When it comes to music listening on the go, AirPods deliver a magical wireless experience. As you watch TV or movies, it enables a theater-like experience placing you right in the middle of the action.
However, all these features become useless if you can’t listen to the audio after connecting AirPods with your iPhone or other devices. You may be thinking your AirPods are dead while facing this no-sound problem.
Don’t let your assumption be the conclusion yet.
AirPods won’t relay the sound for various types of reasons. Like, earwax prevents the sound from getting out, there’s some bug in Bluetooth drivers, low battery problem, or many others.
After in-depth research, I’ve included all the available fixes below. So waste no time and follow the step-by-step guide to solve AirPods No Sound problem.
How to fix AirPods connected but no sound
AirPods have dynamic and very adaptive audio output to meet the user’s interest. That makes them very sensitive. So dust, ear wax, or other natural elements can prevent the sound from reaching your ears.
Bluetooth 5.1 drives have problems maintaining stable connections for 2 or more devices at once. For those reasons, you won’t get sound even if your AirPods are connected to your devices.
Here are the fixes for AirPods connected but no audio issue:
Universal Solutions
Whatever the devices you use, you must apply these solutions first when AirPods’ no-sound problem occurs. Your problem will be solved in 9 out of 10 cases after applying the universal solutions.
Here are the Universal Solutions for AirPods linked but no sound problem:
1. Clean Your Airpods
Your ear wax can be inserted into your AirPods speaker without knowing. This Ear wax can stop the sound. That’s why you need to clean Your AirPods.
Here are the steps for cleaning your AirPods:
Clean exterior
- Wipe a cotton bar in the dirty areas of your charging case.
- Wash the case’s line’s dirt using a clean toothpick.
- Rub the box with a clean cloth or tissue paper.
Caution: Light poke of a cotton bar can easily bend the copper pin in the bottom.
Clean interior
- Scrub the port with a soft brush.
- Clean AirPods tail with a dry cloth.
- Try a periodontal brush to clean the internal connection point.
Pro tip: You should clean your AirPods after every 3 days.
This way, your ear wax will be cleansed, and the dirt will be removed from the speaker. In addition, you will start getting sound again.
2. Put back AirPods into the case
Sometimes putting back your AirPods refreshes the Bluetooth connectivity. As you put the AirPods into the case, they turn off. Both of the AirPods are connected separately, so one of them can easily face problems during the pairing process.
And putting them back in the case will disconnect the Bluetooth connection, and the no sound problem will solve as you reconnect them.
3. Check Battery
For low battery percentage, the AirPods Bluetooth sensor won’t catch the signals from your phone. That time the audio won’t reach your ear.
Make keeping your AirPods battery above 60% to maintain proper connectivity
4. Reset your AirPods
Sometimes after extended use, your AirPods can stop reeling sound for no reason. When No sound issue happens, resetting your AirPods will solve your problem.
Here are the steps to reset your AirPods:
- Implant both of your headsets into the charging case.
- Hold the Setup button for 30 seconds. The status light will start flashing.
- Close the case lid down.
After resetting, the AirPods will return to its factory stage. Resetting will remove any issues regarding no sound, and you will start getting sound normally.
Check out our separate post: Can You Sleep with AirPods in.
On iPhone
The universal solutions discussed above are the solutions for AirPods itself. Although, sometimes AirPods aren’t the one at fault. The device you are using can be faulty too. You must apply specific device-related solutions if universal fixes don’t solve the problem.
Here are the fixes for AirPods are attached, but no sound problem on iPhone:
1. Select AirPods as the output device
Sometimes your AirPods isn’t selected as the output sound device. For this reason, the sound you are playing relays to another machine instead of AirPods. That time you need to choose AirPods as an output device manually.
Here are the steps to select AirPods as the output device:
- Swipe up from your iPhone Home Screen to access the Control Center.
- Choose the AirPlay icon in the Audio Card menu.
- Select the AirPod (the earpiece on your ear) from the device list.
After completing the steps properly, your AirPods sound will start without issues. If that won’t solve your problem, follow the next fixes.
2. Restart iPhone
After extended iPhone usage, your iPhone’s processing capacity drops rapidly, and the Bluetooth won’t function normally. That hampers the sound transmission toward AirPods and can cause no sound error in AirPods.
A simple restarting of the system will solve that issue.
Here are the steps to restart your iPhone:
- Press the power button 5 times quickly.
- Slide the power icon off.
- Wait for 10 minutes.
- Long-press the power button.
