How Long Do AirPods Take to Charge? Key Details

You have recently bought AirPods and now want to know how long will it take them to charge to full? Or are you planning to buy a new one and wondering about the charging speed? If so, then don’t go anywhere, as I have the answer you are looking for.

AirPods and the case take around 1.5-2 hours to fully charge to 100 percent. If there is already some battery, then it will even take less time. To know about it, keep checking the light coming out of the case. When you plug in the charger, and the battery isn’t full, a red light will emit. When it reaches 100 percent, it will turn green.

But what If you just charge them for 15 minutes? And what about when the AirPods start to take longer to charge? If you also want to know about these conditions, then stick to the end.

How Long Does It Take to Charge AirPods?

AirPods charging speed is super quick. If they are on zero percent and you plug in the charger, then it will take approximately 90-120 minutes for the buds and the case to charge up to full.

The charging time varies depending on which model you have. AirPods Pro charges a bit faster than other AirPods generations.

The reason why the charging speed and battery time of AirPods are more is the Lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are one of the biggest differences between top-quality and cheap earbuds too. High-quality earbuds use lithium-ion batteries, while knockoffs use usual battery cells. So, it won’t take more than 2 hours for any model of AirPods to charge full.

If you don’t have two hours of time, then here’s the table about different charging time:

AirPods Pro (1st Gen)	5 minutes of charging provides around 1 hour of listening time or around 1.5 hours of talk time.
AirPods Pro (2nd generation) & (3rd generation)	5 minutes of charging provides 1 hour of listening and talk time.
AirPods (2nd Gen)	15 minutes of charging allow users to use them for 3 hours for listening or up to 2 hours of talk time.

Let’s have a look at how long you can use AirPods that are 100 percent charged.

How Long Can You Use Fully Charged AirPods?

AirPods offers one of the longest battery life. How long they will run depends on for what purpose you are using them.

• In one go, you can use AirPods for five hours straight if you are only listening. However, talk time is a little less, which is three hours. In comparison, AirPods Pro can stay on for six hours at once.
• If Both AirPods/AirPods Pro and Case Are 100 percent charged, listening time is over 24 hours and the talk time is around 18-20 hours.

So, now you have an idea about AirPods charging & usage time. Sometimes, AirPods take more time to charge. This can make anyone wonder why they are taking so much time. Well, there are many reasons behind this, which I am now discussing.

When Do AirPods Charge Slowly?

AirPods start to charge abnormally or slowly when they are facing some issues.

Dust on Charging Points

If you don’t regularly clean the inside of the charging case, then the dust will accumulate on the charging point. This will impact the flow of current toward the buds’ points. As a result, the charging speed will get slow.

Similarly, if there is dust on the Case’s charging port (where you plug in the charger’s cable), then it will also lead to slow charging than usual. When this happens, most people usually take the buds to a technician or buy a new one. However, only cleaning the port will resolve the issue.

Faulty Charging Port

If the charging port gets faulty or broken, then the charging will not be smooth and fast. It is understandable, too, because the current flow depends on how efficient the port is.

The main reason why the charging port gets damaged is when you are not careful during the plugging in. Furthermore, if you drop the case on a hard floor, then the port can malfunction too. In addition, debris and moisture around the port also cause problems.

Faulty Cable

If you use a wired charger and the AirPods start to charge slowly at one point, then it is possible that the fault is in the cable. The cables can get damaged due to a number of reasons, but the big ones are moisture and using too much.

Whether you let the moisture stay on the cable for too long or they have been in use for years, there will come a time when the cable gets defective. When this happens, the charging won’t take place seamlessly.

Manufacturing Defect

Sometimes, it is Apple’s fault that causes problems with the AirPods’ charging. The manufacturing of these buds was not conducted as it should have been.

But luckily, the manufacturing defect gets noticed clearly in the newer AirPods, and you can easily claim the warranty to get out of this undesirable situation.

Apple offers a one-year warranty on the AirPods.

If you believe the AirPods are not functioning properly within the year of purchase, just contact Apple, and they will repair or give you a new one for free.

When the Battery Wear Out

You can’t use AirPods forever. They are usually good for three years on average. If you follow care tips to perfection, then their life span can go up to 4 years (but not more than that). It is because there is a usage limit that no technology is free from.

So, when you keep using AirPods a lot daily, there will come a time when the battery’s health will give up. When this happens, it will first start to charge slowly. After some time, the battery will then start to drain quickly.

It usually starts happening after two years of purchase. In this situation, buying new AirPods is the best thing to do.

When You Damage The Battery

Sometimes the battery gets damaged, which leads to slow charging. It is the fault of the users most of the time.

