How to get your AirPods battery replaced

The battery of all electronic devices degrade over time, and AirPods are no exception. If your AirPods batteries are old, you’ll probably need to get them replaced. Here are a few different ways to get that done.

Follow the recommendations below if your AirPods battery does not last long, and these 12 AirPods battery-saving tips fail to bring any meaningful improvement.

Get AirPods battery replaced by Apple

Apple offers AirPods battery service.

Like other Apple products, AirPods have a one-year warranty in the United States and most other countries. On top of that, you can buy AppleCare+ to extend it to two years. Additionally, in some regions like the European Union, Australia, Saudi Arabia, you get two years of warranty due to the local consumer laws, and with AppleCare+, that may go to three years.

If your AirPods are under any of the above warranty programs, Apple will most likely replace your AirPods or fix the battery issue for free. However, if there aren’t manufacturing defects, AirPods battery mostly degrades and performs significantly poorly only after about one or two years of use. So, for most people, that means out of warranty!

If your AirPods with old, degraded, or damaged batteries are out of warranty, Apple can service them for you.

Apple charges the following battery service fee for AirPods:

• AirPods 1st and 2nd generation: $49 for each AirPod
• AirPods Pro: $49 for each AirPod
• AirPods Max: $79
• Any AirPods Charging Case: $49
• Any AirPods Wireless Charging Case: $49

The above prices do not include tax or shipping fees, which can be about $6.95.

Note: AirPods 3rd generation released in October 2021, which means the standard one year warranty is still in place for those truly wireless headphones.

How to check if your AirPods are covered by warranty or not

Here’s how to see your AirPods warranty status:

1) Get your AirPods serial number. To do that:

• Connect your AirPods to your iPhone and go to iPhone Settings > General > About. Scroll down and tap your AirPods name to see the serial number.
• Connect your AirPods and go to iPhone Settings > Bluetooth > (i) next to your AirPods, and you’ll see the serial number in the about section.
• If you can’t pair your AirPods, open the charging case lid and shine a bright light inside the lid. You’ll see the AirPods serial number. It’s 12 digits long.
• You can also find the serial number on the AirPods original box.

2) Visit Apple’s official Check Coverage page, enter the AirPods serial number here, solve the verification code, and click Continue.

Note: On iPhone, the Apple Support App Clip might show a card. You can tap View in Safari.

3) Here, you can see if Repairs and Service Coverage is expired or active.

Related: How to check the warranty status of your devices with the Apple Support app

What to do before taking your AirPods for battery repair to an Apple Store

Do the following to get your AirPods ready for service:

• Along with the AirPods, make sure you take its Charging Case to the Apple Store. Do the same if you’re shipping the AirPods for service.
• There is no need to bring or ship the Smart Case if you’re servicing your AirPods Max.
• If you’re shipping AirPods Pro for service, remove the ear tips. If you ship them, the Apple service center may not return them.
• You do not need to ship the Lightning cable or the charger.
• Using Apple’s Check Coverage page, it’s easy to check your remaining warranty. However, if you believe that the facts shown there are incorrect, make sure you take your valid AirPods proof of purchase (bill, receipt) along with you to the Apple Store.

With AirPods battery service, will Apple provide new or refurbished AirPods?

There’s no definitive answer for this, and it depends on your case and the Apple Service Center. You will receive a definite answer from the in-store Apple technician after they have inspected your AirPods.

Besides battery service, you also have other options like replacing a single or both lost AirPod(s) or the charging case. You can learn all about it on this official support page.

Use The Swap Club

With The Swap Club (formerly Podswap), you can “swap your current AirPods for a pair of the same generation with restored battery life.”

Here’s how it works:

1) Visit their website and choose AirPods Battery Replacement Swap (from $44.99) or Extra Loved AirPods Replacement Swap (from $39.99). With the latter slightly cheaper option, the AirPods you get have extra wear and tear on the outside while remaining “perfectly functional” in other aspects.

2) Choose 1st or 2nd generation of AirPods and place the order. You can also add the Charging Case.

3) You should receive AirPods from The Swap Club in about 3 to 5 days.

4) Test the received AirPods for a couple of days.

5) Return your old AirPods to The Swap Club within 5 days from the date of delivery of the AirPods you received from them. If you fail to ship your AirPods within 5 days, it will incur extra fees. To ship the AirPods, use the same Swap Club box in which you received the AirPods. The Swap Club already provides you with a prepaid shipping label. Just pack your AirPods and drop it at any USPS location or USPS drop box/collection box.

The Swap Club will replace the battery of your AirPods and sell it to someone else.

If you have any questions, you can reach their official support. Plus, before placing the order, make sure you read their AirPods swap eligibility requirements.

Note: The Swap Club is only available in the United States, and you can only swap AirPods 1st or 2nd generation. You can’t yet swap AirPods Pro or AirPods 3rd generation.

Related: How to pair and unpair AirPods with iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Replace AirPods battery yourself

For almost everyone, it’s not advisable to replace the AirPods battery yourself. The process is complex as AirPods are almost non-repairable. iFixit rated AirPods 1st, 2nd, 3rd generation, and AirPods Pro 0 out of 10 on their repairability score (with 10 being easiest to repair).

However, if you’re one with the required skills, iFixit has a handy guide with pictures and instructions to help you replace your AirPods battery.

Check out next:

• 20+ things to do and know after buying AirPods
• AirPods sounding too low? 19 tips to make them louder
• One AirPod stopped working? Here are 12 fixes
• Teardown analysis suggests AirPods charging case quality issues might have caused delayed launch

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