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Powerbeats Pro sometimes won't charge one of the headphones

Sometimes I find after I put my powerbeats pro headphones back in their case to charge, that one of them just didn't charge. It is like it didn't make a good connection when I put them in.


This has happened a few times now so I am careful to test to ensure that they're stuck into the right spot and should be charging. But when i go to use them i find one is almost at zero and the other is at 100%. I don't think there is a light indication that both headphones are charging.


This has happened with 2 different sets of headphones for me. Does anyone else experience this problem?

Posted on Sep 28, 2019 7:08 AM

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Posted on Nov 23, 2019 3:49 AM

Once again left earbud not charging well. Tired of getting ready for a run only to find one of them not charged. After the first three or four times finding them dead I am super careful to place them on the charger... still having issues. For the price should not have to constantly fiddle with them.

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Nov 23, 2019 3:49 AM in response to NYCfan2014

Once again left earbud not charging well. Tired of getting ready for a run only to find one of them not charged. After the first three or four times finding them dead I am super careful to place them on the charger... still having issues. For the price should not have to constantly fiddle with them.

Oct 31, 2019 6:01 PM in response to NYCfan2014

I definitely have this same issue. I have to pay ridiculous attention to the whether they are actually charging. The responses from Apple and its specialists are repetitive and ignore what is being said in the complaint. These are clean headphones that do not need a new cable or anything obvious. The headphones will not easily connect to the charging pins. I wish they would give a solution or admit a design flaw. Love the headphones. Don't want to spend minutes trying to get them to get them set to charge and even then not be totally sure.

Jan 27, 2020 4:45 PM in response to pkmacbook

Sharing my experience, although I hardly believe it myself. I cleaned the pins on the headphones and inside the case with a qtip and isopropyl alchohol. I do this once a week. Waited about a month since my post (on 12/28/19) and to this day, I haven't had any problems since. The headphones charge properly every day. It's the craziest thing.

Oct 17, 2019 9:29 AM in response to cp from OH

What I have come to realize about the powerbeats pro is two things:


  1. When closing the case i have noticed that the ear hook of one headphone usually overlaps the other ear hook because that is the way they fit best on my ear. If i close the case like this, then usually one of the headphones is often pulled out from its charging magnet by the other one's ear hook. So each time I put the headphones away I have to adjust the hooks and then I have to adjust again when I put them on my ears.
  2. Making a connection with the headphone to the magnet is not a sure thing. Even if you put the headphone in and it seems to be attached to the magnet, it may not be charging. And there's no way to tell except to open the iphone each time and check the battery levels. See the short video here which shows initially that just the left headphone is charging because it is the only headphone in the case. Once I put the right headphone into the case and it feels to be in properly you would think it would be charging. But as you can see on the iphone it doesn't charge until the headphone jiggled around a little bit.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/lrhmyqe3veat2hp/IMG_0011.MOV?dl=0


Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I'm often surprised in the morning because I thought I put the headphones in properly but one will have no charge because it did not make the connection. I don't want to have to check my iphone every night to see if these are charging.


Jan 2, 2020 5:36 AM in response to NYCfan2014

This happens to me with my left powerbeat pro I’ll put them in the case and press a little to ensure they are charging but at least 3 times a week I’ll open the case to find that only the right powerbeat has charged. Further more my right powerbeat will intermittently fail to connect when I take it out of the case. I sent the powerbeats in for repair after someone at the Apple store replicated the problem though when sent In for repair they were not able to replicate the issues. Since getting my powerbeats back the right disconnects less often than before but it seems like the left one fails to charge more often.

Jan 27, 2020 3:34 PM in response to NYCfan2014

Yes this happens to me as well, noticeable on the right ear bud. At first I thought they might be overlapping when I close the case but that is not the case. I think there is something with my case.


