Do AirPods Need to Be Near the Case?

AirPods are appealing because they do not require a physical wire tether. You can pop them in and do your errands while catching up on podcasts or listening to that new album. Rather than dealing with wires that can get tangled or caught on things, AirPods allow you greater mobility. They connect to your devices using Bluetooth and come with a case that can recharge the pods if they are running low on battery.

You’re here because you love tech, right? Well, you’re going to enjoy “Can You Use Airpods With An Apple Watch Without An iPhone?” and “Do AirPods Need the Case to Work?” Both articles are chock-full of the kind of knowledge we techies crave.

That freedom may be dampened if you have to bring the AirPod case in your pocket. But do you need to keep the case near the pods for them to work, or can you lighten your load a bit and leave the case at home?

How Far Can My AirPods Be From the Case to Still Work?

As long as your AirPods are fully charged, you can leave the case at home and go about your day. The distance between the case and the pods has no bearing on the sound quality or overall functionality of the AirPods. 

However, if you want to take your AirPods on vacation, you should probably bring your case with you. While it does not control the sound, it does charge your AirPods. Without it, you may be unable to recharge your AirPods if they run out of battery.

Do I Even Need the AirPods Case at All?

If you lost your case or left it behind on your way to a long vacation, you may be wondering if you even need the case at all. Maybe you hope that the AirPods will work perfectly fine without ever using the case again, and you can find another way to charge them. 

Unfortunately, the only way to charge AirPods is with their case. So, if you have lost your case or need a charge before you can get your case, you may need a new one, or you can borrow a friend’s.

If your case is simply dead, do not worry. Your AirPods will still last for the length of time that they have a charge. You can charge your AirPods case to bring it back to life, and then you can, in turn, charge your AirPods again. 

How Do I Tell if My AirPods Need to Be Charged?

There are a few different ways to check the battery life on your AirPods. Some of these methods may be slightly different depending on if you have an iPhone or Android phone. 

If you have an iPhone, you can put your AirPods in their case and put it near your phone, leaving the case open. The amount of battery left for both the pods and the case should pop up on your phone screen.

You can also check the battery status of your AirPods with your iPhone by checking the “Today View” battery widget. You can add it to that screen for easy visibility. Another way to check how charged your case and pods are is to ask Siri for the battery level of your device. 

To check the battery from an Android device you will need to download the AirBattery app. 

If you hear a loud tone while listening to your AirPods, this may be indicating that your AirPods are low on battery. One tone will sound when the pods are at 10%, and another will sound shortly before they are at 0%. 

How Long Does a Charge Last For My AirPods?

The answer to this question will depend somewhat on which generation of AirPods you have. In general, five minutes of charging in a case should give your pods about an hour of listening time. 

AirPods can hold between 4.5-6 hours of listening time or 3.5-4 hours of talking time, depending on the generation of your product. When your case charges fully, it can give you 24-30 hours of listening time or 18-20 hours of talk time as long as you go back for a few recharges. 

This time will naturally become shorter as the product ages, and the batteries become older. The lithium-ion batteries used in these products naturally get worn out after repeat chargings. 

Why Else May My AirPods Not Be Working?

If you were asking if your AirPods are not working due to their lack of proximity to the case, but now you know that the far away case is not the case, you are probably wondering what else could be causing your AirPods to malfunction. 

If one or both of your AirPods will not connect to your device, you may need to turn your Bluetooth off and on again or make sure that your AirPods were charged enough in the first place. In some cases, you may need to fully reset your AirPods. Doing one of these things should take care of the most common issues.   

If you experience static, there may be a device interfering with the signal to your AirPods. Sometimes Wi-Fi can cause interference with the pods depending on what you are doing. So, you may want to experiment with turning off certain devices or Wi-Fi at certain times. 

If fully charged AirPods do not seem to be working, the issue may be with the device you are pairing with them. Ensure that you have updated everything. In some cases, you may need to reboot your device. 

Bottom Line

At the end of the day, you do not need to keep your charger with your air pods at all times. So, if you are worried about leaving your case somewhere while you are out but still want to jam out to your favorite music. 

However, you should ensure that the case does not stay separate from your air pods for too long. They must reunite as needed for charging. Keep in mind that your AirPods can hold a charge for between 4.5-6 hours depending on the generation you have, and plan your errands and jogs accordingly.