A variety of problems often arise with charging wireless TWS Bluetooth headphones. The right or left earphone does not charge, the case from the headphones does not charge, the indicators behave differently, etc. Moreover, this is a problem not only with cheap Chinese Bluetooth headphones such as i7s, i9s, i10, i11, i12, i30 and etc., but also expensive, top models. More than once I have heard that the AirPods earphone (first/second generation, or AirPods Pro) or the case itself do not charge. There are also a lot of questions about problems with charging headphones from Xiaomi (mainly Redmi AirDots and Earbuds), JBL, Samsung, Huawei, Motorola, Xiaomi QCY and others. These instructions are suitable for all separate wireless headphones.
The fact is that the TWS headphone format itself turned out to be a little complicated from the technical side. The case is charged, the headphones are charged from the case, the headphones are connected to the case using contacts, the batteries in these headphones are very compact. There are as many as three batteries in one set of headphones. And all this should work stably and correctly. Very often one of the components fails or simply stops working. And if you take apart some cheap headphones, you can see how poorly and poorly made everything is. I'm not even talking about the quality of the parts and batteries themselves.
I will divide the article into two parts: in the first, we will look at solutions related to charging headphones from the case, and in the second, with charging the case itself.
Why don't wireless headphones charge from the case?
I personally encountered similar problems several times, analyzed a large number of cases that are on the Internet (articles, forums, videos), gleaned a lot of information from comments on this site and am ready to share solutions that should solve the problem with charging your wireless Bluetooth headphones. I will show most of the solutions using the example of specific headphones, but almost all solutions are universal. Even if your headphones are different from those in my photo, that’s okay. Do everything according to the instructions.
Change the cable you are using
The problem may not be with the AirPods case itself, but with the cable you're using. We must always remember that you should use cables that are certified by Apple, or that it is the same as one that has an MFi certificate . Sometimes, to save money, you buy cables that are not entirely safe and can be damaged for no reason and even damage the case .
You should also avoid using cables that have been damaged and that have broken through a certain area. These breaks are usually repaired inside the house using duct tape, but this is a big mistake. That's why for this test you need to take another cable that you have at home to plug it in and see if it works. In case this is a problem, you already know that you have to get another new cable and it is important that it is certified.
One of the headphones is not charging
Next, check whether your headphones are firmly seated in their sockets. For example, the pads on Redmi Airdots are quite wide, making it easy to move them out of place.
I also came across a lot of models where there are no magnets in the case or they are not very powerful, such as in the Awei T3.
Sometimes manufacturers are so imaginative with the design that putting the headphones in the case is not convenient, and in general their correct position in the box is not obvious, and it is easy to confuse it - as in the first generation Havit G1.
In any of these examples, it may happen that only one of the headphones does not charge, while the second “feels” quite comfortable. A sign of this is that the light on one of them is on, but not on the other.
Can't see Bluetooth
The headphones in question only work with Bluetooth. The user needs to carry out the pairing procedure, after which the connection will be made automatically when Bluetooth is activated. If the phone does not see the device, then restart both gadgets.
Restart didn't work? Check the functionality of Freebuds on another smartphone. Are they working? Then to solve the problem, try re-pairing:
- Go to Bluetooth settings.
- In the list of connected gadgets, find the name of the headphones.
- Click on the "i" icon.
- In the window that opens, click on “Cancel pairing”.
- Then make a new connection.
The second method is to perform a factory reset. There was probably a system failure that caused the left or right earbud to stop working. For Hard Reset you need:
- Go to settings.
- Find the "System and Reset" tab.
- Select Reset.
- Confirm the procedure.
- The phone will reboot and start clean. All information will be deleted, and you will have to perform the initial setup of Android, just like on a new smartphone.
How to turn on the second speaker on Huawei and Honor: methods, instructions. Also, to reset the settings, you can use another option:
- Press and hold two keys – volume up and power.
- Wait for the system to restart and open the menu
- Use the volume controls to select "Wipe data/Factory Reset".
