The problem can’t be fixed by charging again – the AirPod remains mute? Then a reboot might help. The reset disconnects the existing connection between your AirPods Pro and, for example, your iPhone. After that, you need to re-establish the connection.
Reset your AirPods Pro
This is how you reset the AirPods Pro on your iPhone:
- On your iPhone, open Settings and go to Bluetooth.
- Find your AirPods Pro and tap the blue i next to it.
- Select Ignore this device and then confirm your selection again.
- Stow the AirPods Pro in their case and close the lid for 30 seconds.
- Open the lid again and press the set-up button on the case until the white LED starts flashing.
- Reconnect the AirPods Pro to your iPhone and check that they both work again afterwards.
- Check the microphone and speaker grilles
If the AirPods Pro are fully charged and one of them still doesn’t work despite a reset, take a close look at its microphone and speaker grilles. It’s best to take a magnifying glass to help. Maybe a foreign object got into it. Use a dry cotton swab to clean the grilles.
If stubborn dirt particles do not come off, you can moisten the cotton swab very slightly. However, make sure that no water gets inside the AirPods Pro. The headphones are not waterproof and could otherwise break.
A soft-bristled brush can also help loosen small particles of dirt from the microphone and speaker grills. Afterwards, you can gently tap them out.
Never try to scrape dirt out of the in-ear headphones with sharp objects such as toothpicks or needles. Otherwise, you run the risk of accidentally damaging sensitive parts of the electronics – and rendering your AirPods Pro permanently unusable.
Problems with AirPods Pro ear detection
By default, your AirPods detect when they’re in your ear and you want to listen to music from your iPhone, for example. If you take one plug out, playback pauses and restarts as soon as you put it back in. If you take out both headphones, playback stops completely.
However, it sometimes happens that the AirPods Pro are suddenly no longer recognized when inserted into the ear. If this is the case, pressing the button on the “stem” of the earbuds no longer works either. If the problem occurs while you’re wearing the AirPods Pro, it can stop music or video playback. Sometimes, the in-ear headphones also switch back and forth between transparency and noise-canceling modes seemingly at random.
What can you do in this case? First, check if the automatic ear detection was accidentally disabled.
Here’s how to check the ear detection settings on your iPhone:
- On your iPhone, open Settings.
- Select Bluetooth and find your AirPods Pro among the connected devices.
- Tap the small i to the right of your AirPods Pro.
- Scroll down to Auto Ear Detection and check if the slider next to it is activated, i.e. highlighted in green.
- If not, activate the slider by tapping on it.
If the automatic ear detection still does not work properly, resetting the AirPods Pro can help to get the ear detection working again.
AirPods Pro are not recognized
You can connect your AirPods to your iPhone, iPad, and Android smartphone almost automatically. However, your device may not recognize the AirPods Pro. In this case, first check if your AirPods are selected as an audio device:
- Open the Control Center.
- Place your finger on the audio card (top right) until it is enlarged.
- Tap the AirPlay icon in the upper right (a triangle with broadcast waves).
- In the new window, there should be a check mark to the right of your AirPods Pro – then they are selected as an audio device.
If your AirPods don’t show up in the Audio Card in the Control Center, next check to make sure Bluetooth is enabled. On an iPhone or iPad, for example, you can see this under Settings > Bluetooth.
Bluetooth is enabled, but your AirPods Pro still aren’t recognized? Then put both AirPods in the case and make sure they’re charging. Then reset the connection of the AirPods Pro:
- Close the lid of the case.
- Wait 15 seconds.
- Open the lid again.
Now the status indicator should flash white. This is the indication that a new connection can be made with the AirPods Pro.
If there is still no connection between the in-ears and your device, try a reset for this problem as well. Proceed as described above.
