You're jamming to your favorite tunes when your AirPods suddenly disconnect and won't reconnect to your phone. What now?
If you run into connection or charging issues while using your AirPods, or if you're looking to sell your Apple earbuds and remove their iCloud connection, your best bet might be a reset.
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Resetting your AirPods takes minutes and can fix many random issues that pop up through regular use. Here's how you can easily reset your AirPods. These instructions apply to all earbud AirPods models, but keep reading to learn how you can reset the AirPods Max. You'll be back listening to your favorite music or podcasts before you know it.
Put your AirPods in their charging case, ensuring that both earbuds are physically connected inside the case. Close the lid and wait for at least 30 seconds.
Open the lid and put the AirPods in your ears.
Go to your Settings > Bluetooth > Your AirPods > Forget Device.
Put AirPods back in the charging case. Don't close the lid.
Press and hold the button on the back of the case for 15 seconds or more, until the light on the front of the case flashes red and then white.
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To reconnect your AirPods, keep the lid open and place your AirPods near your iPhone or iPad.
You need to have both AirPods fully connected inside the case for the reset to happen. If you have an AirPod with a faulty connection, it might take a few trials to get it connected inside the case. If that doesn't work, consider cleaning your case to get rid of any dirt or dust in the way of the connection.
Also: How to clean and sanitize your AirPods (and why you should)
The AirPods Max don't have a case, so the steps for resetting them are different than that of the earbud AirPods. You should charge them for 10 minutes before beginning the reset. Once they're charged, press and hold the noise control button and the Digital Crown until the light flashes amber. Go to your Bluetooth settings to reset your AirPods Max, and wait for the amber light to turn white.
The AirPods won't instantly recognize your device and pair with it. The reset gives your AirPods a blank slate for connecting to iOS devices.