- The system will restart.
Is not updated
To use all the features of Freebuds, you must install a special application from Google Play. Without regular updates, the wireless headset will not function properly. It is recommended to enable automatic downloading of updates for the FreeBuds Assistant program. For this:
- Go to Google Play.
- Pull out the additional menu on the left.
- Select “My Applications” from the list and go to the “Installed” tab.
- Find the program you need.
- Click on the vertical image of the three dots.
- ABOUT.
If necessary, you can reinstall the application.
Can't see the phone
Is the accessory in question not detected by your phone? First of all, reboot both gadgets, and also check the operation on another mobile phone.
Checking the contacts on the headphones and case
How many cases are there when, for example, after purchasing headphones, people simply do not pay attention to the fact that there is a protective film on the contacts. The headphones run out and are no longer charged from the case because of this film (it is barely noticeable). People even contact service about this, but they just needed to remove the protective film on the contacts. Very often this situation happens with Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earbuds basic and Xiaomi Redmi AirDots. This is what it looks like:
Check the contacts on the headphones themselves and the case. It often happens that the contact in the case simply gets stuck. After which there is no contact between the case and the earphone and it does not charge. Clean the contacts on your headphones. You can try to lightly press the earphone to the contacts.
If one of the contacts is stuck, it is lower than the others, then try to gently move it with a needle or toothpick. Perhaps it will straighten out and the earphone will charge.
There may be a different type of contact. On I7s, for example, there is contact with a thin needle inside. AirPods and high-quality fakes have a separate contact at the bottom of the earphone. It is imperative to check that no debris has gotten into the case itself or into the hole on the earphone.
If something gets there, you can try to blow out the hole, or remove the debris with a needle.
On the Samsung Gear IconX, for example, there is a problem where the earphone does not charge due to the seal (for large ears, which comes included). The indicator flashes and charging does not occur. You just need to remove this seal, or put on a smaller seal. And the JBL earphone did not charge due to poor contact. And there the guy just put a small piece of foil and everything worked. So-so solution, but it works.
If you have any working, non-standard solutions, share them in the comments!
Press the button and put the earphone in the case
A very unusual solution that has already saved a huge number of AirDots and Earbuds headphones. I wrote about it in the article Xiaomi Redmi AirDots and Earbuds: the left/right earphone does not work, they do not synchronize, do not connect, the case/earbud does not charge. You can read the reviews in the comments. Perhaps this solution can be applied to other headphones.
Everything is very simple. We take an earphone that is not charging and does not respond to anything and put it in the case while simultaneously holding down the button on it. Press the button, keep it pressed and put it in the case.
It doesn't always work out the first time. It's okay, try again.
One earphone is broken
Unfortunately, this happens very often. One Bluetooth earphone may simply break. Moreover, most of these devices are, to put it mildly, of poor quality. Well, what kind of headphones can there be for $4 (that’s how much I bought the I7s for).
It is not uncommon for the contact between the board and the contact that is used to connect the earphone to the case to come off.
It happens that inside the headphone the wiring from the battery or speaker simply falls off. Anything can break. If you have the desire and some experience, you can try to carefully disassemble the earphone and take a look. Especially if you are already planning to throw them away. If some wiring comes off there, you can solder it.
Displaying the charging icon
iPhone charging indicator shows full charge
Open the cover of the case and hold it close to your Apple device.
Wait a few seconds and look at the charging icon next to the battery icon while your AirPods are connected to a power source. Do you see the charging icon? If not, the headphones will not charge. Also check the battery on your Apple device to make sure it's working properly.
How does a Li-Ion battery work?
The batteries used in modern smartphones have many advantages over their predecessors, although they have their own characteristics. Among the advantages are their high performance, low weight, a fairly long period of use and the absence of a “memory effect” (there are exceptions, but rarely anyone encounters them).
However, after prolonged use, the battery sometimes starts to drain faster than we want it to. As a rule, if the device is used for several years, this is the wear and tear of the battery. In this case, it is better to replace it. Also, it is worth replacing the battery if it stops working, but you know for sure that the problem is there. For example, you charged it several times a day, overheated it, or it became swollen.