My powerbeats pro actually came with the right bug dead out of the box. So I left it on the charger and got it to charge. Since then I noticed that the right ear bud doesn't always charge even though I have been making sure they click and make a magnetic connection every time. I've come to find that when the left ear bud is 100% full and my right ear bud is on 0% because it didn't charge, the only way to get the right ear bud to charge is to leave the case open. Otherwise, if i put them both back in to charge the right ear but only charges for a few minutes then completely dies out again.

Feb 14, 2020 12:54 PM in response to NYCfan2014

I’ve been getting this more and more as time goes by. Nowadays I unlock my iPhone and make sure both PowerBeats are charging before I close the case. But occasionally, even if they were both charging before closing the case, the next day I'll pop them out only to find that the Left is down to 40% while the Right is fully charged.


It can be quite difficult to even get them to charge in the first place. Sometimes I have to pull them out and stick them back in half a dozen times before they’ll start charging. One thing I’ve found is that rubbing my finger on the connectors just once is often enough to get the connection working again.


The problem with them not powering on is even more irritating, because I don’t usually take my case with me when I head to the gym or head out for a run. Both PowerBeats may work fine when I first put them on, but then I take them out of my ears while driving, and when I put them back on, sometimes the Right one won’t wake. And since the only way to force a wake is to put it back in the case and pull it out, I’m SoL.


"Everything automated” is great when it actually works. But when it’s so unreliable, it’s a huge nuisance. I’d rather have a power button than have to babysit this “automated” process. Likewise with the magnets that are not even strong enough to keep the PowerBeats plugged-in.

Sep 30, 2019 5:06 PM in response to NYCfan2014

Hello NYCfan2014,


Thank you for visiting Apple Support Communities. It sounds like you're having trouble charging your Powerbeats Pro. I'd be happy to provide information that may help.


  1. Make sure that the earbuds are seated properly in the case.
  2. Use another power source or a different cable.
  3. Clean the earbuds; then make sure that they are completely dry: Clean your Powerbeats Pro.
  4. Reset your Powerbeat Pro earbuds: Reset your Beats earphones.


Good luck!

Jan 28, 2020 5:39 PM in response to pkmacbook

I’ll have to try that.


craziest thing happened today though. My work’s thinkpad was not giving me any volume, and when I checked it was connected to my power beats pro while they were inside their case. Just opened my power beats case and the right earphone was properly snapped in and surely it was almost dead and the left was fully charged.


im thinking the earbuds are not fully sensing when they’re on the case or when they are out of the case. ?


will be cleaning them next.



Feb 20, 2020 2:45 PM in response to Bobman2005

The worst part is that simply closing the case or moving it around can be enough to pop an earbud out of its Charging state. I now make sure my earbuds are charging before I close the case (the iPhone will get a popup if both earbuds are charging and the case is open), and after, as well (by looking at the Battery widget in Today).


Sometimes the buds are charging before closing the case, and closing it causes one of the buds to stop charging. Sometimes picking up the case causes one of the buds to stop charging. Sometimes my case has been sitting for hours on my desk, and I suddenly get a Shortcuts notification telling me my iPhone is now connected to my Powerbeats Pro.


This is absolutely terrible design and QA.

Mar 10, 2020 3:09 PM in response to NYCfan2014

Adding my anecdote to this growing list. I am regularly finding mine don’t charge. I bought them when they were first released and am wondering if they have changed the design. Sent mine off for repair today. If that doesn’t work, I’ll see if I can get a credit note but they’re over 6 months old now.

Nov 14, 2019 5:54 AM in response to wallacegreg

UPDATE - i went into an apple store. i was able to replicate the problem with their demo pair of powerbeats pros. So it is a product design issue. I asked the technician to bring over a manager and after some persuasive convincing, the manager to refund my purchase on a gift card and then i bought the airpod pro. I am very happy with that.


NOTE - when i called apple support PRIOR to visiting the store, a senior support person insisted that i had to send them in for repair. He also insisted that I could only send the headphones or the case but not both together. The technician at the store told me that they ALWAYS want both sent together. So I’m not sure what the senior support person on the phone was thinking.

Powerbeats Pro sometimes won't charge one of the headphones

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