After restarting, give some time for your phone to be fully operational. After that, connect your Airpods and play something to check the status.
3. Reboot your iPhone Bluetooth Driver
Rebooting Bluetooth is not as simple as turning on/off the Bluetooth menu. You need to go some extra length to reboot your Bluetooth driver truly.
Here are the steps to reboot your iPhone’s Bluetooth:
- Tap Settings, then click Bluetooth.
- Remove all devices except for AirPods.
- Toggle-OFF Bluetooth and wait 20 seconds.
- Switch-ON the Bluetooth again.
- Re-select your AirPods and connect.
After successfully rebooting the driver, your AirPods will start broadcasting the sound. If not, go to the next solution.
4. Ensure AirPods Connection to iPhone
You can pair AirPods with different types of devices. Sometimes AirPods connect with other paired devices, not your iPhone. That time you won’t get audio output from your iPhone.
So you have to ensure your AirPods are connected to the iPhone and disconnected from other paired devices.
Follow our guide to know Can you Track AirPods with Serial Numbers.
5. Disable Automatic Ear Detection
The automatic ear detection feature can sometimes cause connectivity issues with Bluetooth. Turning off this feature can solve the No Sound problem of AirPods.
Here are the steps to turn off automatic ear detection:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap Bluetooth, and press the Info icon.
- Toggle off Automatic Ear Detection.
And then disconnect your AirPods and wait for some time to reconnect it. This will solve your AirPods connected but no audio error.
6. Reset Network Settings
Resetting the Network will reset the drives that use radio waves for connectivity. This will fix all the scrambles in the network section of your iPhone.
Here are the steps to reset Network Settings:
- Tap Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Click reset.
- Select Reset Network Settings.
Caution: Resetting Network Settings will erase all Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth connections and reset the VPN settings.
7. Update AirPods Firmware
Updating AirPods firmware is also a good solution for software-related issues of the Airpods. But there isn’t any way to manually update the Firmware.
Here are the steps for updating AirPods firmware:
- Connect the AirPods with your iPhone.
- Turn on the mobile data or Wi-Fi.
- Wait for 6 hours.
After completing these steps, your AirPods firmware version will update automatically.
These are the solutions for the AirPods sound problem for the iPhone. After applying the Fixes above, your issue will be solved permanently.
On Macbook
You can face AirPods’ no sound not only on your iPhone, but other devices can face similar situations. Upon encountering the connected but no sound problem for AirPods, you must apply the universal solution first. If they fail to solve the problem, try the below answers.
Here are the fixes for your AirPods that are connected but not relaying sound issues:
1. Reconnect AirPods
Reconnecting your AirPods to your MacBook includes a fresh start of the Bluetooth drivers. Restarting the Bluetooth drivers in the MacBook will give you a fresh start.
- Click System Preferences.
- Press the Bluetooth icon and go into the Bluetooth menu.
- Toggle-Off the Bluetooth > Wait a minute > Turn it back on.
- Click X in the AirPods Tab.
- Now apply the Universal Fix: 4.
- Reconnect your AirPods.
After you reset, AirPods will be on Pairing Mode. Now it’s time to connect them with MacBook.
2. Turn off Automatic Ear Detection
Automatic Ear Detection sometimes hampers the AirPods audio. The sensors can be at fault and won’t detect whether AirPods are in your ear or not. So turning them off will ensure the continuous audio output.
Here are the steps to turn off Automatic Ear Detection for MacBook:
- Navigate to System Preferences > Click on Bluetooth.
- Select Options next to your AirPods under the Devices menu.
- Unmark the Automatic In-Ear Detection box.
- Click Done.
And the Automatic Ear Detection feature is turned off.
3. Select AirPods as Audio Output
Your MacBook can have many output devices like speakers, Headphones, or AirPods. Check for the output device when you don’t get audio from AirPods connected with a MacBook. If AirPods aren’t selected as the device, select it.
Here are the steps for selecting AirPods as the audio output on MacBook:
- Navigate to System Preferences.
- Click Sound.
- Select your AirPods in the Output section.
As you select the AirPods as the output device, its smooth melody will tinkle your ears.
4. Reset Bluetooth on macOS
Bluetooth transfers data through radio waves. Sometimes for continuous usage, Bluetooth drivers get disrupted. Then you need to reset the Bluetooth driver. After reset, the driver goes back to its factory condition.
Here are the steps for resetting Bluetooth on macOS (Big Sur or earlier):
- Hold the Shift + Option keys. Also, click the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar.
- Select Reset the Bluetooth.
- Select Confirm.
