Left or Right Airpod Not Working (9 Quick Fixes)

Things can get incredibly frustrating when one of your AirPods are not working. There’s barely anything to fiddle with since there are no wires and no jack connection to check. So, how would you deal with this issue quickly?

If your left or right AirPod is not working, check first if they are out of charge and if there’s debris in the microphone or speaker mesh. Otherwise, you can perform a reset by turning them off and on.

Still didn’t work? We’ve got you! In this post, we’ll walk you through nine proven-and-tested troubleshooting techniques to fix your faulty right or left AirPod within a few minutes. Read on!

FIX 1. Factory reset your AirPods

Difficulty	Easy ●●○○○
Number of Steps	12
Time to Perform Fix	50 seconds
Things Needed	An iPhoneAn AirPods charging case

Various factors can cause the right or left AirPod not working issue to occur. Your Apple AirPods might stop producing any sound even when they’re connected to your iPhone, or they might have trouble connecting, to begin with.

Both of these issues might co-occur on the right, left, or both AirPods, which isn’t uncommon to encounter. 

We recommend subjecting your Apple AirPods to a factory reset procedure to address such issues. Doing so will restore them to their default factory settings, removing their previous connection with your iPhone. 

Performing the factory reset is considered a very effective way of resolving pairing, charging, and LED blinking issues on Apple AirPods. Note, though, that your iPhone must be paired again to your AirPods after the factory reset.

Step 1: Return the right or left AirPod to its charging case.

Step 2: Close the AirPods charging case’s lid for at least 30 seconds.

Step 3: Open the AirPods charging case’s lid and take out the right or left AirPod.

Step 4: Put on the right or left AirPod.

Step 5: Go to your iPhone and open its Settings.

Step 6: Click Bluetooth to access the Bluetooth menu of your iPhone.

Step 7: Find your AirPods on the list of Bluetooth devices and click the “more info” icon (i) beside it.

Step 8: Click Forget This Device to remove the selected AirPods from your iPhone’s Bluetooth menu. Note: Depending on the software version of your iPhone, you may find the Forget This Device button at the top or bottom of the more info menu.

Step 9: Click Forget Device to confirm this action.

Step 10: Return the right or left AirPod to its charging case and open its lid.

Step 11: Press and hold the AirPods charging case’s setup button on its back for 15 seconds and wait for its status light to blink orange and then white afterward. Note: Depending on what your AirPods’ model is, the status light might be located at the front or inside its charging case.

Step 12: Keep your iPhone and the AirPods charging case close to each other and click the Connect button that will pop up on your phone’s screen.

FIX 2. Restart your phone

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	6
Time to Perform Fix	30 seconds
Things Needed	An iPhone

Sometimes, the issues you’re experiencing on your Apple AirPods might instead stem from the iPhone from which they’re connected.

One quick way of troubleshooting your problematic iPhone is restrarting it to refresh its system memory. Doing so will also correct the malfunctions and errors that are occurring during use.

You can restart your iPhone in two different ways, depending on the state it’s in. If your iPhone is functioning normally, you may manually turn it off and then on again to restart it.

However, if the device is unresponsive or frozen, you can use the secret button combination to force the restart process. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Click and release the “volume up” button on the iPhone.

Step 2: Click and release the “volume down” button on the iPhone.

Step 3: Click and hold the side button on the iPhone.

Step 4: Keep holding the side button on the iPhone while waiting for its screen to shut down.

Step 5: Release the side button once the Apple logo appears on the screen of the iPhone.

Step 6: Wait while your iPhone completes the reboot sequence.

FIX 3. Ensure that your right or left AirPod is fully charged

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	4
Time to Perform Fix	15 seconds
Things Needed	An iPhoneAirPods charging caseLighting cableA working power outlet

When one of your Apple AirPods starts behaving poorly, it’s possible that the device’s battery has reached a critical level and is running low on juice.

You can check the battery level of your Apple AirPods from the screen of an iPhone connected to both devices. If their battery level is low, you need to put them back into their charging case to replenish their battery’s power. 

