My issue was that I had a blinking orange light on the AirPods Pro case when both replacement AirPods were in the case. This meant that the AirPods are not synced to the case or each other properly. I spent an hour trying to pair the replacement left and right AirPods Pro with the original AirPods Pro case I had. I followed the pairing process, and it would not work. I noticed that the left and right replacement AirPods where on different firmware versions. I could pair them separately to the case (i.e. as if they were completely separate units), however this would not allow me to use them together which subsequently also prevented noise cancellation from working and I would have to disconnect and forget one and pair the other one which would defeat the purpose of using these together. Obviously, not ideal.
Apple Tech Support tried however they are not aware that in order for replacement AirPods (either one or both replacing the left and right) with the original case requires both pods to be on the same firmware. The directions are below;
- Your AirPods must be in the charging case.
- The charging case must be plugged in and charging.
- An iOS device that's been connected to your AirPods must be nearby.
Once all of those conditions are met, the firmware update should automatically begin at some point (yeah, it's that vague). It seems to work best over night. You must be patient.
Once the AirPods Pro firmware updates, then the pairing process works exactly as it should; with your iPhone nearby and Bluetooth enabled, have both your AirPods in the charging case and now press the button on the back of the AirPods Pro case and hold it until the white light blinks to orange. You should see the prompt on your iPhone to Connect.
Note: You must be patient for the AirPods Pro firmware to update. This is the key to getting the pairing process to work properly.
Everything now works. I hope this helps.