Check battery on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac

The easiest way to see your AirPod Pro battery is to open the case near your unlocked iPhone, iPad, or Mac. A battery card appears on your screen showing the charge level of each earbud and the case itself. This works when ready—no app to open, no steps to follow.

If the card does not appear, swipe left on your home screen (iPhone or iPad) or click the Notification Center in the top right corner (Mac) to reach the widgets panel. Look for a Batteries widget. If you do not see one, tap the edit button (the plus sign), search for "Batteries," and add it. Once the widget is on your screen, open your AirPod Pro case near your device and the battery levels will show there.

Key Takeaways

  • Opening your AirPod Pro case near an unlocked iPhone, iPad, or Mac displays a battery card showing the charge of both earbuds and the case.
  • If the battery card does not appear automatically, add the Batteries widget to your home screen or notification center to see levels on demand.
  • Your AirPods will play a low-battery tone in your ear when one earbud drops below 10 percent charge.
  • Battery percentage appears in the Batteries widget even when your AirPods are not in the case, as long as they are connected to your device.

Use Siri to hear battery status out loud

If you want to know the battery level without looking at a screen, ask Siri. Say "Hey Siri, what is the battery level of my AirPods?" and Siri will tell you the percentage for each earbud and the case. This works on any Apple device where your AirPods are connected.

Siri gives you the exact percentage rather than a rough estimate, so you know whether you have 45 percent or 48 percent remaining. This is useful if you are about to leave home and want to know whether you need to charge before you go.

Recognize the low-battery warning tone

When one earbud reaches 10 percent battery, you will hear a tone in that ear. The tone is a single beep, distinct from your music or calls. Once you hear it, you have roughly 1 hour of listening time left on that earbud before it shuts off.

If both earbuds are low, you will hear the tone in both ears. The case itself does not give an audio warning—you must check the battery card or ask Siri to know the case charge. Plan to charge your case when you see it at 20 percent or lower if you use your AirPods throughout the day.

Check battery in the Settings app

You can also find battery information in your device settings. On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, then Bluetooth, then tap the information icon (the small "i" in a circle) next to your AirPods Pro. The battery percentage for each earbud and the case appears on that screen.

On Mac, open System Settings, click Bluetooth in the sidebar, find your AirPods Pro in the list, and click the information icon next to them. The same battery breakdown shows there. This method takes longer than the battery card, but it works if you prefer to keep all your device information in one place.

Understand what the percentages mean

Each earbud has its own battery. If one earbud is at 60 percent and the other is at 30 percent, you can still use both, but the 30 percent earbud will die first. Once one earbud dies, you can still listen with the other earbud alone—the case does not need to be charged for this to work.

The case battery is separate from the earbud batteries. A fully charged case can recharge your earbuds about 6 times before the case itself needs to plug into power. If your case is at 5 percent, it may not have enough charge to fully refill both earbuds, so charge the case first.

Charge your AirPods when battery runs low

Place your AirPods Pro in the case and close the lid. The case begins charging them when ready. A full charge takes about 15 to 20 minutes per earbud when the case is plugged in. If the case is not plugged in, the earbuds charge from the case battery, which is slower.

To charge the case itself, connect it to a USB-C cable (AirPods Pro use USB-C, not Lightning). A full case charge takes about 30 minutes. While the case charges, a small LED light on the front shows the charge status—amber means charging, green means fully charged.

Troubleshoot if battery information will not show

If the battery card does not appear when you open your case, make sure your AirPods Pro are paired to your device. Go to Bluetooth settings and confirm they are listed as connected. If they are not, forget the AirPods and pair them again by holding the setup button on the case for 15 seconds until the light flashes white.

If the battery card still does not appear, restart your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Close all apps, turn the device off completely, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on. Then open your AirPods case near the device again. If you still see no battery information after restarting, your AirPods may need a firmware update, which happens automatically when they are near a charged device connected to Wi-Fi.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does one earbud show lower battery than the other?

Each earbud charges and drains independently. If you use one earbud more than the other, or if one earbud was in the case longer during charging, they will have different levels. This is normal and does not mean anything is wrong. Both will eventually drain to zero if you keep using them.

Can I see battery percentage on my Apple Watch?

Yes. On your Apple Watch, swipe up from the bottom to open Control Center, then look for the battery percentage display. If your AirPods are connected to your watch, their battery level appears there alongside your watch battery. This works the same way as on iPhone.

What happens if my AirPods die during a call?

If one earbud dies mid-call, the call continues on the other earbud. If both earbuds die, the call drops and your device will try to switch to the speaker or another audio output. The person on the call will hear the switch happen. Charge your AirPods before they reach 5 percent if you plan to take calls.

Does the battery percentage update in real time?

The battery card updates when you open your case or when you ask Siri. It does not update continuously while you are listening. If you check the battery, close the case, listen for 10 minutes, and check again, the percentage will be lower. The Settings app updates more frequently than the battery card, but still not in real time.

Why is my case battery draining when I am not using my AirPods?

The case drains slowly even when closed because it maintains a connection to your device. This is normal. A fully charged case can hold its charge for several weeks if you do not use your AirPods. If the case drains much faster than that, try forgetting and re-pairing your AirPods, or contact Apple Support.