As an owner of AirPods, I know the frustration of having them randomly disconnect and not stay connected. I’ve experienced this issue first-hand and decided to do some research and testing to find a solution. In this blog post, I’m going to share the solutions I discovered and how I solved the issue of my AirPods not staying connected. Hopefully, this post will help other AirPod users who have had similar issues.
Broadly speaking, disconnections come from various causes such as a low battery, Bluetooth glitch, or maybe your AirPods need an update. Either way, the solutions are mostly doable since they involve resetting, charging, cleaning, and updating the AirPods.
| Cause | Description | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Low Battery | The AirPods may have insufficient power to maintain a stable connection. | Charge the AirPods in their case. |
| Bluetooth Glitch | A minor Bluetooth glitch could be causing the disconnection. | Reset the AirPods and reconnect them to your device. |
| Outdated Firmware | The AirPods’ firmware may need an update to fix bugs or improve performance. | Update the AirPods’ firmware by placing them in their case, connecting to a power source, and keeping your connected device near the AirPods. |
| Automatic Ear Detection | The Automatic Ear Detection feature may be too sensitive, causing audio to pause unexpectedly even when the AirPods are in your ears. | Disable Automatic Ear Detection in your device’s Bluetooth settings. |
| Automatic Switching | The AirPods may be switching their connection to other nearby Apple devices, causing disconnections. | Disable Automatic Switching in your device’s Bluetooth settings and select “When Last Connected to This iPhone” on all your Apple devices. |
| Interference from Appliances | Electrical appliances such as microwaves or cordless phones can interfere with the Bluetooth connection between your device and AirPods. | Reboot the Bluetooth connection on your device, and try to minimize interference from other electrical devices. |
Reasons Why Your AirPods Won’t Stay Connected
A disconnecting AirPod could be a result of multiple factors. These factors may entail that your Airpod needs to:
- Charge
- Reset
- Unpair
- Update
Alternatively, other causes of a constantly disconnecting AirPod could be from enabling Automatic Ear Detection or Automatic Switching. Plus, the Bluetooth connection may be weakened by surrounding interferences such as a Wi-Fi router or even a baby monitor.
How to Keep Your AirPods from Disconnecting
Now that you’re familiar with the causes, it’s time to delve into how you can keep your AirPods connected once more.
Reset the AirPods
One of the first things you want to do is reset your AirPods. That way, you’ll rule out the cause of a minor Bluetooth glitch. Keep in mind that resetting involves cutting off all paired devices and restoring the AirPods to their factory settings.
To restart, go to your iOS’s “Settings” and then “Bluetooth.” On the page, scroll to find your AirPods and tap on the “i” icon next to it. Next, choose “Forget This Device.”
Afterward, place the AirPods in their case and keep them in charge. Once they’ve got sufficient power, open the case’s top then press and hold the setup button for about 20 seconds until you see the flashing orange and white lights.
Read more: AirPods case not charging
Deactivate Automatic Ear Detection
The Automatic Ear Detection feature pauses or plays audio depending on whether the AirPod is in your ear. The sensors in the AirPod could be sensitive and pause the audio unexpectedly despite the piece remaining in your ear.
You may have a tendency to adjust the AirPods or maybe they don’t fit well enough. In this case, the Automatic Ear Detection feature could be the culprit. To solve this issue, you can disciple the feature by initially wearing the AirPods.
Next, go to your connected device’s “Settings” and select “Bluetooth.” Search for your AirPods on the list and tap on the “i” icon next to it. Afterward, press on the toggle next to “Automatic Ear Detection” to disable it.
Read more: AirPods only charge when plugged in
Update the AirPods’ Firmware
An AirPods’ firmware encompasses the programming used to develop the device. Manufacturers often find ways to fix bugs or add improvements through firmware updates on your AirPod.
To check whether or not you’re updated, go to the connected device’s “Settings” followed by “General” and “About.” Check the “Firmware Version” and compare it to the latest one available.
If it’s not the same then you can proceed to update the firmware by keeping the AirPods in their case. Additionally, plug in a power source to your case and keep your connected device near the AirPods.
This should help trigger any pending updates left. Meanwhile, if your AirPods are up to date, you can move on to the next method.
Reboot Bluetooth Connection
Aside from resetting the Bluetooth connection, you can try to turn it on and off instead. To do so, go to the connecting device’s Bluetooth settings and swipe the toggle on and off for a quick reboot.
This method can be used if the issue is related more to your device rather than the AirPod. That being so, some interferences may hinder your Bluetooth connection. They can come from electrical appliances such as microwaves.
Disable Automatic Switching
If you have other Apple devices lying around your home, the AirPods may be switching their connection to them and causing disconnections.
To fix this constant switching, go to your connected device’s “Settings,” “Bluetooth,” and press on the “i” icon next to the AirPods. Then, choose “Connect to This iPhone” followed by “When Last Connected to This iPhone.”
To ensure no more disruptions, repeat this process on every other Apple device you own.
To Conclude
Why won’t your AirPods stay connected? In short, the issue could come from various sources. The AirPods may be on low battery, need a firmware update, or a reset.
On the other hand, you may have enabled certain features that are affecting your AirPods’ connectivity. Such features include Automatic Ear Detection and Automatic Switching.
In other cases, interferences from other electrical signals may be getting in the way of your Bluetooth connection. These signals could originate from a cordless phone or other electric devices.
Luckily, the solutions are straightforward and mainly involve resetting, rebooting, and updating your AirPods to establish a better connection.