Please note that if the AirPods charging case is also low on battery, you’ll need to plug in a lightning cable connected to a power outlet. 

Step 1: Return the right or left AirPod to its charging case and leave its lid open.

Step 2: Move the charging case that holds your right or left AirPods closer to your iPhone.

Step 3: Check the battery level of your Apple AirPods in the pop-up that will appear on the iPhone’s screen.

Step 4: Leave your right or left AirPod on its charging case and recharge it if its battery level is low. Note: Connect a lightning cable to the AirPods charging case if it’s also low on battery.

FIX 4. Wipe your AirPods and the charging case

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	1
Time to Perform Fix	10 to 30 seconds
Things Needed	A cotton swabA cleaning cloth70% isopropyl or ethyl alcohol

Since Apple’s AirPods go to a person’s ears, it’s inevitable for earwax to build up on it over time of constant usage. Plus, the tiny gaps on the AirPods are also dirt and dust magnets because they are small enough for gunk to stick even you wipe them.

As such, it’s advisable to always have a weekly thorough cleaning session for your AirPods. After all, earwax and gunk can block the speaker grills on the AirPods, which may prevent sound from coming out.

In such cases, it might lead you to believe that there’s a right or left AirPod not working issue because of the dirt blockage. It’s why we recommend cleaning your right or left AirPods using a cleaning cloth or cotton swab.

Furthermore, dirt may even stick to the port that connects your AirPods to their charging case and mess up the power connection. 

For this issue, we recommend using a cloth or cotton swab dampened with 70% isopropyl or ethyl alcohol for a thorough cleaning.

You can also purchase cleaning kits online that are specifically made for cleaning your Apple AirPods. 

Reminder: The AirPods must be left to air dry after they’ve been wiped with a damp cotton swab or cleaning cloth to prevent any further issues.

FIX 5. Toggle the iPhone’s Bluetooth off and on

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	4
Time to Perform Fix	10 seconds
Things Needed	An iPhone

There are times when the Bluetooth on your iPhone might act up and cause various connection issues. This can happen anytime during use, which can cause the right or left AirPod not working issue. 

While this problem can occur to anyone at any time, handling them is easy. It can be fixed by simply turning your iPhone’s Bluetooth feature off and on.

With this, you can expect any minor errors and bugs on the Bluetooth feature to be corrected and eliminated. Here’s how to quickly disable and enable your iPhone’s Bluetooth:

Step 1: Go to your iPhone and open its Settings.

Step 2: Click Bluetooth to access the Bluetooth menu of your iPhone.

Step 3: Click the switch next to Bluetooth and toggle this feature off.

Step 4: Click the switch next to Bluetooth again to toggle this feature on.

FIX 6. Forget your AirPods and pair them again

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	6
Time to Perform Fix	20 seconds
Things Needed	An iPhoneAn AirPods charging case

Another way to fix your right or left AirPod when it’s not working is to forget them from your iPhone. Afterwards, you should redo the pairing process again. 

This helps eliminate the faulty Bluetooth connection between both devices so they can establish a new one. While this might be the oldest trick in the book for fixing Bluetooth connection issues, it remains relevant and effective to this day. 

Step 1: Go to your iPhone and open its Settings.

Step 2: Click Bluetooth to access the Bluetooth menu of your iPhone.

Step 3: Find your AirPods on the list of Bluetooth devices and click the “more info” icon (i) beside it.

Step 4: Click Forget This Device to remove the selected AirPods from your iPhone’s Bluetooth menu. Note: Depending on the software version of your iPhone, you may find the Forget This Device button at the top or bottom of the more info menu.

Step 5: Click Forget Device to confirm this action. Note: Depending on the software version of your iPhone, you may get another confirmation pop-up. Simply click Forget Device again to confirm the selected action.

Step 6: Keep your iPhone and the AirPods charging case close to each other and click the Connect button that will pop up on your phone’s screen to pair them again. Note: Your AirPods must be inside their charging case with an open lid for them to pair to your iPhone. Plus, you have to ensure that Bluetooth is enabled on the iPhone.

