Check battery health directly on your iPhone or iPad
The fastest way to see your AirPods battery level is to open Control Center on your iPhone or iPad. Swipe down from the top-right corner (or up from the bottom, depending on your device), and look for the battery icon. Tap it, and you'll see the current charge percentage for each AirPod and the case. This tells you what's in the tank right now, but not the long-term health of the battery itself.
To see actual battery health — how much capacity your AirPods have lost over time — you need to go deeper. Open the Settings app, tap Bluetooth, find your AirPods in the list, and tap the information icon (the small "i" in a circle). Scroll down to find "Battery Health" or "Maximum Capacity". This percentage tells you how much of the original battery capacity remains. A new pair typically shows 100%; as they age, this number drops.
Use the Batteries widget for quick access
If you check your AirPods battery often, add the Batteries widget to your home screen or lock screen. Long-press your home screen, tap the plus icon, search for "Batteries", and add it. The widget shows the current charge of your AirPods, case, and any other paired devices at a glance without opening Settings.
This widget displays only current charge level, not maximum capacity or health. For health data, you still need to go through Settings. But for daily monitoring of whether your AirPods need charging, the widget is the quickest route.
Key Takeaways
- Battery level (what's charged now) appears in Control Center or the Batteries widget; battery health (how much capacity remains) is in Settings > Bluetooth > AirPods info.
- Maximum Capacity below 80% means your AirPods are aging and may not hold a charge as long as they did when new.
- Apple does not publish a specific lifespan for AirPods batteries, but most users see noticeable decline after two to three years of daily use.
- If maximum capacity drops below 50%, the AirPods may struggle to last through a full day, and replacement may be worth considering.
What maximum capacity percentage actually means
Maximum Capacity is the percentage of the original battery's full charge that your AirPods can still hold. A new pair at 100% can charge to their designed capacity. At 90%, they can only charge to 90% of that original design. At 70%, they hold 70% of what they held when new.
This matters because it directly affects how long a single charge lasts. If your AirPods originally played for six hours on a full charge and now show 70% maximum capacity, you can expect roughly four hours and twelve minutes per charge. The math is straightforward: current capacity times original runtime equals what you get now.
Apple considers a battery "degraded" once it drops below 80% maximum capacity. At that point, the battery has lost at least one-fifth of its original ability to hold a charge. Most users notice the difference around 75% to 80%, when a full charge no longer lasts through a full workday.
How battery health changes over time
Lithium batteries, which power AirPods, lose capacity every time they charge and discharge. This is normal and unavoidable. A typical AirPods battery loses roughly 10% to 15% of its maximum capacity per year with regular daily use. Heavy users who charge multiple times per day may see faster decline; light users may see slower decline.
Temperature affects the rate of decline. AirPods stored or used in hot environments (above 95°F) degrade faster than those kept at room temperature. Cold temperatures slow degradation but can also make the battery appear to have less charge temporarily — the battery recovers when it warms up.
Leaving your AirPods fully charged or fully drained for weeks at a time also accelerates degradation. The healthiest practice is to let them charge to 100%, use them, and recharge when they drop to around 20%. This cycle minimizes stress on the battery chemistry.
When to consider replacing your AirPods
There is no hard rule for when replacement makes sense — it depends on your budget and how much battery life you need. Most people find AirPods still usable at 70% maximum capacity, though the single-charge runtime is noticeably shorter. At 50% or below, a full charge may not last through a typical workday, and replacement becomes practical.
Apple does not offer battery replacement for standard AirPods (the second and third generation, or AirPods Pro). If the battery health drops too low, you must buy a new pair. AirPods Max do have a replaceable battery, but the service cost is significant. Check Apple's current pricing for your model before deciding.
If your AirPods are still under warranty (one year from purchase), and maximum capacity has dropped below 50% through normal use, contact Apple Support. They may replace the AirPods at no cost. After the warranty expires, replacement is your only option.
Troubleshooting if battery health looks wrong
Sometimes the battery health percentage in Settings does not match what you expect. If a new pair shows less than 100%, or if the number jumps around between checks, try these steps: forget the AirPods from Bluetooth settings, power them off completely (place them in the case and close the lid for 30 seconds), then re-pair them to your device. This forces your iPhone to refresh the battery data.
If maximum capacity still looks too low after re-pairing, the battery itself may be defective. Contact Apple Support with the serial number of your AirPods (found on the case or in Settings > General > About > AirPods). They can verify whether the battery is failing prematurely and discuss replacement options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my AirPods battery health show a different percentage on my iPhone than on my iPad?
Battery health syncs across your devices through iCloud, but the sync can lag by a few hours. If you see different numbers, wait a day and check again. If the discrepancy persists, forget the AirPods on both devices and re-pair them to the device you use most often. That device will become the primary source for battery data.
Can I improve my AirPods battery health once it starts to decline?
No. Battery degradation is permanent and chemical. You cannot restore lost capacity. You can only slow future degradation by keeping the AirPods at room temperature, avoiding full discharges, and not leaving them fully charged for weeks. Once capacity is lost, it stays lost.
What is the difference between battery level and battery health?
Battery level is how much charge is in your AirPods right now — like the fuel gauge in a car. Battery health is how much of the original tank capacity remains after aging — like the size of the fuel tank shrinking over time. Level changes every time you charge; health only changes as the battery ages.
Do AirPods Pro have better battery health than regular AirPods?
AirPods Pro and regular AirPods use similar lithium battery technology and degrade at roughly the same rate. AirPods Pro may show slightly different maximum capacity numbers because they have a larger battery and different power management, but the aging process is comparable. Neither model offers better long-term battery health than the other.
Should I leave my AirPods in the case when I am not using them?
Yes. The case protects the AirPods from physical damage and temperature swings. It also keeps them from accidentally connecting to devices and draining the battery. The case itself does not charge the AirPods unless it has power, so leaving them in an uncharged case is fine for storage.