AirPods Flashing White But Not Connecting | Reasons And Solutions!

AirPods show white light when connecting with a device. Soon, the white light turns into green, indicating your AirPods are paired. But, sometimes, you may see your AirPods flashing white light for too long but not connecting to any device. Many reasons can lead to this issue, frustrating those who want to use their AirPods. There are many quick and easy ways to fix this problem. Let’s explore some of them in detail in the guide below!

Why Are My AirPods Flashing White Light But Not Connecting? Possible Reasons!

Here are some of the possible reasons why my AirPods are flashing a white light but not connecting to your device:

How To Fix AirPods Flashing White But Not Connecting? Quick Fixes?

Your AirPods may be flashing white but facing connectivity problems for any of the above reasons. Let’s look at how you can fix AirPods flashing white but not connecting in the following step-by-step methods.

Recharge Your AirPods

When your AirPods have zero battery left, they might not connect, and the light blinks white. To fix this, charge them for 20-30 minutes. After they’re charged, connect to a device. If they pair, a green light will appear on the case.

Remember that your AirPods may show a blinking orange light after you charge them. It means there is a battery left but too little to connect to your phone. In such a case, leave the AirPods on charging for 20-30 minutes and then connect them to your phone. A green light will indicate enough battery to connect to your device.

Clean Their Case

Cleaning your AirPods is one of the easiest ways to resolve AirPods flashing white without establishing a connection. Carefully remove your AirPods from their case and inspect for dirt or debris.

Please ensure the sensors on the AirPods are clean, as dirty sensors make it hard for the case to register them. As a result, the AirPods won’t connect to the paired device.

Here are some tips to keep in mind while cleaning AirPods and their case:

  • Avoid using any harsh cloth. A soft, lint-free cloth is the best choice for cleaning AirPods.
  • Gently wipe all over the case. You may use a cotton swab for the inside, but be gentle.
  • An anti-static brush is also great for removing dirt and debris.
  • If you use a slightly wet cloth, avoid wiping the speaker grill and other openings in the casing.

After you are done cleaning your AirPods, try connecting them with the paired device.

Disable/Enable the Bluetooth

It is another easy way to resolve AirPods flashing white but not connecting. You must disable and re-enable Bluetooth on the paired device.

It’s because turning Bluetooth off and on on the device can help AirPods connect again by refreshing the wireless connection. This can clear any minor glitches or errors causing connectivity problems.

Carry out these steps:

  • Ensure you have put AirPods in the case and closed the lid.
  • Go to Settings on your iPhone and find Bluetooth.
Why Are My AirPods Flashing White But Not Connecting? Possible Reasons And Solutions 1
Choosing Bluetooth on iPhone
  • Toggle the button to disable Bluetooth (it will be grayed out).
Disabling Bluetooth
Disabling Bluetooth
  • Wait a minute and toggle the button again to re-enable the Bluetooth (it will be green this time).
Enabling Bluetooth Again
Enabling Bluetooth Again
  • Take the AirPods out of their case and see if they pair with the iPhone.

Reconnect Your AirPods

Seeing a white light for too long can also mean your AirPods may be trying to connect with different devices simultaneously. An easy way to fix this is to turn off Bluetooth on all the nearby devices and reconnect your AirPods with one device.

Let’s see how to do that to resolve AirPods flashing white but not connecting:

  • Open Settings on your iPhone (or any other paired device) and go to Bluetooth.
Why Are My AirPods Flashing White But Not Connecting? Possible Reasons And Solutions 4
Opening Settings and Selecting Bluetooth on iPhone
  • In the list of paired devices, find your AirPods and tap the i sign next to their name.
Tapping on ‘i’ Sign in the list of Paired Devices
Tapping on ‘i’ Sign in the list of Paired Devices
  • Select Forget the Device at the end to remove your AirPods as a paired device from your iPhone.
Selecting Forget the Device Option
Selecting Forget the Device Option
  • Wait for a few seconds and open the AirPods lid.
  • Look for nearby devices in your iPhone, then select your AirPods’ name from Other Devices and tap to pair.
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Selecting AirPod from Other Devices
  • Finally, tap Connect to successfully re-pair the iPhone with your AirPods.
Why Are My AirPods Flashing White But Not Connecting? Possible Reasons And Solutions 8
Re-pairing iPhone with AirPods

Update Your AirPods

As mentioned earlier, outdated AirPods face connectivity issues because of their incompatibility with newer devices. So, ensure your AirPods (Gen 1, 2, 3, or AirPods Pro) are updated to resolve AirPods flashing white but not connecting.