However, after the MacOs Monterey update, the option has been removed. You now need to apply a script to reset the Bluetooth on Monterey.
Here are the steps to reset Bluetooth on MacOs Monterey:
- Open Terminal.
- Type in the command sudo pkill bluetoothd.
- Press enter > enter your password.
- Reset your Mac.
After the Bluetooth driver is reset, you need to reconnect your AirPods. And the sound will start again.
5. Restart your MacBook
Sometimes your device won’t boot up properly. That can hamper some functions, including Bluetooth. Restarting the devices will mostly solve the connectivity issues of the Bluetooth driver.
For this reason, Apple tech support recommends restarting your MacBook for no sound issues with AirPods.
Follow our separate guide to know How Far Can AirPods Be Away From Phones.
On Windows
Windows has its own settings and options that could result in connectivity issues. And the connectivity issue can stop transmitting sound to AirPods. So you need to apply some specific fixes for the No Sound problem while Airpods connect with a Windows PC.
Here are the fixes for AirPods linked but no sound error for Windows PC:
1. Restart PC
When your AirPod isn’t trans sound, you should just restart your PC. When you use your system for a considerable period, your hardware’s processing capacity drops rapidly, and the Bluetooth driver won’t be able to function normally.
So, restart your PC when facing no sound on your AirPods on your windows PC.
2. Update your Bluetooth driver
Commonly, PC’s Bluetooth driver updates automatically with the Windows update. But sometimes, the driver isn’t updated automatically. And you can face no sound issues with AirPods.
Here are the steps to update your Bluetooth driver on Windows PC:
- Right-click on This PC icon.
- Select Manage.
- Tap Device manager.
- Choose Bluetooth.
- Right-click on your Bluetooth driver.
- Click Update Driver.
After you manually update the driver, restart the PC and connect your AirPods again to get sound.
3. Select AirPods as your output sound device
There can be multiple sound drives installed on your PC. When you don’t select AirPods as the main sound output, you won’t get any sound from it.
Here are the steps to select AirPods as your output sound device:
- Left-click the speaker icon in the bottom-right of your Taskbar.
- Choose the arrow icon.
- Select the menu named AirPods.
Executing these steps will force the PC to transmit the sound to AirPods. And it will solve the no audio problem.
4. Update Your Windows
If you haven’t updated your Windows for some time or a long time, features like Bluetooth, WiFi, or sound can stop working properly. So I recommend updating your Windows from time to time.
Here are the steps to Update your Windows:
- Tap the start button > Select settings in the left corner.
- Click Update & Security > Windows Update.
- Wait until the update is completed.
- Restart the Windows.
After the update is completed, you could face performance issues for several minutes. Just give some time to adjust your PC; your Bluetooth will work smoothly.
5. Set AirPods as the default Output device
In some extreme cases, the PC will stop broadcasting sound through AirPods though you selected those as the output device. That time you ought to select AirPods as the default output device.
Here are the steps to set AirPods as the default output device on Windows:
- Connect your AirPods with your PC.
- Go to the Control Panel.
- Sort as icons (small or medium).
- Click the Sound menu.
- Select Headphones name similar to your AirPods (Not Headset).
- Click the down arrow > select Default Communication Device.
- Press OK.
This will stop the future annoyance of AirPods while used on a Windows PC.
Also, check out our other post to know Can you Connect AirPods to Oculus Go.
FAQ
Why are my AirPods connected but no sound in one ear?
Balancing factors or low charge in one earpiece commonly cause this issue. So the first thing you need to do is check the charge or the AirPods. You need to have at least 40% battery to get uninterrupted audio.
Then Go to Settings > Accessibility > Move the Balance slider to the exact middle. And this will solve the issue.
Why are AirPods connected but with no sound on Spotify?
Applying the specific device solutions and the Universal solutions will solve your problem by 90%. After that, re-install the Spotify app, and sound will start on AirPods.
Why are my AirPods connected, but the sound coming from the phone?
It seems the speaker of the phone is selected as the audio output device. For this reason, the sound is coming from the phone. Swipe Up from the home screen > tap the airplay icon > select AirPods, and your problem is solved.
Conclusion
In short, the AirPods are connected, but no sound problem can be caused by ear wax, faulty Bluetooth driver, outdated windows, etc. Upon facing the problem, you need to apply the universal solution first, then start using the specific device-related solutions.
After applying the solution from this article, I’m sure the AirPods are connected but not broadcasting sound errors won’t bother you again.
Which of the above fixes worked for you? Comment below.
