Does AirPod Case Light Stay On When Charging?

31 Jan 2022

Does the AirPod case light stay on when it’s charging? What color should the light be? How can I check the battery’s percentage?

AirPod cases are more than a safe place to store your AirPods. And the status light has more than one function.

This article explores what happens when charging your AirPod case. Will the status light stay on while charging? How long should you charge your AirPod case?

Continue reading to find out.

Does the Status Light Stay on When Charging and What Do the Colors Mean?

The status light on the AirPod case stays on for 8 seconds after it’s placed on charge. A steady amber or orange light means it’s charging.

That light is a sure indicator that everything is working right.

Wondering which AirPods have the light on the outside of the case? AirPods with a wireless or MagSafe case have the light on the outside. Generation 1 and 2 have wired cases and the light is inside the case.

The location of the light makes no difference. It shows the charging status, regardless of its location.

Below, we discuss what the different light colors mean.

But first, if your AirPod case is flashing red, take it to the Apple store. Their techs can examine it to determine the problem.

Amber Status Light

Amber Light When the Case is Empty

An amber or orange light with the case empty means that the case needs to be charged. It doesn’t have enough juice to provide a full charge for the AirPods.

Once the case is fully charged, it can then charge the AirPods without a power source.

Amber Light With AirPods Inside the Case

If it’s amber with the AirPods inside, this means the AirPods are charging. If you placed the AirPods in the case when it was already amber, both might need a recharge.

You can use your device to check the battery status if you’re unsure. This will tell you the battery status of both the AirPods and the case.

Flashing Amber Light

Is your AirPod case flashing orange instead? This indicates a pairing or connection error to your device. You might need to reset the AirPods for this.

A quick factory reset will resolve many common AirPod issues.

Green Status Light

A green status light indicates that the AirPods are fully charged. Of course, the case might remain green once the AirPods are out.

Green Light When the Case is Empty

If the light is green and the case is empty, it means it has at least one full charge. By this, we mean that it can fully charge your AirPods at least once.

If it’s green while connected to a power source then the case is fully charged.

A Flashing Green Light

If your AirPod case is flashing green, then you have a problem. It means that one or both AirPods are not recognized by the case.

This could be because the AirPods and/or case are dirty. There could be an obstruction in the case too. Or you might need a factory reset.

White Status Light

The white status light indicates that your AirPods are ready to connect. This light will only come on once you press the button on the case.

Don’t press the button while the case is connected to a power source. If you need to charge the case while using the AirPods, first connect to your device.

Once the AirPods are connected, and in use, you can then charge the case.

No Status Light

If there’s no status light on your case then the battery is dead. The light should go on as soon it’s connected to a power source.

What happens if the light still doesn’t come on?

If this happens, you should take the case to an Apple store. This is not something that a reset will fix. You need a charged case for the reset to work. If the case is dead, and not charging, there’s nothing you can do.

Take it to the store and they’ll examine it. There’s a pretty good chance that you’ll need a replacement. If you’ve had it for a few years, then it might be at the end of its lifespan.

If not, it could be a manufacturing defect, damage from a fall, or a result of overcharging.

How to Check the Battery Percentage

You’ve put your AirPods in their case and the light is amber. You might be unsure what this means. Are the AirPods charging? Does the case need to be charged too?

Above we stated that you can check the charging status with your device. This will tell you if the AirPods are charging or if the case needs a recharge.

Check with iPhone

Checking the battery percentage on your iPhone is pretty easy. Follow the same steps you would when connecting the AirPods to your phone.

Place your unlocked phone near the charging AirPods. Open the AirPod case and leave the AirPods inside.

A connection animation will pop up on your screen. It will show the battery percentage for each AirPod and the case.

The little black lightning bolts beside the battery icon indicate that it's charging.

Use the Today View on iPhone

You can use the Today View on your phone to check the battery status. A Batteries Widget is usually on the Today View screen.

If it’s not, it’s easy enough to add.

Tap the “edit” button on the bottom of the screen.
Tap the “+” icon at the top of the screen.
Scroll until you find the “Batteries” option and tap it.
You’ll be given several sizes and information options. Tap the one you want.
You can now tap “done” at the top of the screen.

You will now see the AirPods and case battery percentage in your Today View.

Ask Siri

When asking Siri for anything, you need to be careful with your wording. Siri can misunderstand and give you the battery percentage for your phone instead.

You might need to ask again if the answer doesn’t make sense.

Be specific and clarify if you want the charging status for the AirPods, the case, or both. So it can be something like: “How much battery does my AirPod case have?”.

Checking the AirPods Battery Percentage on an Android Phone

Download the AirBattery App

AirPods are compatible with any Bluetooth-capable device. For this reason, it’s not uncommon to use them with Android phones.

If you have an Android device, you can download AirBattery from the Play store.

Once the app is installed, all you have to do is open the case. Keep your phone unlocked and near the open case while it’s charging.

A pop-up will appear on your screen, much like with Apple devices. This will show you the AirPods battery status and percentage.

Please note that some users have reported issues with their devices while using this app. Most notable is the battery drain on the device.

Alternative to AirBattery: Check the Bluetooth Menu

You might find the battery status in the Bluetooth menu on the connected device. But for this, the AirPods would have to be in use.

This option likely won’t work with the AirPods in this case. You also won’t be able to see the charging status of the case.

Either way, it might be best to try this option first. You might not even need AirBattery. But it does depend on your Android’s capabilities and compatibility with the AirPods.

How Long to Charge AirPods?

AirPods can stay in their case indefinitely; they’re made that way. And as long they’re in a fully-charged case, they’ll stay charged too. Think of the case as a power bank for your AirPods.

This is especially great if you’re without a power source for an extended period. As long the case is charged, you can always recharge the AirPods.

AirPods take about 30-minutes to fully charge. This will give you 5-hours of listening time and 3-hours of talking time.

The AirPod case needs an hour to fully charge. Once fully charged, you can use it to charge the AirPods up to 4 times.

This is equal to roughly 30-hours of listening time for Generation 3 AirPods. Gen 1, Gen 2, and AirPods Pro will have up to 24-hours of usage time.

AirPods and their cases won’t ever overcharge. The case will stop the flow of current once it reaches 100-percent.

This works just as well when using an AirPod case cover. Users may be hesitant to buy these cool covers, but they don’t hinder wired or wireless charging. And you can accessorize with a matching iPad case too.

Even though the AirPod case will try to preserve its battery, it will still deteriorate. After about 2-years, the battery will run down faster and won’t hold a charge for as long.

Final Word

The AirPods case status light shows the charging or connection status.

An amber or orange light indicates that it’s charging. When the light turns green, the AirPods are fully charged. The light stays on for 8 seconds. If the amber or green light is flashing, you have a problem.

A white light means it's ready to connect to your device(s). No light means it's dead and needs a recharge.

You can check the battery percentage on your iOS or Android device. If it’s an Android device, you might need to download the AirBattery app.

An AirPod case is not only a safe storage space but also a power bank. You don’t need a power source as long as your case is fully charged.

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