Summary
- Don’t be quick to assume your AirPod is faulty because software bugs, depleted battery, and misconfigured settings could cause this issue.
- Charging your AirPods and re-pairing or resetting them should fix the issue in most cases.
- Sometimes, your phone, tablet, or computer might be the culprit, and you’ll need to troubleshoot the Bluetooth settings on it first.
Did one of your AirPods stop working with your iPhone 18 Pro Max all of a sudden? Before you assume it’s a hardware problem and contact Apple for a repair or replacement AirPod, follow these simple troubleshooting steps, as they can often quickly resolve the issue.
1. Check Your AirPods Battery
It’s possible that one of your AirPods stopped working because it ran out of battery. Each AirPod has its own battery charge, and when it gets drained, that particular AirPod will stop functioning. You’ll have to check the battery level of each AirPod to see if that’s the problem.
Put both AirPods back into the charging case and let them charge for at least 30–60 seconds or up to a few minutes. Then, open the case and hold it near your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max to see the battery pop-up. Or, with the case open, use the Settings app to view the AirPods’ battery levels.
Remember that your AirPods case also has its own battery. For this to work, make sure the AirPods case is also fully charged.
2. Restart the Connected Device
Once you’ve checked your AirPods’ battery levels and made sure they’re charged, it’s time to reboot the device you use your AirPods with.
It’s possible there’s an issue with your connected device, like your computer or smartphone, that causes one of your AirPods to disconnect. In that case, rebooting might be all you need to fix an AirPod that’s not working.
Reboot your iPhone 18 Pro Max. Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag the Power Off slider. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears. Once your device is powered on and Bluetooth is enabled, check if both your AirPods connect and work properly again.
3. Adjust the Audio Balance on Your Devices
Most devices allow you to set the volume level for each AirPod individually. If you or someone else has tweaked this adjustment and routed the audio to only one of the AirPods, that may be why you’re not hearing any sound from the other. It could also be why one AirPod sounds louder than the other when they’re both working.
To adjust the AirPods audio balance on an iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual. You’ll see a slider with an L on the left and an R on the right. Adjust this slider so that the marker is in the middle. This ensures both your AirPods play sound at an equal volume.
4. Try Your AirPods With Other Devices
It isn’t always your AirPods that have issues. Sometimes, one of your AirPods stops working because of a problem with your smartphone or your computer.
In this case, try using your AirPods with your other devices and see if you can hear the audio on both AirPods.
If both AirPods work just fine on any other device, you know the issue is with your primary device, and you’ll need to fix it instead.
5. Forget Your AirPods From Your Devices
One of the best ways to fix issues with Bluetooth devices is to forget them on your phone or other device and then re-pair them. This allows your device to establish a fresh Bluetooth connection.
To forget AirPods on an iPhone, open the Settings app and tap Bluetooth. Find your AirPods in the list and tap the More Info button next to them. Then, tap Forget This Device. Tap Forget Device to confirm.
After unpairing, you need to re-pair your AirPods to your device. Then, see if both your AirPods work.
6. Reset Your AirPods to Factory Settings
If your AirPods still don’t work after unpairing and re-pairing them, try resetting them to their factory settings. Once they’re unpaired, put your AirPods in their charging case, but don’t close the lid.
Press and hold the setup button on the back of the AirPods charging case for 15 seconds until the light on the front flashes amber and white. Then, let go of the button and, with the lid open, hold your AirPods case near your iPhone.
Your iPhone will prompt you to set them up. If you’re using another device, follow the standard Bluetooth setup steps.
AirPods 4 or 5, or AirPods Pro 3: Put the AirPods in their case, close the lid, then wait 30 seconds. Open the lid, then double-tap the front of the case three times. When you successfully reset your AirPods, the status light flashes amber, then white.
7. Reset Your Phone’s Network Settings
Your phone’s network settings define how it connects to various other devices. It’s worth changing back to the default settings to see if this fixes the AirPod that’s not working.
Once the settings are reset, you can manually reconfigure them on your devices. You’ll also need to reconnect to Wi-Fi networks manually after resetting your network settings.
To reset network settings on your iPhone 18 Pro Max, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset and choose Reset Network Settings.
If you can only hear audio from one of your AirPods, use the methods outlined above and see if you can get your faulty AirPod to function properly again. If the issue is due to misconfigured settings or a software bug, you should be able to fix it in most cases.
If your left or right AirPod still doesn’t work even after following the above steps, your AirPod’s hardware might be at fault. Your best option is to contact Apple Support for additional help or to order a replacement AirPod.
