How to Reset AirPods

Perform a hard reset on your Apple AirPods

By
Sam Costello
Sam Costello
Sam Costello
Writer
  • Ithaca College
Sam Costello has been writing about tech since 2000. His writing has appeared in publications such as CNN.com, PC World, InfoWord, and many others.
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Updated on March 25, 2021

What to Know

  • Go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the i icon next to AirPods in My Devices then tap Forget This Device > Forget Device.
  • Next: Put Airpods in charging case, wait 30 seconds, then open and press/hold the button until status light flashes yellow, then white.
  • After a reset, you'll need to set your Airpods up again just as if they were brand-new.

This article explains how to reset your Airpods plus what to do after you reset them (and a few reasons why you might need to perform a reset in the first place.)

How to Hard Reset Your AirPods

If you encounter any of these situations, it's time to reset your AirPods. Here's how.

  1. On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, go to Settings > Bluetooth.

  2. Tap the i icon next to your AirPods in the My Devices list.

    Bluetooth settings on iPhone

    If your AirPods don't show up on this screen or you don't have an iOS device, skip to Step 4.

  3. Tap Forget This Device > Forget Device.

    AirPods settings

  4. Put your AirPods in their charging case.

  5. Wait 30 seconds or so and then open the lid of the case.

  6. Press and hold the button on the back of the AirPods case until the status light flashes yellow.

  7. When the status light begins to flash white, you've succeeded in resetting your AirPods.

What to Do After You Reset Your AirPods

If you want to use the AirPods with your devices again, you need to set them up as if they were new. Then you can connect them to your MacBook, pair them with an Apple TV, or connect them to a Windows 10 PC.

Why You Might Need to Reset Your AirPods

Resetting the AirPods, also known as performing a hard reset, is how you return them to their factory settings. After you do this, you can set them up again.

Some of the situations in which you'll need to reset your AirPods include:

  • You can't connect AirPods to your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or another device.
  • The AirPods won't charge.
  • You're giving away or selling your AirPods.
  • You want to reset your AirPod settings to their original factory state.
  • You're facing other problems with the AirPods, and nothing else has solved them.
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