I recently purchased a pair of AirPods and was eager to get them up and running. To my frustration, it seemed to take an especially long time for my AirPods to connect. After doing some research and testing, I’m here to share how I solved the issue and some of the other solutions I discovered.
Likely reasons why your AirPods take a long time to connect are that they are connecting to different devices, there is interference, you need to reset and reconnect your AirPods, or because you need to update the AirPods.
| Tips: |
|---|
| AirPods can take a long time to connect due to various reasons. |
| To make AirPods connect faster, try resetting and reconnecting them, update your AirPods and software, and make sure they are not connecting to other devices. |
| Once initially paired, AirPods should only take a few seconds to pair again. |
| If AirPods are taking a long time to connect, consider taking them to an Apple store for assistance. |
Table of Contents
Why does it take so long to connect AirPods?
To connect your AirPods for the first time, you just need to put the AirPods in the case, open the lid and then press the button on the lid. Your AirPods should then appear on your list of available devices.
Below are possible reasons why your AirPods have been taking a long time to connect.
Interference
It could be the case that there is too much interference between your AirPods and your device.
If you are trying to connect your AirPods with walls or doors in the way, it will take longer for your AirPods to connect.
Also, if there are things such as microwaves in the area, it could also be interfering with the connection.
It would help to see if your AirPods connect quickly when they are close to the device.
Your AirPods are connecting to other devices
It could be the case that your AirPods are actually being connected to other devices.
This would be particularly likely if you use multiple Apple devices because AirPods will connect to them automatically. However, this should not be an issue since you can automatically switch between them.
It would help to try forgetting your AirPods from all other devices, resetting your AirPods and then connecting them to your device again.
You need to reset and reconnect your AirPods
It could also be the case that you need to reset your AirPods and then to reconnect them to your devices. To do this, do as follows:
To do this, do as follows:
- Forget the AirPods on the device you are using
- Put your AirPods in the case
- Open the lid and press the button on the case for 15 seconds until it flashes orange then white
- Wait 30 seconds
- Open the lid and hold the button on the case
- Reconnect your AirPods to your device
Broken AirPods
It might also be the case that the AirPods themselves are broken. This would be more likely if they take a long time to connect regardless of the device that you are pairing them with.
If they are taking a very long time regardless of the device and it is causing you problems, it would help to try taking them to an Apple store and to see what they say.
Your AirPods need to be updated
Also, AirPods do receive software updates. It might be the case that your AirPods need to be updated.
To update your AirPods, you need to put them in the charging case while it is being charged, then put a connected Apple device (iPhone, iPad, Mac) near the AirPods.
Read more: Can I connect AirPods and headphones at the same time?
How long do AirPods take to connect?
Once you have initially paired your AirPods with a device, it should only take a few seconds to pair them again in the future.
Read more: Why isn’t double tap working on my AirPods?
How do I make AirPods connect faster?
To make AirPods connect faster, try resetting and reconnecting your AirPods to the device, update your AirPods, update the software on your device and make sure that your AirPods are not connecting to other devices.