Can you use another airpod case to charge your airpods

  • If your AirPods are not charging, make sure your case has its own charge and the charging light is on.
  • Your AirPods should charge whenever they're in the charging case, but sometimes they don't work as expected.
  • If all else fails, you might need to factory reset your AirPods or get them serviced by Apple. 

Your AirPods are designed to give you at least 4.5 hours of listening time on a single charge, and as much as 30 hours when you keep topping it off from the charging case (your actual mileage may vary depending upon which model AirPods you own).

But sometimes things go awry, and your AirPods don't charge the way they're supposed to. Here is a handful of reasons why this can happen and how to fix it.

Does your AirPod case have enough charge?

As a general rule, you should be able to put your AirPods in your case, and the case's battery will recharge the earbuds. That only works, though, if the case has enough stored power. 

To find out, put your AirPods in the case and close the lid. Then bring the case close to your iPhone and open the lid. Wait a few moments, and a status screen should appear, indicating the charge in both the AirPods and the case.

If the case's battery is empty — or has less than about 10% battery life — then the AirPods won't get a charge. You'll have to plug the case into power to charge it up. 

The status screen will tell you if the case has enough battery life to charge your AirPods. Dave Johnson

Does the charging case light come on?

When you try to charge your AirPods, the status light on the charging case should come on when first plugged in or placed on the wireless charging pad.

If it does not, that's a strong indication the problem isn't with the AirPods, but it's with the charging case (or elsewhere). 

Try charging them overnight

On rare occasions — but especially when the earbuds have been completely drained — it takes longer than you expect to recharge them. In fact, there are situations where they won't start charging normally for a few hours.

Plug the AirPods in to charge and leave them there overnight. Check again in the morning to see if they have finally charged normally. 

Clean your AirPods

It's possible that your AirPods charging contacts are dirty enough that they can't make a solid charging connection.

Inspect the charging connections, and then clean both the AirPods and the charging case. Be careful (but thorough) and then try to charge them again afterward.   

Factory reset your AirPods

If you tried everything else and they're still not charging, your AirPods might have a glitch that a factory reset can resolve. Unfortunately, you'll have to re-pair your AirPods and this will wipe out any saved settings, so only do this if nothing else has worked so far. 

Put your AirPods in the case. Start the Settings app and then tap Bluetooth. Find the entry for your AirPods and then tap the i to the right. Tap Forget this Device and confirm this is what you want to do.

After that, you can open the lid and set up your AirPods again. If setup isn't automatic, press and hold the button on the back of the case to start the setup process.

If all else fails, reset your AirPods and then pair them with your phone again. Dave Johnson

If none of these troubleshooting steps can get your AirPods back in operation again, reach out to Apple customer service. You probably have a hardware problem with your AirPods or charging case, and may need service or replacement. 

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.

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AirPods are one of the most popular audio devices to have ever been rolled out. 

Their wireless capability is impressive, getting rid of all the hustles of cables and wires. 

However, this means that they have to be charged, and we all know what that means. 

You can charge your AirPods in someone else’s case. Contrary to popular belief, AirPods do not pose a challenge when placed in another case. All you have to do is place the AirPods in the case you’d like to charge in. 

The case must either be fully charged or connected to a charging device such as a Qi-certified charging mat, a USB-C to Lightning cable, or a USB to lightning cable. 

You can know whether the case has a charge when you look at the status light. 

The status light shows the status of the charge of the case when no AirPods are inside it and the status of the AirPods when they are in it. 

A green light is a positive indication of a fully charged device, while amber indicates a charge in the device, but it is less than when it is fully charged. 

A white light means that the AirPods are ready to be paired to a device. 

The status light is located at the center of the case when you open it. 

It is vital to understand these to ensure you use them correctly. 

To know the exact battery level of your AirPods, place them inside the charging case but keep the lid open. 

A pop-up will appear on your iPhone screen as you bring the phone closer to the case. 

The pop-up will show the level of both the case and the AirPods.

You can also check this through the notification center of your iPhone. 

After you get to the notification center, swipe right for other options, scroll down till you get to the battery level widget, which shows the level in all your devices, even the ones connected to your phone. 

You can also use Siri to know your battery level by saying ‘AirPod battery,’ and you will get a response.

An apple watch can also be used to get the battery percentage. 

First, you must ensure your AirPods are in the case. 

Then go to the control center of your watch and tap the battery icon. 

The battery level of your AirPods will be displayed there. 

You should always ensure your AirPods are appropriately charged for the best experience.

How Do You Connect Your Airpods to Your Devices?

To use your AirPods, you need to connect them to your devices. 

Here are some of the ways to connect them to different devices.

