charging case itself is broken. If you have a friend who also owns AirPods, you could try charging your AirPods in the case.

If both of the AirPods charge evenly, it would mean that it is the case that is causing the problems. If they do not charge evenly, it would mean that the AirPod itself is broken or faulty.

Broken AirPod

It could also be the case that the AirPod itself is broken.

This would be more likely if there is clearly no debris inside the case, if the AirPod drains a lot faster than the other, and if you can’t get the AirPod to charge when using someone else’s case.

It would help to consider if the AirPod recently got wet or if you dropped it.

In this case, your only option would be to take it to an Apple store or to buy a replacement. Alternatively, you can just leave it how it is. If the battery life is not too bad, it would likely be the best option to just do nothing.

If one AirPod is normally only a few percent different to the other, it is not likely that it is broken.

Different amounts of use

The most likely reason why your AirPods have different battery levels is that the batteries are in slightly different conditions.

If you have been using one of the AirPods a lot more, it might be the case that each of them now have different amounts of battery capacity. This would be more likely if one of them also drains more quickly.

One battery discharges more rapidly when you regularly use one AirPod at a time for listening or use one as a microphone. The battery that has been used the most will deteriorate more quickly and need charging more often.

When using Airpods as a mic, only one of the AirPods are being used as a mic. To change the mic being used, click on the “i” next to the AirPods in the Bluetooth settings.

Try resetting the AirPods

Sometimes resetting the AirPods can help. To do this, put the AirPods in the case, open the lid and hold the button until the light flashes orange then white.

AirPods
AirPods

Read more: Why do my AirPods smell weird?

Is it normal for AirPods to have different battery levels?

It is not uncommon for AirPods to have different battery levels by a few percent. This is because over time, the AirPods will be used by slightly different amounts.

So, one of the AirPods will go through more charging cycles than the other which can result in it draining faster than the other as well.

Read more: How to get AirPods to update location?

Why is one AirPod draining faster?

The most likely reason why one of your AirPods is draining faster than the other is that one of the AirPods has actually been used more which has caused the battery to go through more charging cycles and to degrade slightly faster.

When you use AirPods as a mic, only one of the AirPods are actually being used.

If you have been using your AirPods as a mic a lot, it would be likely that the AirPod being used as a mic has drained faster and been through more charging cycles.

You can change the AirPod that gets used as a mic in your iPhone’s settings.

What to do if one AirPod drains faster

If one AirPod drains a bit faster than the other, you can make sure that there is no debris in the case and switch the AirPod that is being used as a mic in your iPhone’s settings.

However, it is not uncommon for one AirPod to drain a bit faster than the other, so you do not have to do anthing.

If one AirPod drains a lot faster than the other, the best option would be to take it to an Apple store.