Replacement airpod pairing

Open the AIrPod case. Go to Settings > Bluetooth > AirPods on the iPhone. Click the circled "i" on the right, then "Forget This Device". Then set up the AirPods once again just as if they were brand new.

I have the same issue as Moonhowl71090 and your suggestion, sberman, does not work in my case: there is a continuously flashing LED in color amber instead of expected green. Holding the pairing button with both airpods in-case never switches the LED to white, which would indicate that airpods are in the pairing mode. As a result my airpods cannot be paired with my iPhone7+ (ios 10.2.1). Whats the true solution?

Apple online support sent me to a geeksquad in a BestBuy close to my location for troubleshoting. Same as your apple genius, the geeksquad technician confirmed that something was wrong with the entire Airpods set (sorry sberman your solution could not be executed by the tech) and recommended to mail my Airpods to Apple for repair which would leave me without my Airpods for about 2 weeks he said. Instead I requested from Apple online support an online mail-in repair. I'll have new Airpods fedexed to my residence within 2 days and will have to mail the old, dysfunctional set back, all as a warranty exchange.

Apple sent replacement airpods (charged me $159) for static on phone calls. Sent separate boxes L and R. No case. Replacement airpods would not under any method (and working on phone with apple senior tech) pair with phone. Constant flashing orange. Why apple sent separate pods and no case baffles me. Old pair re-pairs just like instructions say (but still have a significant hissssss on phone calls)

Senior tech Joseph set me up to go to my local apple store and swap out the whole mess for new airpods. Possible hope of getting fixed.

Per Moonhowl71090, there is a good chance that the Apple genius will isolate the problem or give you a new set.

Your second option is to request from Apple online support new Airpods (the entire set) as a mail-in repair.

I also received from Apple online support two separate Airpods L & R, no case. To my surprise the new Airpods immediately worked with the old case and synced with my IPhone7+ = problem solved. Therefore it might make sense from Apple's perspective to sent you Airpods L & R only as in some circimsatnces it will solve the problem.

My Apple online support senior advisor informed that if the replacement Airpods L & R would not work, she would fedex me the entire new case of Airpods.

Apple released the hold on my credit card as soon as they received my old, defect Airpods, so there was no charge as all was a warranty mail-in repair.

Thanks evoolb, the Apple store replaced the L and R only and they paired with original case and iphone 7+. The shipped L & R would not pair (these I will ship back). I tested the new Airpods at the Apple store (back room more quiet). Sounded okay, but did not get anyone on a live phone call to really test it out.

Talked with daughter later at home and the problem is exactly the same with the new Airpods - significant scratchy hisss when other party is talking. Same quality when I just called my wife using Skype from Macbook. All software is latest release from Apple.

Plan to call Apple support and request a complete swap out. Don't know how the case could be involved with the issue. This has to be some kind of radio interference between Airpods, iPhone and ?. There is bluetooth and cellular signals involved. Bose Q35 (new) do not have this issue, so Bose has figured it out.

Dave, have you rebooted your iPhone? I had a few seldom occasions when a reboot solved a wireless connectivity issue.

FYI, my replacement Airpods work perfectly if the wireless network provides good connectivity and I'm impressed with the voice quality over T-Mobile cellular (I have this inferior Intel LTE modem - which LTE modem do you have: Intel or Qualcom?), voice over WiFi and Skype over WiFi and cellular.

In general, reboot a couple times a week. For this issue, have rebooted more frequently (& on multiple Apple support requests). AT&T voice quality is excellent - London, Denver, NYC, SF Bay Area (home) - during travels with AirPods. Overall AT&T international roaming is excellent, though I have to turn off Auto for carrier selection and push to O2 or Orange in some parts of London & Paris. I have an unlocked 7+ Model 1661 (Qualcomm modem). LTE enabled Voice & Data - Apple genius guy said turn of voice over data. I did. Voice quality went to crap. Turned back on.

I don't mind figuring out the problems with AirPods, but IMHO Apple spent too much time on a $159 product before outright swapping them. I get it for a Macbook or iPhone, but AirPods $159 is almost throw away tech.

I agree with Dave and shared his experience that troubleshooting the Airpods issues took too much of my time for a $159 product. A more efficient solution IMO would be for Apple online customer service to mail in an entire new complete Airpods and let Apple test engineers figure out issues in their lab after they received back the defect Airpods.

Apple FedEx'd separate L and R pods that would not pair. Apple store inserted separated L and R pods that did pair. More examples needed to validate Moonhowl71090. The trend is not promising given others complaints about pairing.

The AirPods are promising: ease of pairing; ease of turn on (activate when inserted); comfort and stay in ear; music and non-phone/cellular audio is clear.

I consider them still between beta and GA due to the audio issues on phone/cellular. There is significant posting on this in Apple discussions, Reddit and others. Bluetooth and cellular radio interferrence is likely what's going on. I'm not a radio/audio engineer, but the problem behavior suggests it. That my Bose QC 35s (blue ones from Apple) are crystal clear on phone/cellular/voip shows that conversations should be/can be like talking in a quiet room.

Similar situation with me. I went in to Apple store due to issue with right AirPod (was loosing power quicker than left). Apple support try various ways of pairing the replacement right pod, but ended up replacing the left and charging case. Now it works but my AirPods both shows up as one pair on my phone rather than left and right pods like it did originally. Are you seeing the same thing?

I had the same problem last week. The left airpod was replaced, but the moment I put it in the case the light started blinking. Unpaired and paired again several times, it didn't work. After about 20 mins it got working. I think it was not because of the charging status (the replaced one was fully charged), probably because the firmware of the old one was the latest version and it took it a while for the replaced airpod to get the new firmware.

This worked for me at home after Apple Store Genius rep charged me for a replacement right Airpod (after it fell out of my ear and I accidently stepped on it). In the store he told me it was all set but it didn't work when I got home. The right airpod wouldn't pair so I did the 'forget this device' thing you described and walla! Thank you!