FIXED: AirPods Are Charging Slowly? Do This!

FIXED: AirPods Are Charging Slowly? Do This! - 2024 Update

If you have noticed slow charging of your AirPods, there are some reasons for that.  Apple has two AirPods charging cases; wired only and dual wired/wireless charging cases. Either case, you could notice that it takes considerably longer for your AirPods to charge fully. This is worrisome, considering the premium costs of these pairs…

5 Reasons Why AirPods Are Charging Slowly

AirPods can charge slowly because of an unclean charging socket, software updates, deliberate setting by apple, or a faulty charging case. Airpods should be fully charged within one hour. If the LED lights in your charging case stay yellow for more than an hour, you clearly have a slow charging issue.

When you have efficient AirPods, you get seamless service, extended hours of booming music, and fast charging. After all, the world long adopted fast charging technology years ago. Well, that could not always be the reason.

Unclean Charging Socket

As a general practice, you should always ensure that your AirPods, the charging case, magnetic strip, and the charging socket are clean. Inserting dirty AirPods into the charging case will shorten the lifespan of your charging case.

When dirt, lint, and wax get stuck in the AirPods charging socket, there will be a hindrance to electrical flow from the charging cable to your charging case. Most Airpods come with a cleaning kit. Thoroughly and regularly clean the charging socket to remove dirt.

Cleaning up the charging case would likely solve this problem of slow charging. You will need:

  • Microfiber cloth that comes with the AirPod
  • Straw cleaner or a periodontal brush
  • 70% isopropyl alcohol

Use the dry microfiber cloth to clean the stem of both AirPods focusing on the silver charging contacts at the end. Use the straw cleaner to clean inside the charging case. You can moisten the straw cleaner with isopropyl alcohol to remove sticky dirt.

Do not directly spray cleaning alcohol on the charging case. Alternatively, you can use compressed air to blow out the accumulated dust from the charging socket. If the problem persists, consider using a wireless charging mat.

Software Updates

Like many other Apple products, AirPods receive regular tweaks and updates to enhance the user experience. However, the 4E71 update seems to have brought some problems. Users
have reported charging issues on their AirPods after the update. Several users have reported cases of either slow charging or not charging past a given charging percentage.

If you recently received the 4E71 update on your AirPods, your slow charging case could be occasioned by this. Not to worry. Apple has excellent customer service platforms and is currently addressing these issues. The next update will certainly solve this issue.

Not to worry. Apple has excellent customer service platforms and is currently addressing these issues. The next update will certainly solve this issue.

Damaged Charging case or Airpods

Most users are careless with their AirPods. Most of the time, they tend to drop them on the nearest surfaces after use. This will damage charging connections inside the case.

The cases have tiny electrical connections that can become loose when suddenly dropped. Additionally, the silver charging contacts at the stem of the AirPods could peel off when
dropped. Poor electrical connections can cause slow charging.

Water and liquids like cleaning alcohol can cause damage to your AirPods. As much as Apple try to waterproof their products, some liquid can find its way into the electrical components of the AirPods. This will shock and damage your AirPods.

You should make sure you protect your AirPods and casing from liquid exposure. Follow proper cleaning instructions and store your AirPods away from the rain. Carefully handle your AirPods and avoid dropping them on hard surfaces.

Why Are My AirPods Charging So Slowly? | integraudio.com

Bugs and Software glitches

Your AirPods could be charging slowly because of glitches in the software. Bugs or out-of-date firmware could be the likely culprits. A software update can solve this problem.

In cases of a bug in the software, a hard reset usually fixes the problem. Below is how to go about a hard reset.

  1. At the back of your charging case, find the setup button
  2. Press and hold the setup button for 15 second
  3. Wait for the LED light to start flashing from orange to white
  4. This indicates your case has been restored to default
  5. Plug into a wall socket or wireless charging mat

Deliberate slow down by Apple

If you recently purchased the new AirPods Pro, you must have noticed that your battery level lingers around 80% for a very long time. This automatic feature enabled by Apple to slow down charging speed significantly once your battery level reaches 80%. This could be very annoying, particularly if you were in a hurry.

Why does Apple slow down AirPods Pro charging speed?

Airpods uses Lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion batteries are limited as their capacity reduces over time. Apple enables Optimized Battery Charging (OBC) to prolong the lifespan of your AirPods battery. This is great as it ensures you don’t end up with an unstable battery within a year of purchase. However, you may not find this feature helpful when you are in a hurry and will be away from a charging socket for an extended period.

How to bypass Apple’s Optimized Battery Charging setting

In case of a situation in that you need your AirPods charged fully and faster, you need to disable the Optimized Battery Charging setting. It is not recommended to permanently disable this feature as you won’t needlessly shorten the lifespan of your battery. Here is how to go about it.

  1. Connect your AirPods Pro to your iPhone
  2. On your iPhone, go to Settings>Bluetooth
  3. Tap the info button on AirPods Pro
  4. Scroll down and disable Optimized Battery Charging
  5. Notice the pop-up on your iPhone and select Turn Off Until Tomorrow to disable the
    setting temporarily.

Once fully charged, you can follow the steps and enable the setting again as you still need it to preserve your battery life.

Conclusion

Airpods are a prestige. Users who own one expect seamless service. However, there at times, some worrisome problems. One such concern is slow charging. Software glitches, faulty charging components, accidental damages and deliberate settings could be the reasons. Simple changes in the setting and careful handling of your AirPods should keep these problems at bay.

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