Like most devices with a battery, charging is important once the battery drains for you to be able to reuse the device. The same thing applies to AirPods.
Charging your AirPods is important. However, AirPods come with a case you need to charge as the casing charges the AirPods after you use it.
It might make you wonder if plugging it into power makes your airpod charge faster. This article will explain if AirPods charge faster when plugged in.
No, AirPods do not charge faster when plugged in; they charge at their normal rate. Charging your AirPods is through the case, which transfers the charge to the AirPods; even when plugged in, it charges the same way it will charge your AirPods without plugging it in. However, you can boost the charging of your AirPods if you wish.
Do AirPods Charge Faster When Plugged In?
Airpods do not charge faster when plugged in; the speed at which it charges when not plugged in is the same as when plugged in.
This condition applies to any wireless device that doesn’t have to be connected directly to a power source.
That’s because wireless chargers operate on a magnetic field and do not rely on physical contact.
Airpods charge with the help of their casing. You only need to put your AirPods in the casing, which will charge. However, the casing also needs to be charged when drained.
The charging case is an external battery for your earbuds, but it’s much more convenient to plug them into your computer or another charging device.
Just having your AirPods lying nearby will charge them at a regular rate. You don’t need to have them plugged into a power source to charge, although you can if you want.
However, you do not need to worry about the speed at which your AirPods charge because it charges fast, so there’s no need to worry about it charging faster when plugged in.
Although AirPods charge at the same rate, plugged in or not, they get fully charged quickly due to their battery size.
It is because the current passed to the AirPods through charging is more than the capacity of the small battery. So, the battery gets charged quickly.
How Long Do Airpods Take to Charge?
For your airpod to charge, it takes about 20-30 minutes to charge. However, the time to charge AirPods varies depending on their model.
If the model of the airpod you use is the first generation, it should take your airpod about 17 minutes to fully charge.
After fully charging your first generation airpod, you should have a listening time of up to 5 hours and a talk time of 2 hours.
If the airpod you use is the second generation model, it takes 20 minutes to charge fully. When fully charged, it offers a listening time of 5 hours and a talk time of up to 3 hours.
For the third generation model of AirPod, it takes longer to charge. It takes an hour for this airpod model to charge.
However, you can reduce the charging time of your third-generation airpod if necessary. This model of AirPods slows down when it gets to 80%.
So turning it off from optimized battery charging can increase its charge time and speed up the process. Although, this might make it drain faster than normal.
It would help if you also remembered that after fully charging your 3rd generation airpod, you have a listening time of six hours and a talking time of three hours.
If you’re using an AirPod pro, know that it should take roughly an hour for you to charge it fully.
This model of airpod also uses an optimized battery charge, so charging it takes more time.
You get up to 4 hours 30 minutes of listening and a talk time of 3 hours 30 minutes using an Airpod Pro after fully charging it.
In the case of an AirPod Max, it takes about 2 hours to charge fully. After fully charging it, you get a listening time of up to 20 hours.
How Long Do Airpods Take to Charge from Dead?
If your airpods are dead, you can charge them for 20-30 minutes to become charged and ready for use. However, depending on the model of your airpod, the charge duration varies.
Before your airpod can drain fully to the extent of being dead, the case is also low as the airpod casing holds enough battery for several charges of your airpods.
So, if your airpod case is dead and the casing too, it can take you up to two hours for you to charge it fully.
However, you can use your airpod after 15 minutes of charging it. So, for example, charging your airpod for five minutes can give it an hour extra for listening and talking.
The table below shows the different generations of airpods and the time it takes to charge when dead.
| Airpod Model | Time to Charge |
|---|---|
| 1st generation. | You can charge for half an hour to an hour if fully drained. |
| 2nd generation | This model takes about 45 minutes to one hour to charge fully. |
| 3rd generation. | This model takes an hour or two to charge when drained fully. |
If your airpod is dead because you do not have your casing or misplaced it, know that there’s a way for you to charge it and continue enjoying your airpod.
The only thing you need is to find another casing with the same model as the one you misplaced. Then you can go ahead and charge your case and airpods without worrying.
How Much Do Airpods Charge in 10 Minutes?
The answer depends on the model and generation of airpods you are charging.
If your airpod is the type that fully charges in 30 minutes, then the battery is almost halfway to being full in 10 minutes.
