AirPods stop playing when I take one out
How to fix AirPods disconnecting from iPhoneIf your AirPods keep disconnecting mid-call or while you're listening to music, follow these steps to fix the problemBy Karen Haslam, Editor| 18 Nov 21 Show
Do your AirPods disconnect from your iPhone during phone calls or while you're streaming music? You're not alone. AirPods have been plagued with connection issues ever since they launched in 2016. User comments on Apple's support forums suggest that AirPod connection problems are quite quite common. But these problems are fixable, and in this article we show how to sort out a set of AirPods that keep disconnecting from their iPhone. If you are frustrated by the AirPods automatic switching feature here's how to turn it off. On the other hand, if your AirPods keep connecting to another device read: How to stop AirPods connecting to other iPhones & iPads Why do my AirPods keep disconnecting?You won't want to hear this, but there are all sorts of reasons why AirPods disconnect from iPhones and other Bluetooth devices. It can be a hardware problem, a signal quality problem, or an issue with a specific version of iOS. AirPod disconnections were tediously common back in 2016 and 2017 with iOS 10.1, then cropped up again in 2018 following the iOS 11.2.6 update. The issue reared its head a third time following the iOS 12.1 update, and will probably happen again in the future. Report problems to Apple, and look out for patches in further updates. Disconnection problems tend to be related to phone calls: a caller complains that they can't hear you clearly or not at all, or you discover that your AirPods cut out while you were in mid conversation. Less commonly you may encounter the issue when playing music or connecting to in-car Bluetooth. The problem may be related to the sensors inside the AirPods that determine whether or not they're in your ears, or to the microphones; or it could be down to Bluetooth interference. Whatever the reason, hopefully one of our audio fixes below will solve the AirPod disconnection problem for you. If you can't fix it, read Best AirPods deals, or head straight to Apple's site for a replacement pair. But don't give up just yet. Top Cyber Week DealsOnly the best deals on the best products handpicked by our expert editors Apple Watch Series 6 (44mm, Cellular)From: Amazon Was: £509 Now: £368.35 (£140.65 off) View Deal Apple AirPods 3 (2021)From: AO Was: £169 Now: £159 (£10 off) View Deal Apple Watch Series 7From: Amazon Was: From £369 Now: From £349 (£20 off) View Deal Apple 16in MacBook Pro, M1 Pro, 10-Core CPU/16-Core GPU, 2021From: LaptopsDirect Was: £2,399 Now: £2,199.97 (£199.03 off) View Deal Apple iPad Air with Apple PencilFrom: Virgin Now: £24.50 per month (2GB data) View Deal Apple Pencil (2nd Gen)From: Amazon Was: £119 Now: £99 (£20 off) View Deal Apple Watch Series 6 (44mm, cellular, Stainless Steel) - RefurbishedFrom: Music Magpie Was: £699 Now: £289.99 (£409 off) View Deal Apple iPad Air (64GB, 4th Gen, Wi-Fi + Cellular)From: Currys Was: £709 Now: £669 (£40 off) View Deal Apple 13in MacBook Pro, M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 256GB (2020)From: Amazon Was: £1,299 Now: £1,159 (£140 off) View Deal Apple iPad Pro 11in (2021, M1, 256GB)From: Amazon Was: £849 Now: £799 (£50 off) View Deal Top Cyber Week DealsOnly the best deals on the best products handpicked by our expert editors Apple AirPods ProFrom: Amazon US Was: $249 Now: $179 ($70 off) View Deal Apple iPhone 12 Mini (64GB, carrier locked to Straight Talk)From: Walmart Was: $499 Now: $299 ($200 off) View Deal Apple Watch Series 5 (44mm, cellular) - Stainless SteelFrom: Amazon US Was: $749 Now: $459 ($290 off) View Deal Apple Smart Keyboard (Folio) - Fits iPad Air 4From: Amazon Was: $179 Now: $99 ($80 off) View Deal Apple 24in iMac, M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 256GB (2021)From: Walmart Was: $1,499 Now: $1,434.95 ($64.05 off) View Deal Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular, 44mm)From: Walmart Was: $429 Now: $329 ($100 off) View Deal Apple MacBook Air, M1, 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 256GB (2020)From: Best Buy Was: $999 Now: $899 ($100 off) View Deal Apple Pencil (1st generation)From: Amazon US Was: $99 Now: $79.99 ($19 off) View Deal Apple Pencil (2nd generation)From: Amazon US Was: $129 Now: $99 ($30 off) View Deal Apple 14in MacBook Pro, M1 Pro, 8-Core CPU/14-Core GPU, 2021From: Walmart Was: $2,499 Now: $2,449 ($50 off) View Deal How to fix AirPods that disconnect from an iPhoneTo stop your AirPods losing the Bluetooth connection, work through the checklist of possible causes and eliminate them one by one. Are they out of power? Have you accidentally turned off Bluetooth or selected the wrong audio output? Is it a physical problem with one earbud, is ear detection playing up, or do the AirPods just need to be cleaned? Finally, we can check for sources of signal interference. Step 1: Make sure you have the right software
