AirPods are equipped with many features that make your listening experience unforgettable. Lots of functionality means heavy battery use. To minimize this problem, AirPods are equipped with 398 mAh batteries.
This battery gives you 5 to 6 hours to use your AirPods nonstop.
However, one question remains, Does it use its battery in the standby mode?
As an AirPods user for the last 5 years, I’ve tasted all the battery-draining facets and included them in this article.
So read this article, and you will learn about the battery draining situations and know if AirPods lose battery when not in use.
Do AirPods Use Battery When Standby?
Yes. AirPods use batteries in standby mode. Like most BT headsets or earpieces, AirPods don’t have an ON/OFF button. For this reason, you can’t turn off the AirPods battery. When you are not using them, they are either in the connected mode or listening for a connection.
What we consider OFF for AirPods are usually standby or sleep mode. These modes do consume power but not much.
Apple only published the listening and talk-time battery life for the AirPods. But there isn’t any information available for standby battery consumption.
However, we can predict the AirPods’ standby battery consumption by comparing other Bluetooth devices. Research shows any Bluetooth device with a 5hr listening time usually lasts 60 to 120 hours on standby mode.
Another research shows that a good Li-ion battery can hold its charge for 1 year if not connected to a device. That’s why AirPods battery will drain in Standby mode but significantly less.
Follow our guide to know Can you Track AirPods with Serial Numbers.
Why Do My AirPods Lose Battery When Not In Use?
As I previously discussed, AirPods stay ON even when you aren’t using it. AirPods sensors are very adaptive to users’ habits. Even the time your AirPods are in sleep mode, it uses a battery to pay attention to when you pick them up or tap them.
Here are the main reasons for AirPods lose battery when not in use:
AirPods are out of the case
Your AirPods don’t enter to sleep while they are out of the charging case. Because the proximity sensor is active and maintains your Bluetooth connection, this helps to resume playback once you place AirPods in your ear.
Many users forget to place their earpieces in the charging case. By doing this, they lose 20% of their charge.
Also, check out our separate post on Fix AirPods Not Working with PS5.
Phone’s Bluetooth ON
Airpods have a feature to connect your iPhone automatically if the phone’s Bluetooth is ON. While your phone’s Bluetooth is on, AirPods keeps the connection steady. Because its AI is designed to execute commands at a moment’s notice when you press play again.
A low battery in AirPods case
If your charging case doesn’t have enough juice to power up the AirPods, they will use their own power to stay awake.
A completely changed AirPods case always relays necessary power to the AirPods battery. So your earpiece doesn’t need to use its own battery while in the charging case.
High temperature
Not only you, but your AirPods also hate the hot weather.
Airpods contain lithium-ion batteries to power them up. The lithium-ion batteries are very sensitive to heat. Any temperature above normal can affect your AirPods batteries. Also, the same situation can be caused by exposing AirPods to direct sunlight.
How To Fix AirPods Battery Drain When Not in Use
Your AirPods don’t go OFF permanently. So it’s impossible to stop the battery drain for your Airpods entirely. However, by following some steps, you can reduce the Battery change drain to almost zero.
Caution: These methods will turn off some advanced features of your AirPods.
Here are some fixes for Airpods Battery Drain When not in use:
1. Keep AirPods in their case
Keeping AirPods in the charging case doesn’t drain your AirPods battery. Also, the charging case makes sure AirPods are fully charged and functional while listening to audio.
Putting AirPods in the charging case increases your listening time to 24-30 hours and talking time to 20+ hours.
2. Avoid extreme temperatures
Exposure to high-temperature damage to the lithium-ion batteries of your AirPods. Apple recommends using AirPods at 0º to 35º C (32º to 95º F), and store your AirPods at room temperature between -4º and 113º F (-20º to 45º C)
3. Reduce the volume
Reducing Airpods volume can increase its battery life by a few minutes. It is not that significant in battery life, but it can help you depending on the situation.
Quickly check out our epic guide on Are Apple AirPods Allowed on Planes.
4. Turn off device’s Bluetooth
Airpods automatically connect with pre-paired devices. So when your device’s Bluetooth is ON, Airpods will automatically connect with that and wait in the standby mode for further instruction. That drains the AirPods battery.
Here are the steps to turn Off your device’s Bluetooth:
For Android
- Swipe down from your home screen.
- Press and hold the Bluetooth Option.
- Turn off the Bluetooth.
For iPhone
- Swipe up from your home screen.
- Press and hold the Bluetooth icon.
- Tap Bluetooth setting.
- Turn off the Bluetooth option.
5. Turn Off Automatic Ear Detection
Automatic ear detection is a signature feature for AirPods. This feature uses motion, optical, and force sensors to determine whether it’s in your ear or not. So it consumes battery more than other features available.
Here are the steps to disable the Automatic Ear Detection Feature:
- Swipe up from your home screen.
- Press and hold the Bluetooth icon.
- Tap the “i” icon in the right corner of your AirPods.
- Switch off the Automatic Ear Detection.
6. Switch Off AirPods’ Double Tap Command
Turning off the Double Tap sensor stops the smart sensors in your AirPods. But you have to configure it for both of your earpieces separately.
Here are the steps to switch off the Double Tap command in AirPod:
- Swipe up from your home screen.
- Press and hold the Bluetooth icon.
- Tap the “i” icon in the right corner of your AirPods.
- Press the left option.
- Select OFF.
- Select the right option.
- Press OFF.
Follow our guide to know Why Isn’t One of My AirPods Charging.
FAQ
Do AirPods lose battery when in case?
Generally no. But if the case doesn’t have enough battery, then AirPods lose battery percentage.
How long do AirPods stay charged when not in use?
When you keep AirPods in the charging case, it usually lasts 60 to 120 hours when not in use.
Do the AirPods drain power even when they are not paired?
Yes. AirPods drain power even when they are not paired. However, if they are in their charging case, draining power won’t happen.
Is it bad to leave AirPods in the charging case if fully charged?
No. It’s very useful to put AirPods in the charging case even if they are fully charged. Because doing this prevents battery drain.
Conclusion
Long story short, AirPods don’t entirely turn off in any scenario. They always stay in either standby or sleep mode. So it drains its battery almost all the time. But they drain the charging case’s juice instead of their charge when they are in the charging case.
Thanks for reading this article thoroughly. I’m sure you have your answer regarding AirPods battery drain when not in use. Besides, I’ve included what you need to do to minimize AirPods’ battery drain. Follow that to solve your problem.
Feel free to comment on any quarry. Have a good day!
