Apple’s AirPods are among the best tech gadgets around that offer a truly wireless earbud experience. However, they are just tiny machines, and like other products, they could also malfunction at times. Since the devices’ release, users have reported a few issues with them, but one particular issue that many say irritates them the most is the audio not working on one of the AirPods. However, you can easily fix the issue of one AirPod not working with the help of a few tricks.
Quick solutions to fix the issue
There is no particular reason why you may encounter one AirPod may not be working, but since the AirPods’ technology works on Bluetooth, it is the usual suspect. It has also been seen that the issue mostly arises after switching to a Mac or an Apple TV.
Before we detail more complicated tricks, here are a few easier solutions you should try to fix the issue:
Take them out and put back again – One quick solution that may help you fix the issue is to take out both AirPods from your ears. Once you take the AirPods out, the audio will pause. Now put the AirPods back in. Hopefully, both AirPods will work now.
If this trick doesn’t work, then another quick solution is to put the AirPods back into the case and leave them there for about half a minute. Now try again. If this doesn’t work, then try the other tricks.
Clean the AirPods – It has often been seen that dirt, lint, or even ear wax can block the sound from the earbud. You may face this problem if you have a habit of putting the AirPods in a pocket or bag. To fix this issue, clean the AirPods, especially the speaker grills, properly with a dry cloth.
Check the charge – It is possible that an AirPod may not function properly if there is not much charge left. So before you try any other trick, check if the AirPods are charged or not. To do this, put the AirPods into the charging case. A green or orange light will flash, indicating if the AirPods have a full or low charge.
Close the lid and bring the case close to your iPhone. If you open the lid now, your iPhone will tell the battery percentage of the case and the AirPods. To see the battery percentage of each AirPod, take one out of the case. Your iPhone will now show separate figures for the two AirPods. If one of the AirPods is showing zero charge, then this is the likely cause of the issue.
If these quick solutions did not fix the issue, you should try these other tricks.
One AirPod not working issue: how to fix?
Here are the tricks that can help you to fix the one AirPod not working issue:
Check Stereo Balance – There is a setting in iPhones, Macs, and Windows PCs to move the sound completely to the left or the right. This option is useful for hearing-impaired users. If one AirPod is not working, check if you have accidentally enabled this option. To check this setting on an iPhone, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings > General > Accessibility.
- Go to hearing and ensure that the slider is in the middle between L and R.
- Switch the Mono Audio toggle, which is above the slider, to off.
Disconnect and Restart – This solution works most of the time and for all types of devices. If you are using headphones, then restarting is simple. You just need to unplug them and then plug them back in. For the AirPods, you need to unpair them and then reset them using the case. To restart the AirPods, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings and then to the Bluetooth menu on the iPhone.
- Select “Forget AirPods.”
- Put the AirPods back into the charging case, but keep the lid open.
- Hold the reset button on the case until the light below the lid flashes. The AirPods are now reset.
- Restart your device and pair the AirPods again.
Check with another pair – If the above trick does not solve the issue, then you need to check if the issue is with your device or AirPods. To do this, use a different set of AirPods. If the second set is also playing in only one ear, then the problem is with your device. If that is the case, you can try to fix the issue with the device by resetting the network settings.
To reset the network settings, go to Settings > General > Reset and then tap on “Reset All Settings.” Once you do this, you will notice that brightness, volume and few other settings go back to their defaults. Resetting the network settings won’t affect your data.
If these tricks don’t solve the issue, then your only option is to contact Apple’s support team.
