How to Check AirPods Battery Health and Battery Life
Quick Answer
To check current battery level: open the AirPods case near your iPhone and a popup appears showing charge percentage for each AirPod and the case. Alternatively, add the Batteries widget to your iPhone home screen or open Control Center on iPhone to see the widget. On Mac, click the Bluetooth icon and hover over your AirPods. For battery health (degradation over time), there is no built-in Apple display — see the alternatives below.
AirPods show their current battery level in several places across Apple devices — but battery health as a percentage (in the way iPhones do) is not currently surfaced by Apple for AirPods. This distinction matters: you can easily check how much charge your AirPods have right now, but measuring how much total capacity the batteries have lost over time requires a different approach. This guide covers both.
Check AirPods Battery Level on iPhone
Method 1 — Open the Case Near iPhone
- Ensure your AirPods are paired with your iPhone and within Bluetooth range.
- Open the AirPods case lid (with AirPods inside).
- Hold the case near your iPhone.
- A popup appears automatically on the iPhone screen showing the battery percentage for each AirPod and the case.
This is the quickest method and works for all AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max.
Method 2 — Batteries Widget on iPhone
- Long-press any empty space on the iPhone home screen to enter edit mode.
- Tap the + in the top-left corner.
- Search for Batteries and add the widget to your home screen.
The Batteries widget shows charge levels for all connected Apple devices, including AirPods, Apple Watch, and iPhone. It updates automatically whenever the AirPods are in Bluetooth range and the case is open.
Method 3 — Settings → Bluetooth
- Open Settings → Bluetooth.
- Find your AirPods in the list.
- Tap the ⓘ icon next to them.
- Battery levels for each AirPod and the case are shown at the top of this screen.
Check AirPods Battery Level on Mac
- Menu bar: Click the Bluetooth icon → hover over your AirPods — battery levels appear in the dropdown.
- Control Center: Click Control Center (top-right menu bar on macOS Monterey+) → click Bluetooth → hover over AirPods.
- System Settings → Bluetooth: Click your AirPods in the list to see battery percentages.
Check AirPods Battery Level on Apple Watch
- Swipe up from the watch face to open Control Center.
- Tap the battery percentage to expand the Battery view.
- Connected AirPods appear below the watch battery reading.
AirPods Battery Health — Why Apple Does Not Show It
Apple surfaces a battery health percentage for iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and Apple Watch — but not for AirPods. The reason is practical: AirPods use very small batteries (typically 50–93 mWh per AirPod) and the battery management ICs in them do not expose capacity degradation data through the standard Apple diagnostic channels in a user-accessible way.
AirPods are also designed as consumable accessories with a 5-year serviceability commitment — Apple's expectation is that after 2–3 years, most users upgrade rather than replace the batteries.
How to Assess AirPods Battery Health Indirectly
Although there is no health percentage, declining AirPods battery health shows up in two measurable ways:
- Reduced playback time: AirPods (2nd gen) are rated for up to 5 hours of listening per charge. If yours now run out in 2–3 hours under the same conditions, significant degradation has occurred.
- Reduced case recharge cycles: The case holds additional charge for multiple top-ups. If the AirPods need more case recharges per day than they used to, both the AirPods batteries and case battery have degraded.
AirPods Battery Replacement Options
AirPods batteries are not user-replaceable — the buds are sealed units. Apple offers battery service:
| Model | Out-of-warranty battery service cost (per earbud) |
|---|---|
| AirPods (all generations) | $49 per earbud |
| AirPods Pro (1st & 2nd gen) | $49 per earbud |
| AirPods Max | $79 per cup |
AppleCare+ for AirPods covers battery service at no charge if capacity falls below 80% within the coverage period. Without AppleCare+, the cost of replacing both earbuds often approaches the price of refurbished AirPods — compare pricing before committing to a repair.
FAQs
Why do my AirPods die faster than they used to?
Lithium-ion cells in AirPods degrade with use like any battery. After 500+ charge cycles (roughly 1–2 years of daily use), total capacity drops noticeably. There is no way to restore capacity — the only fix is battery service through Apple or replacement of the AirPods.
Is there an app to check AirPods battery health percentage?
Apps on the App Store that claim to show AirPods battery health percentage are reading the same charge level data available natively (how much charge is left right now), not total capacity degradation. iOS sandboxing prevents apps from accessing deeper battery health data that Apple does not expose for AirPods. Be skeptical of apps making promises beyond what Settings shows.
How do I check if one AirPod drains faster than the other?
The iPhone popup and Batteries widget show individual charge levels for left and right AirPods. If one consistently shows noticeably less charge than the other after the same use period, that earbud's battery has degraded more. Apple can replace a single earbud rather than both.
How many years do AirPods batteries last?
AirPods batteries are typically rated for 500+ charge cycles before reaching 80% of original capacity. At one full charge cycle per day, that is roughly 1.5 years. Most users see noticeably reduced playback time by the 2-year mark. Light users who do not fully discharge daily may get 2.5–3 years before degradation becomes pronounced.
Can I replace AirPods battery myself?
Technically possible with specialized micro-soldering tools, but AirPods are not designed for user repair — they are sealed with adhesive and the batteries are tiny and fragile. iFixit has attempted teardowns and rates AirPods repairability at 0/10. DIY repair carries a high risk of destroying the buds entirely. Apple service or replacement is the practical option.
Summary
AirPods current battery level is easy to check — open the case near iPhone for an instant popup, or use the Batteries widget and Control Center. Battery health as a declining percentage is not surfaced by Apple for AirPods. Assess degradation indirectly by tracking playback time against the original spec. When runtime has dropped significantly, Apple offers battery service at $49 per earbud, though the cost sometimes makes replacement the more practical choice.