The reasons why battery malfunctions are:

• When you drop a case
• Taking them out in heavy rain
• Debris
• Using a bad power source

Unsafe Charging Practices

One of the main reasons why AirPods take a long time to charge is that you keep on following unsafe charging practices. The battery cells are somewhat sensitive to any external pressure. So, if you plug in the charger for more than the required time, they will start to feel the burden, and eventually, the efficiency will decrease.

Let me explain.

AirPods usually require 90-120 minutes to charge from 0 to 100 percent. If you leave them on charge for three hours (or more) and make it a habit, then the charging speed will go downhill.

Lucky for you, Apple has made a case in such a way that it indicates the user about the charging status. When you plug in the charger, it emits a red light. When it reaches 100 percent, the light turns green.

So, when the light changes its colors to green, unplug the charger immediately.

Now you know the reasons that lead to AirPods taking longer time to charge. Fortunately, there are some solutions you can try to fix the problem.

How to Improve the Battery Time of AirPods?

To improve the battery life of AirPods, you can do several things.

Optimized Battery Charging on AirPods Pro and AirPods (3rd Generation)

Apple lets users optimize the charging speed for AirPods Pro and AirPods 3rd Generation. Here’s how to do it:

• Go to Settings.
• Go to Bluetooth and Tap More Info.
• Choose the name of the AirPods.
• Toggle on Battery optimization.

This will save the battery consumption of these AirPods, and you will then be able to use them for more than the average usage hours.

Cleans Out Dust

You should clean the dirt or dust on the AirPods and the case as soon as possible. However, you will have to be really careful because applying a little extra pressure or using a hard material can cause the AirPods to malfunction.

You can use the following thing to wipe out the debris:

• Cotton Swab, Tissue, or a soft towel
• Soapy water or Rubbing Alcohol

When you buy these things, start the process:

1. Take a cotton swab or tissue and dip it in soapy water or rubbing alcohol.
2. Start massaging the dirt on the AirPods first. If it is stubborn, try to scratch it first. When you do this, the AirPods will get a little moist.
3. Use a dry tissue or towel to dry the AirPods.

To clean the AirPods tips, follow these steps:

1. First, remove the tips.
2. Take a towel and moisten it with hydrogen peroxide or simple soapy water.
3. Put the tips on the towel and start rubbing.
4. Leave them out in the open to dry.

To clean AirPods case:

1. Open the case.
2. Take out AirPods and put them in a safe place.
3. Use a soft towel and apply some rubbing alcohol to it.
4. Gently massage the charging points and the spots where there is dirt.
5. After this, use a dry part of the towel to soak in all the moisture.

It is critical you dry the buds and the case as soon as you can. If you don’t, there will be a danger of internal component damage.

Check and Replace Cable & Charger

As discussed above, faulty chargers and cables can be one of the reasons why AirPods take a long time to get to 100 percent battery. So to check, you should borrow a cable and a charger from a friend or colleague and check the charging speed.

If you notice that the charging speed has improved, then you should buy new charging equipment for your AirPods.

Update Firmware

It is crucial that the AirPods firmware stays up to date. To check:

• Go to Settings.
• Open Bluetooth.
• Tap More Info Button.
• Check the firmware update.

It doesn’t get automatically updated unless you also update the mobile’s system. So, make sure you also keep your mobile software updated if you want to seamlessly use AirPods.

Related: Can I Charge My Earbuds With My Phone?

Contact Technician

If no solution works for you and the AirPods are still taking more time to charge, then the time has come to lose some bucks by contacting a technician.

A technician will check for any internal damage and fix the problem (if possible). However, you will have to pay him, so it is the last solution you should try.

But before contacting the technician, check whether the AirPods are out of warranty or not. If there is still some time left, then the repair will be done by Apple for free.

To check the AirPods warranty:

1. Go to Apple’s coverage website.
2. Input AirPods serial number. You will find the serial number on the case or on the box the AirPods come in.

When you enter it, the website will then let you know whether the warranty has expired or not.

Sometimes, the Apple coverage website does not show how many days are left. If you also face this problem, then do the following:

1. Tap on the “Update Purchase Date” option.
2. After this, choose “Repairs and Service Coverage.”
3. There, you can learn about the warranty status of the AirPods. If it is showing Active, it means there is still some time left.

If so, immediately contact Apple and get your AirPods fixed by experts for free.

Related: How Do You Check Battery on Earbuds? Top Ways

Final Thoughts

All in all, AirPods usually take 1.5-2 hours to charge completely from 0 to 100 percent. If there is already some battery, then it will take even less time.

To know about the charging status after you plug in the charger, keep on checking the light emitting from the case. If it is red, it means the AirPods and the case is still charging. If it turns green, it indicates that the charging has reached 100 percent.

You should immediately unplug the charger when the light turns green, or else the battery efficiency will decrease. Also, keep the charging ports and the buds clean to keep on using them for years.

That’s all about how long AirPods take to charge!