The charging case is a real godsend for headphones and not only for AirPods.
There is another reason why the battery may begin to lose ground. Even Apple itself says on its website that the battery needs to be calibrated periodically. True, such information is only available for laptops, but this also applies to batteries of other equipment. The relevant information is easy to find, including on thematic portals and forums.
Cleaning AirPods
- Do not rinse AirPods or AirPods Pro under water.
- Use a soft, dry, lint-free cloth.
- If your AirPods or AirPods Pro are exposed to substances that may cause stains or other damage, such as soaps, shampoos, hair products, lotions, perfumes, solvents, cleansers, acids or products containing acids, insect repellents, sunscreens, vegetable oils or hair dyes, follow the steps below. Wipe them clean with a cloth lightly dampened with clean water and dry with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth.
- Let them dry completely before placing them in the charging case.
- Do not attempt to use the headphones until they are completely dry.
One right or left earphone in the case does not charge
People also ask me what to do if one of the headphones - right, left or both - is not charging.
- If you have new Redmi Airdots or Xiaomi Earbuds and you have just unpacked them, then first of all check if there is any film on the contacts of the wireless headphones. It is glued on at the factory so that there is no connection to the battery during shipment. These are the transportation safety rules. Very often people don’t notice them and don’t peel them off, and then they wonder why the headphones in the case aren’t charging
- The next thing to check is how securely the earphone sits in its cell. As I said, the design of the case is such that they are easy to move. Because of this, contact is lost with the antennae that come from the battery, and as a result, the earphone does not charge.
- Also check that the contacts are clean. During operation, they can become clogged or oxidized, and the built-in battery stops receiving energy. You can also wipe them with cotton wool and an alcohol solution.
- Another problem that arises when using Redmi Airdots or Xiaomi Earbuds is the contact “whiskers” sticking in the case itself due to a broken spring or sticking due to dirt. Make sure that they return to their original position when removing the headphones
If these tips did not help you, then there are three solutions to the problem with charging your headphones and case.
- Take it to the service center
- Buy the case separately
- Purchase a special pad for charging the right or left headphones separately. These can also be found in Chinese online stores.
As you can see, it is possible to get out of the situation, and quite inexpensively. If you have questions, leave them in the comments!
Charge the case with another cable
This was exactly my case. It looks like a normal original Lightning cable, but in fact it turned out to be non-working. Where did he get on my head?
This actually happens quite often. Apple makes very flimsy cables. They seem to just self-destruct after a certain amount of time.
I have already recommended the Lightning cable from UGREEN several times in other articles. The quality is great, official chip and no complaints about performance after three years. Chinese brands have already learned to do things no worse than Apple.
One earphone quickly discharges and turns off
There is another very popular problem that I myself encountered on the original AirPods and on the Chinese i30 headphones. Everything seems to be charging and working as it should, but one of the headphones discharges very quickly and turns itself off. This is my right earpiece. It works for just a few minutes and turns itself off. It turns out that one earphone sits down faster than the other. It works longer on AirPods, but the right earbud drains much faster than the left. It is impossible to use such headphones.
This is a hardware problem. That is, settings, resetting parameters and other similar methods cannot fix it. Need repairs, replacement of a non-working earphone (right or left), or purchase of new headphones. If there is a warranty, be sure to contact the service center or seller. They must repair them, replace them, return the money.
If the earphone is dismountable, then you can find the battery yourself, disassemble the headphones and replace it (resolder it). But there are a lot of nuances here. Can you do it yourself, can you find a battery, etc.
In most cases this doesn't make any sense. It's easier to buy new headphones. Just like with my first generation AirPods. You can only change the right earbud, since the left one still seems to hold a charge. But where is the guarantee that the left earphone will not break in a month, because they are already four years old. But the battery in AirPods cannot be replaced; they are non-separable, if I understand correctly.
