Charge your AirPods
Learn how to charge your AirPods and how to check the charge status.
How to charge your AirPods
To charge your AirPods, put them in your case. Your case holds multiple, full charges for your AirPods, so you can charge on the go. To keep your AirPods charged, put them in the case when you're not using them.
Charge your case
If you have a MagSafe Charging Case or Wireless Charging Case, you can charge your case wirelessly. You can also use a cable to charge all cases.
Charge your case wirelessly
To charge your MagSafe Charging Case or Wireless Charging Case with a Qi-certified charging mat, place your case on the charger with the status light facing up and with the lid closed. The status light should show the current charge level for 8 seconds. If you have AirPods Pro 1, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 3 or AirPods 4 (ANC), you can tap the case when it's on the charging mat to determine whether your AirPods are charging (amber light) or fully charged (green light).
To charge your MagSafe Charging Case (Lightning or USB-C) for AirPods Pro 2, your MagSafe Charging Case for AirPods Pro 3, or your Wireless Charging Case for AirPods 4 (ANC) with an Apple Watch charger, place your case on the charger with the status light facing up and with the lid closed. The status light should show the current charge level for 8 seconds. With the Wireless Charging Case for AirPods 4 (ANC), make sure to center the case flat on the charger.
Use a cable to charge your case
Connect a Lightning cable or USB-C cable to your charging case, depending on your model of charging case. Then connect the other end to a USB charger or port.
Charging is fastest when you use an iPhone or iPad USB charger or connect to your Mac.
You can charge your case with or without your AirPods inside.
Turn off charging case sounds
The MagSafe Charging Case (Lightning or USB-C) for AirPods Pro 2, the MagSafe Charging Case for AirPods Pro 3, and the Wireless Charging Case for AirPods 4 (ANC) play a sound when the case begins to charge, or when the battery charge is low. You can turn off this sound on your AirPods Pro 2, your AirPods Pro 3, or your AirPods 4 (ANC).
Check the charge status
When the battery charge of your AirPods is low, you get a notification on the screen of your iPhone or iPad. You get notifications when the charge is at 20, 10, and 5 percent remaining.
A tone chimes in one or both AirPods when the battery charge is low. The tone chimes one time when the battery charge is at 10 percent, and a second time right before the AirPods turn off.
For some models of AirPods, you can enable charging notifications to learn when it’s time to charge your AirPods and when they’re fully charged.
You can also check the charge status of your AirPods with your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, or on your charging case.
On your iPhone or iPad
Open the lid or take your AirPods out of the case.
Hold your AirPods close to your iPhone or iPad.
Go to Settings > Bluetooth, then tap the Info button
next to your AirPods.
On your Mac
Open the lid or take your AirPods out of the case.
Hold your AirPods close to your Mac.
Click Control Center
in the menu bar.Click Sound, then choose your AirPods from the list.
On your charging case
The status light on your charging case helps you know when it’s time to charge your AirPods or charging case and when they’re fully charged. Green means fully charged, and amber means that less than one full charge remains.
If your AirPods are in their case when you open the lid, the status light on the case shows the charge status of your AirPods. You can also see the charge status of your AirPods when you place your AirPods back in their case or when your AirPods are in their case with the lid closed and you connect the case to power.
When your AirPods aren’t in their case, the status light shows the charge status of the case.
For AirPods 4 (both models), AirPods Pro 2 (both models), and AirPods Pro 3 on the latest firmware version, the status light will briefly flash or pulse amber when your AirPods or charging case are less than 95% charged.
If no light appears, you may need to charge your AirPods before you can use them again.
The status light for AirPods 3, AirPods 4 (both models), AirPods Pro 1, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and the Wireless Charging Case for AirPods 1 and AirPods 2 is on the front of the case.
The status light for the Lightning Charging Case for AirPods 1 and AirPods 2 is inside the case and sits between the spaces for your AirPods.
If you're not sure which model of AirPods you have, you can identify your AirPods and charging case.
Enable charging notifications
You can use your iPhone or iPad to turn on reminders to charge your AirPods Pro 2 (both models), AirPods 4 (ANC), and AirPods Pro 3 when the battery is low, and to notify you when charging is complete. Your AirPods must have the latest firmware version, and your iPhone or iPad must be on iOS or iPadOS 26 or later.
Put your AirPods in your ears, and make sure they’re connected to your iPhone or iPad.
On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > your AirPods > Battery.
Turn on Charging Notifications.
Learn about Optimized Battery Charging on AirPods Pro and AirPods 3 or later
Optimized Battery Charging is designed to reduce the wear on your battery and improve its lifespan by reducing the time that your AirPods Pro and AirPods 3 or later spend fully charged. AirPods Pro, AirPods 3 or later, and your iPhone or iPad learn from your daily charging routine and will wait to charge your AirPods Pro or AirPods 3 or later to full until just before you need to use them.
Optimized Battery Charging for AirPods Pro and AirPods 3 or later requires an iPhone or iPad and is on by default when you set up your device, or after you update it to iOS or iPadOS 15 or later.
To turn off this feature:
Wear your AirPods, and make sure they’re connected to your iPhone or iPad.
Go to Settings > your AirPods, then tap Battery.
Turn off Optimized Battery Charging.
Learn about the Optimized Charge Limit for AirPods Pro 3
In addition to using Optimized Battery Charging, AirPods Pro 3 learn from your daily usage and determine when to charge to an optimized limit and when to allow for a full charge. The limit adapts to your daily usage and preserves the lifespan of your battery over time.
To turn on Optimized Charge Limit and optimize battery charging:
Wear your AirPods, and make sure they’re connected to your iPhone or iPad.
Go to Settings > your AirPods, then tap Battery.
Turn on Optimized Charge Limit.
If you want to charge your AirPods Pro 3 fully, you can turn off Optimize Charge Limit entirely or just for a day.
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