FIX 7. Turn off Automatic Ear Detection. 

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	5
Time to Perform Fix	10 seconds
Things Needed	An iPhoneAn AirPod charging case

AirPods are arguably some of the best true wireless earbuds in the market today and it’s all thanks to their great features. 

Unfortunately, one of the AirPods’ best features can also be the root cause of problems that might emerge during use, as in the case of its Automatic Ear Detection.

While this particular feature offers much convenience by letting you pause and play any playback as you put your AirPods off and on, it may also be the cause of one of the AirPods to not work.

To see if this feature is causing the issue, you should disable it. Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1:  Return the AirPods to their charging case and leave their lid open so they can still connect to your iPhone.

Step 2: Go to your iPhone and open its Settings.

Step 3: Click Bluetooth to access the Bluetooth menu of your iPhone.

Step 4: Find your AirPods on the list of Bluetooth devices and click the “more info” icon (i) beside it.

Step 5: Click the switch next to Automatic Ear Detection to disable it.

FIX 8. Make sure the AirPods’ audio volume is balanced.

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	4
Time to Perform Fix	10 seconds
Things Needed	An iPhone

Using an unbalanced audio volume can lead you to believe that one of your AirPods isn’t working even when it’s perfectly fine. The reason for this is the other AirPod piece will sound louder and overshadow the one that generates a lower audio volume.

As such, you might think that you’re experiencing a right or left AirPod not working issue. To address this, you’ll need to manually balance it out from its settings menu by following these steps:

Step 1: Go to your iPhone and open its Settings.

Step 2: Scroll down and open your iPhone’s Accessibility menu.

Step 3: Scroll down and open the Audio/Visual menu.

Step 4: Place the slider for the audio volume in the center to balance it for the right and left pieces of your AirPods.

FIX 9. Turn off any nearby Bluetooth devices 

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	1
Time to Perform Fix	30 to 60 seconds
Things Needed	Nearby Bluetooth and wireless devices

Like most wireless connections, Bluetooth devices like the AirPods are also prone to signal interference from nearby devices that uses the same connection. 

To determine if this is causing one of your AirPods to not work, turn off nearby devices that might interfere with the Bluetooth connection.

If you have a good reason for not turning off your nearby devices, you can instead move them further away or keep your AirPods away from them instead.

Once you’ve turned off the nearby Bluetooth and wireless devices, your right or left AirPod should start working again without any interference. 

Do note that other electronic devices can also cause electrical interference, which can cause the same issue. You can also try using your AirPods away from any electronic devices to see if they work perfectly.

FAQs about One AirPod Not Working

Why is the left AirPod piece not working when I’m talking on my phone? 

A misconfigured microphone setting can make you think that your left AirPod isn’t working when you’re talking on your phone. This can happen when the microphone setting for your AirPods is set only to use the right piece.

You can resolve this issue by adjusting the microphone settings to Automatic or Always Left. Do this by navigating to your iOS device’s Settings > Bluetooth > More Info > Microphone to set it to Automatic or Always Left.

Also, ensure that your AirPods are connected to your iOS device via Bluetooth beforehand.

Why isn’t my left AirPod working after resetting? 

A low battery level can cause your left AirPod to not work even after a factory reset. You have to make sure that it has been recharged on its charging case before attempting to connect it to your devices.

Please note that your AirPods must also be inside their charging case with an open lid so they can pair and connect with nearby compatible devices. You can close the charging case’s lid and open it again so you can retry the pairing process until it works.

How do I reset my AirPods on the right side? 

Return your right AirPod to its charging case and press and hold the set up button behind it to perform the factory reset. Once the reset is over, move your iOS device and the charging case close to each other with the right AirPod inside to pair both devices.

How do I activate one side of my AirPods? 

Remove the side that you want to activate or use with your compatible device and leave the other one on the charging case. Only the side that you removed from the charging case will be active during this time.

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