Ensure your AirPods are charging and your paired device has an active internet connection. Then, follow these steps:

  • Place the charging AirPods near your iPhone (or any other paired device).
  • Please wait some time, let it download any available updates, and install automatically.

Keep your AirPods on charge during the entire updating process. Once fully charged your AirPods, reconnect them with the paired device. Hopefully, a green light will appear, indicating there are no connectivity problems.

Please note that you cannot update your AirPods without an iOS device like an iPhone or iPad. So, if you use your AirPods with an Android device, you can not update your AirPods.

Update Your Device

A common reason behind AirPods flashing white but not connecting is the outdated software on the paired device. You may update your AirPods, but the paired device may not have the latest software to pair to the AirPods.

For that, make sure your iPhone (or any other paired device) is updated. Here’s how to do that:

  • Open Settings on your paired device and navigate to General.
Why Are My AirPods Flashing White But Not Connecting? Possible Reasons And Solutions 9
Opening General from iPhone Settings
  • Go to Software Update.
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Going to Software Update
  • Select Check for updates to see if any updates are available.
  • If yes, tap Download and Install to update your iOS device.
Why Are My AirPods Flashing White But Not Connecting? Possible Reasons And Solutions 11
Downloading and Installing iOS Updates
  • Restart your iOS device. 

An interesting thing to note here is that this method would also work for Android devices. You can update your Android phone by going to Settings. Find System or System & Updates and select Software Update. Tap Check for Updates and see if any updates are available. Tap Download to begin the update process. Once downloaded, tap Install. Restart your phone to complete the process.

Hard Reset Your AirPods

If nothing works when AirPods flashing white but not connecting, a hard reset may be the solution. It fixes connectivity problems and returns your AirPods to how they were when you got them. This means your AirPods forget the old devices you connected to them. There is nothing to worry about, as you can always pair your AirPods with a device again.

Let’s see how you can reset your AirPods:

  • Put your AirPods in their case and close the lid.
  • Wait for at least 30 seconds. Then, open the case lid.
  • Press and hold the setup button on the back of the case. The light will blink amber a few times and then white. This means your AirPods are reset.

Once your AirPods are reset, you can connect them to your iPhone. But you must pair them again to your device to use them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does A Green And Orange Light On The AirPod Case Mean?

A green light on AirPods means they are fully charged and ready to connect the phone. But an orange light indicates a lower battery, and you should put your AirPods to charge.

How Do I Check If My AirPods Are Original?

You can check if your AirPods are original by opening Settings on the paired device. Go to Bluetooth and select the i icon next to your AirPods’ name. Copy the serial code of your AirPods and paste it into the Apple Coverage Checker. Fill in the captcha and tap Submit. The website will show all the details about your AirPods if they are original.

Can I Contact Apple Service Centre If My AirPods Are Not Original?

Sadly, you cannot contact Apple Service Centre if your AirPods are not original. It’s because Apple Service Centre doesn’t cover first-copy/fake AirPods. In such a case, you might need to explore alternative re-pair options to fix the issue. Try looking for third-party service providers in such a case.

Conclusion

Ultimately, you can fix AirPods flashing white but not connecting with many practical methods. You can resolve the connectivity issues as long as your AirPods are original. You must recharge them, re-enable Bluetooth, or update them. Also, you can take your AirPods to an Apple Service Centre for further examination. But if your AirPods are first-copy/fake, you can still use the solutions mentioned in this guide. As for additional why is my AirPods flashing white without stable connection, you can look for third-party service providers to help you fix your AirPods.