AirPods Case not charging

I encountered this charging problem too. To figure out the charging issue, I installed a Drok USB current meter in between to see if there is a current draw. It turns out whenever the USB meter is installed, there is a current draw and it is indeed charging. Without the USB meter, it is unlikely to be charging with a general USB wall charger.

I suspect it has something to do with the power source/adapter. When the same cable is plugged in to an USB high end wall charger (e.g. Anker QC3.0 USB wall charger) or a MacBook Pro USB port, the charging is likely to work but not with a general USB wall charger (2A output) originally for an Android phone.

This is more like a workaround but better than nothing.

Hi Luke, not really. I blew air into the lightning socket a couple of times and tried my 3rd cable, which worked/charged perfectly. I used them again and tried charging them again last week with one of the cables that didn't work before, only this time it charged up OK. So it's either a bit of dust in the port that might have been removed or an intermittent fault with the airpods? I've heard that iPhones can suffer with a speck of dust in the lightning port stopping it from being charged?

HI everyone,

I was having this same problem and while reading the posts here I thought maybe it's the amperes of the power source. I had it plugged on my computer USB hub so I tried switching it directly to a 2.4 amps usb plug directly to an electric outlet and it worked.

Just sharing. 🙂 Happy Holidays!

The same charger that I have an Apple supplied cable charging through an Anker hub, which charges my phone, stopped my AirPod case. I plugged it into a separate Apple supplied cable and charger and it started charging immediately. Totally random but it worked.

Likewise, I had mine plugged into a USB port on the front of my desktop PC and the case wouldn't charge. I moved it to a USB 3.1 port directly on the motherboard and it instantly started charging the case.

I had the same issue with my case not getting above 4% before it stopped charging and dropped back down.

After plugging and unplugging, I was able to get a steady charge, but here’s what I did. I left the lid open so I could make sure it kept charging. That took the case and headphones back to 100%.

Not sure if this makes a difference, but I also used a wall charger instead of a USB. Hope this helps.

So I just encountered this problem. After taking a look inside with a flashlight I saw a bit of lint. There may just be something blocking the connection. It’s surprisingly a large hole.

If you’ve solved this problem by any other means cool. To anyone else. You’re welcome’,

My AirPods case wouldn't charge even tho I had it plugged in the outlet. I plugged the case in to the computer and bam the case started charging. Answer : try plugging it in to the computer instead of the wall outlet. That's what worked for me.

Followed suggestions here about plugging it into a PC vs wall charger... wanted to report my weird findings that it seems like my AirPods will charge only when I plug them into my MacBook, but not on my Windows PC. No idea what's going on there as the Windows PC is a desktop and has fully powered USB ports (tried a 2.1 and a 3.0 port). Not sure if I want to go through the hassle of replacement since I found a work around, but still odd.

AirPods Service Answer Center - Apple Support

I was trying to charge on multiple wall outlets with various official apple cords, but nothing worked. I switched to my laptop as someone mentioned above, and it began charging! It seems that for a decent amount of people, switching the power source from wall to USB or vice versa is working. Hopefully, this isn't a common problem and is a one time issue. Thanks!

So if I had said keep plugging it in that would have better?

I'm glad it started working for you but that may be temporary. If it is use the link I provided in order to have Apple replace it under warranty or make a Genius Bar appointment if one is near.

I'll be happy to not assist you in the future.

Did you sort out the problem? I haven't used my airpods for a couple of months. I wore them the other day, until the point that they went flat. I put the airpods in the charging case and charged them (case was showing at 1% charge). The next morning my airpods were charged at 100%, but the case was showing at 1% and no charging indicator next to it. The light on the case wasn't lit. I tried another cable and left it for 10 hours (initially when I plugged it in it was showing as charging on my phone and the amber light was lit, i saw the charge creep up to 4% and then I left it Charging. After ten hours, the case was showing at 1%, and no light on the case, also no charging indicator on the phone. I am now trying a third cable and will leave it overnight. Can anyone help? Am I doing something wrong?

On a desktop PC some of the USB ports are direct and full power (normally the ones in the rear) and some are slaves and have very little power (normally the ones on the front). This is sometimes reversed on machines designed for gaming.