How to Reset AirPods

Perform a hard reset on your Apple AirPods

Woman listening to AirPods on the couch

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by Sam Costello
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.
Updated September 04, 2019

One of the best things about AirPods is you pull them out of the case, put them in your ears, and they just work. Sometimes, though, AirPods don't work so well. If your AirPods are having problems, you may need to reset them. There's no obvious way to do this, so you may be wondering if you even can reset AirPods, but the answer is yes. Here's what you need to know.

Why You Might Need to Reset Your AirPods

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

Advanced AirPods Tips
Apple Inc.

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 other 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.

If you're in any of those situations, read on to learn how to reset your AirPods.

The instructions in this article apply to all versions of the AirPods, including both the 1st generation (with the Lightning charging case) and 2nd generation (with the wireless charging case) models.

How to Reset AirPods

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

  2. Tap the i icon next to your AirPods.

    Screenshots of resetting AirPods, steps 1-3

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

  3. Tap Forget This Device > Forget Device.

    Screenshots of resetting AirPods: Forgetting AirPods

  4. Put your AirPods in their charging case.

  5. Wait 30 seconds or so, 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'll 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.