Step 2: Check battery levelsThe first thing to do is make sure your AirPods have plenty of battery charge. If they're out of power, you obviously won't be able to hear anything. You can check the AirPod charge status on your iPhone by following these steps:
Incidentally, here's how to improve AirPods battery life. Step 3: Check BluetoothCheck that Bluetooth is activated on the device you're using the AirPods with.
Even if Bluetooth is on, it's worth turning it off and on again.
It will now say that your AirPods are not connected, but they should connect again as soon as you choose them as the source for your audio (see the next step). Step 4: Check your audio device settingsYou should also make sure you've selected your AirPods as the output audio device - this may happen automatically because the AirPods identify that they are in your ears, but just in case that hasn't happened, follow these steps. While playing music on your iPhone tap on the AirPlay icon that appears below the track (if you have the track selected). Select your AirPods from the options. If on a call make sure you have AirPods selected from the audio options that appear on the screen when you make the call. You can also change the audio source when you're on the call by tapping on the speaker icon. Step 5: Disconnect your AirPods then reconnect them"Turning it off and on again" can solve any number of problems with electronic devices, and the AirPods are no exception.
Step 6: Reset your AirPodsIf the above step did not help, reset the AirPods. To do this follow these steps:
Step 7: Clean your AirPodsSince it's possible that your problem relates to dirt, you might want to give them a clean. This is a delicate procedure, since you don't want to scratch or mark the case or damage the components. We have detailed advice about how to clean AirPods in a separate article. Step 8: Use just one AirPodThere are reports that indicate the problem happens less frequently if you are only using one ear bud, so you could leave one in the charging case. Additionally you could set your AirPods up so that only one AirPod microphone is used.
Step 9: Turn off Automatic Ear detectionThis is another feature you should try turning off, to test whether your AirPods work better without it.
This feature should automatically divert audio to your AirPods as soon as it detects they're in your ears, but it's worth checking to see if something is playing up. Step 10: Unpair your WatchThe issue might be related to pairing with both an Apple Watch and AirPods, so you could try unpairing your Watch and see if the problem continues. If you have other Bluetooth gadgets it's worth unpairing them too, just in case something is causing a conflict. Step 11: Turn off Wi-Fi on your iPhoneWe don't know why this would make a difference, but some users have found that after turning off Wi-Fi on their iPhone the audio-related fault stopped. This may be down to sources of WI-Fi interference which we will look at in the next step. Step 12: Check for sources of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth interferenceThere are various devices that could be causing interference so it's possible one of them is responsible for your drops in audio. Here are some things you could try to avoid it.
On a MacIf the problem is related to using the AirPods with your Mac, check your Sound settings in System Preferences on your Mac.
If you're finding that the problem happens during FaceTime or audio calls made on your Mac, with callers reporting your voice isn't clear or that they can't hear you, it could be related to Bluetooth having to send and receive audio. This can result in the sound quality switching from high fidelity to low fidelity. Separately, we have advice on which devices are compatible with AirPods. |