No matter the model of your airport, your airpod is ready for use in ten minutes. According to Apple, you get listening time up to an hour after charging it for 5 minutes.
However, depending on how long your airpod model takes to charge, your battery can be anywhere from 10-50%.
Why Do My AirPods Take So Long to Charge?
If your airpod takes a long to charge and charges slowly, there is something wrong with it.
Here are the possible causes of your airpods taking so long to charge;
- Software update
- Glitch in software
- Apple settings
- Unclean charging socket
- Damaged charging case
#1. Software Update
Like other devices, you must update it to enhance their work and fix their vulnerabilities. So you update it according to the updates made available by Apple.
However, one of these updates causes a charging issue and slows down the charging of your airpod. The update causing this problem is 4E71.
If your airpod charges for so long and you also received the 4E71 update, this may cause the problem.
Apple can solve this problem for you. Contact them for help or wait for them to release an update for this error.
#2. Glitch in Software
Other times, it might not be the case of an update you installed that is causing your airpod to charge for so long, but the update that your airpod requires.
If your airpod software is outdated and has malware, this can result in a software problem and result in your airpod charging for so long.
Fortunately, you can correct this problem. If you install the required update, you will find your airpod charging at its normal charge rate.
However, if it’s the case of malware causing this glitch in the AirPods software, you must do a hard reset.
To carry out a hard reset of your airpod, follow the steps below.
- Search for the setup button behind your airpod charging case.
- Press and hold down the button for 15 seconds.
- Wait for the orange-to-white LED light to blink.
- Connect your airpod case to your wall socket.
#3. Apple Settings
Depending on what model of airpods you use, this type of problem occurs in airpods that use optimized battery charging.
Apple designed airpods with this charging feature to take a long time to charge, unlike the other models without this feature.
You discover that when your airpod battery gets to 80%, it takes longer for it to charge.
However, in this situation, this feature helps your battery last longer, and it won’t get damaged easily.
This feature makes it look like charging takes so long. So, if you wish to get your airpod to charge faster, you can disable this feature. Disabling this feature isn’t without its risk.
If you disable this feature permanently, it might damage your battery and won’t last long.
You can disable this optimized setting by following the steps below:
- Connect your airpod to your phone.
- Navigate to Settings and select Bluetooth.
- Tap on the Airpod pro info button.
- Disable optimized battery charging.
- Select your option.
#4. Unclean Charging Socket
If dirt enters and gets stuck in your airpod case, this can cause it to charge for a long time, as electricity won’t be able to flow through properly with the dirt blocking it.
So ensure you keep your airpod, the case, and everything related to it clean to avoid problems like this.
You can get dirt stuck in the casing by placing dirty airpods. To resolve this problem of a long charging time due to an unclean charging socket, clean the airpod casing.
You can clean your airpod casing with a microfiber cloth inside the kit with the airpod. For the casing, use the straw cleaner on the casing.
Add isopropyl alcohol to the straw cleaner to moisten it up and clean the casing. You can also use compressed air to clean the dust in the charging socket.
#5. Damaged Charging Case
If your airpod case is damaged, it won’t charge well, which could be why it keeps charging for so long. This damage can be caused by using it carelessly or not keeping it well.
That can cause a loose connection in the airpod casing, and if there’s a problem with the connection in the casing, it won’t charge well or at all.
Keep your airpod properly after use and protect it from things that can damage it, like water.
Do AirPods or the Case Charge First?
When charging the airpod case with the airpod in it, the airpods charge first before the casing.
Therefore, if the airpod is low, it won’t be able to communicate with the casing. Instead, you use the airpod casing to charge the airpod.
When charging both the casing and the airpod, the airpod has to be in the airpod for it to be able to transfer current to it.
So, after connecting power to the casing, it charges the airpods to 20% before the casing starts charging.
After the airpods reach 20%, the charging slows down because the casing starts charging.
Although the casing still charges the airpods, the casing is also charging. This process of the airpod charging slowly continues until the airpods reach 90% and then pick up.
Conclusion
In summary, it is best to charge your airpods, and casing together is the best way to get more battery life. However, charging them together doesn’t mean your airpod gets charged faster.
The rate at which one airpod charges differs from another because they are of different models and have their own charge time.