9 ways to fix one AirPod that dies faster

• To fix one AirPod dying faster, switch ears regularly if you use one more than the other.
• You can also try disabling double-tap, cleaning the charging port, or repairing the charging case.
• Updating, resetting, and draining the AirPods or sending them to Apple can also help.

Since your AirPods are essentially identical — they include exactly the same battery in each earbud — then their batteries shouldn't drain at different rates.

Usually, the battery of each earbud is roughly the same in each ear all the time, but in some cases, you may find that one AirPod dies a lot faster than the other. There are a number of reasons why this can happen, and a few things you can do to prevent it.

You use one earbud more than the other

This may seem obvious after you think about it, but there's a good chance that you use one earbud more frequently than the other.

This is especially common if you wear one AirPod at a time so you can listen to audio and still easily interact with the world around you. If you like wearing one at a time, try swapping between the right and left ear.

You use the microphone frequently, such as for voice calls

The earbud that enables the microphone uses more battery power than the other earbud, which is only using the speaker. And it's likely that your AirPods almost always use the same ear for the mic. By default, your AirPods will use the mic on whichever earbud you insert first. And since you probably always insert AirPods in your ears in the same order, that means the AirPod on that same ear will probably die first all the time.

The solution? Get in the habit of alternating which earbud you put on first.

One earbud is set to use Siri

You probably know that you can configure AirPods settings so a double-tap does something different in each ear. The right ear might skip to the next track, while a double-tap of the left ear might go to the previous track. If you have Siri set to start when one of those ears is double-tapped, that ear will probably drain more quickly than the other. 

Here's how to adjust your AirPods settings. 

1. Begin by wearing your AirPods. 

2. Open the Settings app on your iPhone. 

3. Tap Bluetooth. 

4. Find the AirPods and tap the i on the right. 

5. Then adjust the Left and Right functions in the Double-Tap On AirPod section.

The charging port might need to be cleaned

It's possible that one of your AirPods isn't charging properly because the charging port — either on the AirPod itself or at the bottom of the charging case — is dirty, preventing it from charging properly. To fix that, clean your AirPods and case thoroughly and carefully.

The AirPods might benefit from being fully drained and then recharged

It's a good idea to get into the habit of charging your AirPods before they completely drain because this will generally extend their battery life. However, if you have one AirPod that regularly dies before the other, you might want to "hack" the battery of both earbuds by completely draining them, and then giving them a full recharge.

Your AirPods might need a firmware update

Your earbuds might not be charging because their firmware might be out of date. While your AirPods update automatically, you can check the firmware version, and if it is out-of-date, manually trigger the update.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

2. Tap Bluetooth.

3. Find the AirPods and tap the i on the right.

4. In the About section, check Version – that's the current firmware version you're on.

5. Check the Apple support page for the latest AirPods firmware version that your earbuds need to have.

6. If your AirPods need an update, put them in their charging case, start charging them (either with a Lightning cable or wirelessly), and place them next to your iPhone.

Now your AirPods should update after a short while, and you can check if both are discharing at the same rate or not.

Your AirPods might need to be reset

Another possibility: Your AirPods might need to be reset. 

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone. 

2. Tap Bluetooth. 

3. Find the AirPods and tap the i on the right. 

4. Tap Forget This Device. 

5. In the pop-up, confirm you want to remove the AirPods from your phone by tapping Forget This Device again — that'll unpair them. 

6. Now set up and pair your AirPods on your phone a second time and see if both AirPods discharge at roughly the same rate.

One of the earbuds doesn't fully charge anymore

It's possible that your AirPods are simply getting old. As they age, their batteries won't retain as much charge as they used to, meaning the AirPods will drain at different rates. 

In general, you shouldn't expect to get more than about two years of routine use out of your Apple earbuds before they show obvious signs of battery wear. If you try everything on this list and the two earbuds are still discharging at noticeably different rates, you can use Apple's Battery Service to replace the faulty battery.

If you're due to an upgrade anyway, you can replace the AirPods with new ones instead.

One earbud may be defective

In some cases, it could be the earbud has a factory defect, which is not your fault. After all, the manufacturing process is not perfect, and you can get damaged AirPods in rare cases. If your AirPods are still under warranty, contact Apple support to see if you're entitled to a free repair or replacement – if not, you might need to pay for it.

The AirPods case is damaged on one side

It could be that the AirPod that dies faster is completely fine, but it just isn't getting enough charge because its side of the charging case is damaged. Again, all you have to do is get in touch with Apple support and schedule a repair or replacement.