How to Factory Reset Your AirPods

Support Article | University PC Care

If your AirPods or AirPods Pro aren’t working correctly — like not charging, not connecting, or acting strangely — a factory reset can often resolve the issue. Resetting your AirPods also removes them from your Apple ID, making them ready for resale or pairing with a new device.

Follow the steps below to safely reset your AirPods to their factory settings.

When Should You Reset Your AirPods?

You're giving them to someone else or selling them
They won’t connect to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac
One or both AirPods aren’t charging or playing audio
You want to pair them with a different Apple ID
You’re getting errors like "Connection Failed" or "Not Your AirPods"

What You’ll Need

Your AirPods or AirPods Pro
The charging case
A device like an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to forget the AirPods from

Step-by-Step: How to Factory Reset Your AirPods

1. Put the AirPods in the Charging Case

Place both AirPods inside the charging case
Close the lid and wait about 30 seconds

2. Forget the Device on Your iPhone or iPad

Before resetting, remove the AirPods from your iCloud account:

Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad
Tap Bluetooth
Find your AirPods in the list and tap the ⓘ (info) icon
Tap Forget This Device, then confirm

This step ensures they’re removed from your Apple ID and Find My network.

3. Reset the AirPods

Open the lid of the charging case (AirPods still inside)
Press and hold the setup button on the back of the case
Keep holding for about 15 seconds until the LED light on the front (or inside the case) flashes amber, then white

This means your AirPods have been successfully reset.

4. Reconnect if Needed

If you’re keeping the AirPods, simply bring them near your iPhone and open the lid — a setup animation will appear to guide you through reconnecting.

Need Help?

Still having issues after the reset? Whether it's a charging case that won't charge, an AirPod not playing audio, or pairing failures — our technicians can help.

📍 Visit us at University PC Care
📞 Call: (252) 558-1280
📧 Email: support@universitypccare.com