How long do airpods last when fully charged

AirPods and AirPods Pro allow you to listen to music, ask Siri a question, or make a phone call without ever touching your phone. But these fantastic features are draining, so how long do AirPods last? Can you learn how to make earphones last longer? This article will answer these questions and more.

Related: How to Save Battery on the iPhone: Maintaining Your Lithium-Ion Battery

Jump To:

• How Long Should Apple Headphones Last?
• How to Improve AirPods Battery Life

How Long Should Apple Headphones Last?

Apple headphones and earbuds are known for their sound quality and impressive features, but what about their battery life? That depends on whether you mean on a single charge or their overall lifespan. To improve both the daily and long-term battery life of AirPods, follow these tips.

​​How Long Do AirPods Stay Charged?

AirPods can be charged in their case for just 15 minutes to get three hours of listening time or two hours of talk time. AirPods Pro can be charged for just five minutes to gain enough battery life for one hour of either listening or talking time.

According to Apple, first-generation AirPods can last for up to five hours of listening or up to two hours of talk time on one full charge. Second-generation AirPods have an extended talk time of three hours. AirPods Pro battery life is about four and a half hours of listening or three and a half hours of talking. When fully charged, the charging case for AirPods offers up to 24 total hours of additional listening time or around 18 hours of talk time.

How long does it take for AirPods to charge? It takes up to an hour to fully charge an AirPod charging case. The case can then charge your AirPods in up to 20 minutes. A fully charged case can fully recharge your AirPods three or four times. Sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter to learn how to see AirPods battery percentage and other useful tips.

AirPods Lifespan: How Long Do AirPods Pro Last?

The release of iOS 14 brought an update for AirPods called Optimized Battery Charging. This allows your iOS devices to learn your daily routine and only charge your earbuds (or other Apple devices) to 80 percent until just before you are ready to use them. This saves the battery from being left in the case at 100 percent for too long, which could end up damaging your battery. Utilizing this new update and trying the tips in this article can help your AirPods battery life get you through all of your music and phone calls for the day.

In general, AirPods' battery lifespan will vary depending on the amount of use they endure and how well they are cared for. On average, though, Apple AirPods batteries can last for about two years. The most common issue of older AirPods is for one to stop working or become significantly quieter. If you are wondering why do AirPods only work in one ear or why does one AirPod die faster, read this.

How to Improve AirPods Battery Life

AirPods are quite small devices that have an even smaller battery, so any damage can result in loss of functionality and battery life. There are a few good habits you can get yourself into to help extend the battery lifespan of your AirPods. To learn how to improve AirPods battery life, follow these steps.

1. Always store AirPods in their case.

The case itself supplies up to 24 hours of battery life, so keep them in their charging case whenever you are not using your AirPods. This will make them ready for use any time you need them. 

2. Don’t fidget with the AirPods case.

One great feature of AirPods is their instant connection via Bluetooth. This connection happens as soon as you open the case near any of your iOS devices, so every time you flip open that top, your AirPods Bluetooth is activated and using their battery. Prevent this by only opening the AirPods case when you're planning to use your AirPods. You can also get in the habit of checking the battery level without opening the case. Learn how to check your AirPod battery and know if they are charging.

3. Keep your AirPods safe from extreme temperature and direct sunlight.

Extreme temperatures (heat or cold) can damage the batteries in your AirPods. Try not to use them when conditions are unfavorable and do not leave them in direct sunlight when not in use. It's also best not to store the AirPods or case anywhere that's frequently cold or warm.

4. Turn off Smart features such as Automatic Ear Detection and noise cancellation.

Are your AirPods dying fast? There are various features that may not be essential to everyday use that you can easily turn off to save your AirPods' battery life. One example is Automatic Ear Detection, which switches the audio from your connected device to your AirPods the moment you put them in your ear. Once disabled, you can manually press play or pause, saving just a bit more battery life for your AirPods.

5. Use one AirPod at a time.

If you are concerned about not having your AirPods working all day long, using one at a time while charging, the other could give you round-the-clock battery life. It may not be ideal for listening, but this style of use will only utilize half the battery power at a time.

Now that you know how long AirPods battery life is and how to optimize the listening and talking time you get out of your AirPods, you should be able to make your AirPods last much longer! Just remember also to keep them clean and safe as well, and they'll be in good shape for quite some time. 

6. Keep your AirPods dry and clean.

Both AirPods Pro and the new AirPods are sweat-proof and water-resistant to a certain extent, but they are not waterproof. Keep your AirPods dry, and make sure to clean them well if they get wet or dirty.

7. Repair faulty AirPods with Apple Care.

Sometimes there is no saving older or damaged AirPods, but that doesn't mean you need to buy brand new ones because you can buy a single replacement AirPod. A single AirPod Pro will cost you $89, and a single AirPod is $69. Fixing a damaged AirPod costs the same out-of-warranty or just $29 per incident if you have AppleCare+. 

If your AirPod or Charging Case holds under 80 percent of the battery's original capacity, you can send them in for Battery Service. This is free if you have AppleCare+ and costs $49 each for both AirPod and AirPod Pros out-of-warranty. You have to go through the official Apple Support website to do this.

Now you know how to make earbuds last longer! Of course, you can also upgrade to a newer model; keep in mind that AirPods Pro battery life may not be longer than AirPods since there are more advanced features. It is also important to note that no matter how many times you perform an AirPods battery check without opening the case or how careful you are, your Apple AirPods battery life will deteriorate over time, no matter what. Still, we hope that these tips will give you more bang for your buck! Next, learn how to troubleshoot one AirPod not working.

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