AirPods that only work in one ear arent necessarily broken; you can check them before taking them in for repair.
If your AirPods are only working in one ear, you may not have a faulty pair. The problem could be a software issue or a hardware malfunction. Therefore, you can refer to some of the reasons why your AirPods might only be working in one ear below.
1. Reasons why AirPods only work in one ear
- Bluetooth connection error: This is the most common reason why AirPods only work in one ear. When the Bluetooth connection is unstable, the sound may be interrupted or only play in one ear.
- Software errors: Software errors in AirPods or the connected device can lead to various problems, including hearing only in one ear.
- Dirt and grime: Dirt and grime that accumulate on the earbuds or charging case can clog the speaker grille, resulting in distorted or no sound.
- Hardware failure: Hardware failures in AirPods, such as sensor or circuit board issues, can also cause you to only hear sound in one ear.
- Incorrect volume settings: The sound settings on your device may be misaligned, causing sound to only come from one ear.
- Problems with the charging case: The AirPods charging case may experience battery or connection issues, resulting in one side charging while the other isn't, or unstable Bluetooth connection, causing the AirPods to be lost.
- Dropped, subjected to strong impacts, stepped on, or exposed to water: If your AirPods are subjected to strong impacts, dropped, or exposed to water, the hardware may be damaged, resulting in you only hearing in one ear.
- Manufacturer defect: In rare cases, a defect may occur due to the manufacturer, resulting in some AirPods only working with one earbud.
Please note that the following solutions for AirPods only working in one ear apply to all current AirPods models.
2. An effective way to fix the problem of AirPods only working in one ear.
2.1 Fixing one AirPods earbud malfunction by cleaning
As mentioned above, you should clean your headphones regularly, because if you use them daily, they will inevitably get dirty and dusty. This is especially true for people who sweat a lot and work or exercise outdoors.
Dirt and dust accumulating on the speaker and earphone surfaces will prevent you from hearing any sound, or you'll only hear very little. Therefore, you should clean your earphones regularly, at least once a month, and don't forget to clean the charging case as well.
2.2 Check the battery capacity of each earbud.
Many people often only use one AirPods while working, selling something, or jogging, leaving the other earbud to listen to what's happening around them. As a result, they sometimes unknowingly drain the battery from one earbud.
Not to mention that the battery life of the two earbuds may not be the same, so sometimes you're listening with both earbuds but one runs out of battery before the other. In this case, checking the battery level of each earbud is necessary.
2.3 Restart the connected device
After you've checked your AirPods' battery level and made sure they're charged, it's time to restart the device you're using your AirPods on.
There may have been an issue with your connected device, such as your computer or smartphone, causing one of your AirPods to disconnect. In that case, a restart might be all you need to fix the one-sided AirPods not working issue.
Restart your iPhone, Windows computer, Android device, or Mac—whatever you use with your AirPods. After your device restarts and Bluetooth is turned on, check to see if both your AirPods are connecting and working properly again.
2.4 Place both earbuds back into the charging case.
Placing both earbuds in the charging case can help resolve unstable connection issues or fix battery problems. Simply place both earbuds in the charging case for a while, then take them out and try listening again.
2.5 Try your AirPods with other devices.
Your AirPods aren't always the problem. Sometimes, one of the AirPods stops working due to an issue with your smartphone or computer.
In this case, try using your AirPods with other devices and see if you can hear sound on both AirPods.
If both AirPods work perfectly on any other device, then you know the problem is with your primary device and you need to troubleshoot it instead.
2.6 Forget AirPods from your device.
One of the best ways to troubleshoot Bluetooth devices is to forget them on your phone or other device and then re-pair them. This allows your device to establish a new Bluetooth connection.
To forget your AirPods on your iPhone, open the Settings app and tap Bluetooth. Find your AirPods in the list and tap the Info (i) icon next to them. Then, tap Forget This Device .
To forget your AirPods on Android, open Settings > Bluetooth . In paired devices, tap the gear icon next to your AirPods name, then select Unpair or Forget , depending on your device.
To forget your AirPods on your Mac, click the Control Center icon in the menu bar and click Bluetooth > Bluetooth Settings . The System Settings app will open. Click the Info icon (i) next to your AirPods and select Forget This Device .
To remove your AirPods on Windows, click Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices . Then, click Devices and find your AirPods in the list. Click the three dots next to their name and select Remove device .
After unpairing, you need to re-pair your AirPods with your device. Then, check if both of your AirPods are working.
2.7 Reset your AirPods connection.
This troubleshooting step will help your AirPods reconnect to your smartphone. If your smartphone is only connected to the AirPods and not to other devices like your Apple Watch , simply turn Bluetooth off and then back on. Then, place the AirPods back in the charging case and wait about 30 seconds. Next, press and hold the setup button on the back of the AirPods until the LED light flashes, then open the AirPods charging case lid and place it near the device you want to reconnect to.
2.8 Recheck the sound balance.
You might never use this setting, but you may have used it before on some audio devices and then forgotten to reset it. Or you might use it to test for faulty headphones.
Step 1: Select Settings > Accessibility > select Audio & Video.
In the Audio & Video menu, scroll down and you'll find Balance with two icons: T (left) and P (right). Here, drag the middle button to the headphone side and check if your headphones have returned to normal.
2.9 Reset computer settings
This is the last resort if the above methods don't work, because this setting not only resets the headphone connection settings on your device, but also resets all previously configured settings on your device to their original state. So try it only if the other methods above haven't worked.
2.10 Take your AirPods to an authorized service center or repair shop.
If, after trying all the methods above, you still can't fix the issue of one earbud working on your AirPods, then you should take your headphones to an Apple authorized service center or a reputable repair shop. It's very likely that your headphones have a hardware problem.
Besides the issue of only hearing sound in one AirPods earbud mentioned above, you may encounter other problems with your earbuds. Each problem will have different solutions, but the simplest way is to disconnect your earbuds from your current device and then reconnect them.