To connect your AirPods to your iPhone, do the following:

  • Ensure you have the latest version of iOS, especially if you are setting your AirPods up for the first time
  • Make sure your phone is on the home screen while holding it up next to an open chagrin case that has the AirPods in it
  • A setup pop-up will emerge on your iPhone and you will be required to tap ‘connect.’
  • If Siri is already set up, it is ready to use; otherwise, a step-by-step guide to the setup will be provided
  • Tap ‘done and your AirPods are ready to use with your iPhone

You can also connect another set of AirPods to one iPhone by repeating the above process with the second AirPods. 

Tap on the prompt to share audio temporarily. 

You will be asked to long-press the button at the back of the case. 

A notification will inform you that the guest pair is connected.

To connect your AirPods to your Mac device, do the following:

  • While the AirPods are in your ears, click on the Apple icon on your menu bar followed by the system preference
  • Click on Bluetooth. You should ensure the Bluetooth device is on
  • Select AirPods from the list of available Bluetooth devices 
  • Put the AirPods back in the case with the lid open
  • Long press the setup button at the back of the case to complete the process

To connect your AirPods to an Android phone or non-apple device, do the following:

  • Put your AirPods in the charging case with the lid open
  • Long press the button at the back of the charging case till the status light turns white
  • Connect the AirPods through the Bluetooth option in your non-apple device and wait for a few seconds

It should be noted; however, other functions will not work when connected to a non-apple device, such as Automatic ear detection.

Can you use another airpod case to charge your airpods

How Long Do Fully Charged Airpods Last?

Fully charged AirPods offer the best experience and may last for quite some time. 

When your case has multiple charges, the AirPods give you more than 24 hours of listening time or 18 hours of talk time since you will be using two functions at once. 

A single charged case can last up to five hours of listening time or up to three hours of talking time.

When you charge your AirPods for only fifteen minutes, you get an astounding three hours of listening time or two hours of talk time. 

The AirPods always alert you when the battery is low by playing a tone, especially when only ten percent of battery life is left and another tone when the AirPods are turning off. 

You should always contact your service provider if you think there is a problem with your battery. 

+It is always advisable to use your AirPods when they are fully charged. 

How Can You Save the Battery Life of Your Airpods?

Everyone always wants to make sure they utilize their AirPods to the best of their ability without draining the battery or spoiling the battery life. 

One of the ways you can save your battery life is by using only one of the two AirPods at a time. 

This can be done by simply placing the AirPod you are not using in the charging case. 

The device automatically changes to mono mode but ensures that you still enjoy it as if you are using both AirPods. 

You can keep swapping them like this for a long time.

How Do You Change Your Airpods Name?

Your AirPod automatically names itself after your name only that the word ‘AirPod comes after. 

In case you are not satisfied, you can change this name through the following steps:

  • Go to the settings on your phone and tap on Bluetooth
  • Tap the ‘i’ beside the name of the AirPod
  • Please select the name of the AirPod and change it to your preferred choice.

It is as simple as ensuring you enjoy every part of the experience. 

What Are the Advantages of Using Airpods?

So, what are the advantages of using AirPods? First, you do not have to worry about either damaged cables or the cables tripping you every time they get caught up in an object. 

You can also forget about detangling all the wires every time you want to use them. 

There is also a great battery life ensuring you use them for long hours. 

The AirPods also switch easily between your iOS and Mac devices.

The AirPods also have excellent audio performance quality combined with a nice cancellation feature. 

The hands-free use is also great as you can receive calls without touching your phone or having to raise it to your ear. 

You can also operate Siri this way without necessarily touching your phone. 

You can also share music freely with your friends through the temporarily sharing option. 

Another advantage of using AirPods is you can always find them after you lose them through the ‘find my iPhone’ feature on your phone. 

All you need to do is download the App from the Appstore.

Do Airpods Need an Update?

Yes, AirPods do need to be updated once every few months. 

You should always ensure you keep updating your AirPods with every update that comes. 

Updating assures you get the latest features and firmware that may boost the security of your AirPods. 

This process is usually automatic when you connect your AirPods to an iPhone; otherwise, you might have to confirm the updates manually by:

  • Go to the general settings on the iPhone and tap ‘About’ then AirPods to see its firmware version.
  • If they are not running, you may manually run the updates by placing the AirPods in the charging case.
  • The charging case should be open to know the battery level, after which you should close it to let it update. This process takes less than half an hour.

Closing Thoughts

I have touched on various areas on this blog that are useful to using and operating AirPods while ensuring you understand that it is possible to use someone else’s case to charge your AirPods while showing you how to connect and operate them. 

It is advisable to have your charging case so that you do not inconvenience someone else, especially if they have a low charge. 

You may also be bothered when you are heading for a long journey and need to use them.