As we all know, Apple’s AirPods are some of the most desirable headphones currently on the market. They look great, they sound amazing, and their compatibility not just with the iPhone, but Android devices too, make them an easy choice for most consumers – even despite the hefty price tag.
So, if you’ve just got yourself a new pair, or even if you’re a long-time user facing this issue for the first time, you might begin to panic if you see an orange (or amber, as Apple calls it) light flashing on your AirPods case.
Well, don’t fear! Your AirPods blinking orange is nothing to worry about. Let me explain why!
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Why Your AirPods Are Blinking Orange
You’ll probably have noticed the small indicator light on the AirPods charging case. This is used to communicate information to the user about the status of both the AirPods and/or the charging case.
Different colored lights mean different things, as do the patterns in which those lights show. For example, a solid orange light means something very different from a blinking orange light. And that solid light means something different again depending on whether or not your AirPods are in the charging case.
We won’t go into too much detail about all the different combinations of light colors and what they mean in this article, but just to dispel any confusion, let’s talk about orange lights real quick.
- With AirPods in the case and a solid (not blinking) orange light = your AirPods are charging in the case.
- With AirPods not in the case and a solid (not blinking) orange light = your case doesn’t have enough charge to fully recharge your AirPods again.
- With AirPods in the case and the case connected to a power source, a solid (not blinking) orange light = your AirPods and the case are both charging.
- With AirPods in the case, a blinking orange light = there is a connection/pairing error with the AirPods.
So there you go, a flashing orange light on your AirPod charging case means that there is a connection or pairing issue with your AirPods.
So, if you’ve got a flashing orange light on your AirPods, what can you do about it? Let’s find out!
How to Fix a Blinking Orange Light
Because the orange light only tells us there is a ‘connectivity or pairing problem,’ and doesn’t specify any further than that, we won’t know exactly what is wrong, and exactly how to remedy it. So the best fixes for this problem are general ones that should iron out any glitches in the Bluetooth connection and get your AirPods fully connected once again.
Reset Your AirPods
Perhaps the simplest and most effective way to deal with this issue is to reset your AirPods and reconnect them to your phone.
We’ve covered this before, but here’s how to do it:
Tip: It’s best to have at least a 20-30% charge on both your AirPods and your case before you attempt this, just to avoid unwanted interruptions.
- Place your AirPods in the case and close the lid
- Wait for 30 seconds
- Open the case and place your AirPods in your ears
- On your mobile device, open Settings
- Tap Bluetooth
- If your AirPods are connected, tap the Information (i) button (If your AirPods are not in the list, skip the next step)
- Tap Forget This Device and Confirm
- Place the AirPods back in the charging case – keep the lid open
- Press and hold the Setup button on the back of the case for 15 seconds
- The indicator light should begin to flash orange/amber, then white
- Reconnect your AirPods:
- Keep your AirPods in the case
- Keep the lid open
- Keep the AirPods close to your device
- Follow the prompt on your device to reconnect
There we go! Your AirPods are now reset, and a new Bluetooth connection between them and your device should be established. This should iron out any connectivity and pairing issues.
If it doesn’t, continue on to the next fix.
Reset Your Device
As we all know, the power cycle is a formidable opponent to even the most irritating and persistent electrical problem. If resetting your AirPods didn’t solve the connection issue, power cycling your device, whether it’s a smartphone, a tablet, or a computer, will eradicate any runtime errors on that end of the connection.
All you have to do is simply turn off your device, leave it for around 1 minute, then power it back up and reconnect your AirPods.
If that doesn’t work, try these other quick fixes that might make a difference to your AirPods’ connection.
Fully Charge AirPods and Case
Electronic devices can start acting strange when they’re operating on their last dregs of battery life, and a compromised Bluetooth connection is just one thing that could occur if your AirPods are running low.
Fully charge both the AirPods and the case and see if that fixes the issue.
Update Your Device
It’s always, always beneficial to be running the latest version of any operating system. Sometimes, bugs can reveal themselves over time, and the developers will need to release an update to iron them out.
Ensure your device is fully up to date, as this will include firmware updates for your AirPods too. Your AirPods will download and install firmware updates automatically, but if you want to check you’re up to date, follow these steps:
- Open Settings on your device
- Tap Bluetooth
- Tap the Information (i) next to your AirPods
- Scroll to the About section to see what version you’re running
You can find the most current firmware versions on the Apple website. If you’re not on the latest one, update your operating system and leave your AirPods charging in the case close to your iPhone, iPad or Mac.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully one of the fixes listed above has solved your issue. Normally, resetting your AirPods will cure any kind of Bluetooth connection errors, so definitely try that one first. It might even be worth restarting your device as well, just to be on the safe side.
If none of these fixes have worked, you might have to resort to contacting Apple support. It may be that your AirPods are genuinely malfunctioning, and need to be repaired or replaced.
