While AirPods provide an incredibly comfortable hands-free listening experience that barely requires you to lift a finger to listen to all your favorite songs and podcasts, there is unfortunately the inevitable downside that they will need to be charged up from time to time.
With new AirPod models being released over the years, the amount of time it takes to fully charge each variant can actually differ quite a bit.
However, it’s always handy to know how long they will take when you need them ready for your next outdoor venture.
Here is how long it takes to charge each type of AirPod (see also ‘How To Add AirPods To Find My iPhone‘).
AirPods (1st Generation)
The first generation of AirPods were released in 2016 and while they may not have as many of the additional features and unique functions as its two successors, this does mean it’s much easier and quicker to charge fully.
When the 1st generation AirPods are completely drained, they will take on average 35 minutes to fully charge, having the fastest charge time out of all three models.
AirPods (2nd Generation)
Released a few years later in 2019, the second generation of AirPods possess a slight improvement in audio and voice quality than their predecessor, along with full voice-activation to use Siri.
These functionalities do mean that the 2nd generation will require more time to charge. On average, this is usually around 45 minutes to an hour if they are fully depleted.
AirPods (3rd Generation) & AirPods Pro
The third generation of AirPods were then released in 2021 with some incredibly unique features that made it stand out from the previous two models, such as the spatial audio feature and its far longer battery life.
Because of how much is built into these AirPods, they will often take at least 1 hour to charge up when fully depleted, so if they run out, you may need to make sure you can set a bit of time aside to charge them up before they’ll be good to go again.
It should be noted that with both the third-generation AirPods and the AirPods Pro, with just 5 minutes of charging time in the case you will get around an hour of listening or talking time which is incredibly useful when you don’t want to wait around and just want to listen or call someone for a short amount of time.
How To Know When Your AirPods Are Fully Charged
To check how charged your AirPods are, you will first need to locate the status light in the case.
If you’re using an AirPods Pro or third generation, the status light will be on the front of the case, however for the previous two generation models, it can be found inside the case as soon as you flick the lid open.
You can tell when the AirPods are fully charged because the light will turn green.
Always make sure that you do have the AirPods inserted correctly into the case however as if the case doesn’t detect the AirPods, then it can still have a green status light which instead means that the case is fully charged instead.
An amber light will mean that your AirPods are currently being charged, however if this amber light is flashing, then it can mean that something has gone wrong such as a pairing error, however this can often be easily fixed by resetting the AirPods.
If no light appears, the AirPods are completely dead and need to be charged up before you can use them again.
How To Check AirPods Battery Percentage
If you’re not sure whether your AirPods will need to be charged up pretty soon and you want to check, luckily this can be done easily by swiping to the Batteries widget menu on your phone where the weather and any personal reminders will be shown.
At the very top of this menu, you will see the battery percentage for your AirPods and your case if you have a wireless one.
If you have a wireless case and the AirPods Pro, you can also open the case lid with the AirPods inside and hold it close to the iPhone, which will display the battery for the earphones and the case on the screen.
How Long Will The AirPods Battery Last When Fully Charged?
When fully charged, the 1st Generation AirPods will have a battery life of 5 hours.
However, you can keep re-charging them on the go with the carrying case which can give you over 24 hours of battery overall (see also ‘Why Are My AirPods Dying So Fast?‘).
The 2nd Generation also has a 5 hour battery life but also comes equipped with a much longer talk time of 3 hours with a single charge.
The 3rd Generation AirPods will last a little longer at 6 hours when fully charged up but can be used for over 30 hours when refilled using the carrying case.
As for the AirPods Pro, they have the shortest battery life at only 4.5 hours with a single charge, along with 3.5 hours of talking time, which is still a good amount for any activity, just make sure you always have your charging case handy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Do AirPods Cases Take To Charge?
All variants of Apple’s AirPods cases should be fully charged in around an hour.
If the amber light is showing for much longer than this, it can mean that something has gone wrong or that the battery might be failing, however just to be sure, it’s always worth trying to charge it for at least an hour and a half.
It can also be a good idea to try charging the case without the AirPods in if you want to try and charge it up faster.
Summary
The good news is that if you’re using your AirPods regularly, they won’t take more than an hour to fully charge back up, depending on the model you own.
However always keep your charging case with you so that you can get as much usage out of these fantastic earphones as possible.
From a young age, I have always had a big interest in technology, and this blog is an extension of that interest. Through this blog, I hope to provide others with all of the information they need regarding tech options to consider, and things such as compatibility. Some of the different items I will be discussing include headphones, smartwatches, and how to fix common issues.
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