AirPod Case Not Charging: Why and How to Fix it

AirPods are a wonderful piece of technology that lets you listen to audio wirelessly. One of their great features is that you can also charge them wirelessly. That is, as long as your case is charged. If your Airpod case is not charging, you will lose the use of this great feature.

Yes, you can still probably charge your AirPods if you have the case plugged into a power source, but you have lost the ability to easily charge them on the go when you have no power source available.

My name is Eric and I have been troubleshooting problems like this for many years with a variety of different devices. Studying as an Electrical Engineer, I learned some of the best methods to narrow down and find problems such as this one.

If you would like to try and figure out your AirPod case charging problem. Keep reading and we will step through some of the most common problems.

Why Is AirPod Case Not Charging?

In order to help fix this problem, it is a good idea to first try to understand some of the main reasons that could prevent the case from charging. This will help us narrow down the situation and find a possible solution.

There are three main categories of issues that will prevent charging. Take a look at them below.

Power

The first and most common issue is that the case is for some reason not getting power to it. Without power, it can not charge. We’ll take a look at possible reasons that the case may not be getting power in the next section.

Software

Believe it or not, that tiny little charging case does have software that runs and controls it. You may not see it but it is there. Sometimes that software can have a glitch that prevents it from charging. This has a simple fix and we will take a look at that below also.

Hardware Failure

Your device may just be damaged or defective. The internal components are not working properly and this is something that you probably cannot fix so it may need to be replaced. Hopefully, this is the last resort.

How to Fix AirPod Case Not Charging

There can be a variety of problems that can keep your AirPod case from charging. Thankfully the majority of them are easy to fix and if they are power or software-related, they will not be too costly. Let’s jump into the issues starting with some of the simplest and most common.

Charging Cable

This is the most common of all charging problems on most devices. Your cable can go through some harsh treatment. Tugging on it, bending it, sitting on it or even the dog chewing on it. After a while, they will fail.

If you have a spare cable, try plugging your case in with it and see if it starts charging. If it does you will quickly know that your cable is bad. All you need to do now is replace the cable!

Charger

While not quite as common as a bad cable, chargers also go bad. They are heavily used, constantly heating up and cooling down. Eventually, the internal connections can fail. This one can be easy to check if you have a spare charger. Just plug it into the spare to check it.

If you don’t have a spare, you can try plugging into some other USB port such as the one on your computer, and check to see if your device will charge. If it does, you will know that your original charger is bad and it is time to get a new one.

Bad AC Outlet

This is much less common, but one of the easiest problems to check. It could be that your wall outlet or power strip that you plug your charger into is not working. It’s possible a fuse or circuit breaker has been blown or it just stopped working for whatever reason.

Just take your charger and cable and try plugging into another power source. You will quickly see if the device starts charging.

Dirty Charging Port

This is another extremely common problem. You probably carry your AirPod case everywhere. In your pocket, in a backpack, or purse. The charging port collects dirt and lint. Over time that build-up will keep the plug on your cord from making good contact with the port’s contacts.

This will prevent the case from charging, but a good cleaning can easily fix the problem. This can usually be done best with some pressurized air or by simply blowing into the port. Be careful to not get any moisture into it. 

If absolutely needed, you might use a toothpick or other semi-soft tool to gently remove debris. Use very light pressure to do this and be careful to not bend or break any of the contacts. When in doubt check Apple’s advice for AirPod cleaning and follow the tips they provide.

Damaged Charging Port

Heavy usage, moisture, or being too rough with the lightning cable plug and port can cause damage to it. Once the port is damaged enough, it will not make contact with the cord and your case will not charge. 

Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do in this case and you may need a replacement. Check your warranty to see if it is still covered. If it is, you may be able to get a replacement at no cost depending on your service plan.

Software Glitch

The software inside your case does many things, including regulating and monitoring charging activities. If your case gets lots of use and has not been reset for a while, the software could have a glitch or be stuck in some mode that is not allowing it to charge.

This has a very simple fix. You can reboot or restart your case just like you would a computer or phone. If yours is completely dead you may need to first plug it into the charger. Then find the button on the back of the case, press and hold it for 15 seconds.

This will restart the case and hopefully, you will now be back in business. Leave it plugged into the charger to see if it charges. If it does, you are good to go.

Defective or Damaged Case

If none of the suggestions above have resolved your issue, you may, unfortunately, be looking at a defective or damaged case. Even though these things are built pretty tough, this does happen. Factory defects are not all that common but I have seen plenty of them over the years.

Damage can occur from a number of things. Dropping the case, running it through the washer or dryer, stepping on it, or anything else that the unit is not built to withstand. Damage may not be covered under your warranty but defects should be if it is not too old.

Take a look at Apple Support for more information on AirPod warranties and service. The good news is that your AirPods will work with a new or replacement case. All you have to do is pair them to the new one and you are good to go. No need to buy a whole new set of AirPods.

Final Words

If your AirPod case is not charging, this can be a real hassle, but there are quite a few easy, low-cost solutions that can fix the problem I hope that some of the suggestions provided above will solve your problem without the need for a repair or replacement case.

As usual, please let us know if you have any questions. We would love to hear from you!

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