Where to find the battery percentage on your iPhone or iPad

The fastest way to see your AirPods case battery is to open the case near your iPhone or iPad. Within a few seconds, a battery card will pop up on your screen showing the charge level of the case, the left earbud, and the right earbud as separate percentages. This card stays visible for a few seconds, then disappears — you do not need to do anything else.

If the card does not appear, make sure Bluetooth is turned on and your device is unlocked. The card only shows when your phone or tablet recognizes the case nearby. If you miss it, you can also check the battery by opening Control Center (swipe down from the top-right corner on newer iPhones, or swipe up from the bottom on older models) and looking for the battery widget, though the pop-up card is more reliable.

You can also add a dedicated battery widget to your home screen or lock screen. Long-press your home screen, tap the plus button, search for "Batteries", and select the Batteries widget. This shows all your connected devices' battery levels at a glance, including your AirPods case, without needing to open the case.

Key Takeaways

  • Open your AirPods case near your iPhone or iPad to see a pop-up card with the battery percentage of the case and both earbuds.
  • The battery card appears automatically when your device detects the case and disappears after a few seconds.
  • You can add a Batteries widget to your home screen to check AirPods battery without opening the case.
  • If the pop-up does not appear, turn on Bluetooth and unlock your device, then try again.

Checking battery on Android devices

Android does not show a battery pop-up the way iPhones do. Instead, you will need to use the companion app for your AirPods. Open the app, go to the device settings or status page, and look for the battery information. The exact steps depend on which app you are using — some third-party apps like "AirBattery" or "Battery Widget" can show AirPods battery on Android, though they rely on Bluetooth connection data rather than direct access to Apple's system.

The most reliable method on Android is to check your AirPods settings through your phone's Bluetooth menu. Go to Settings, tap Bluetooth, find your AirPods in the list of paired devices, and tap the info icon or settings gear next to them. Some Android phones display battery percentage here, though not all manufacturers include this feature.

What the battery percentages mean

The case battery is separate from the earbud batteries. When you see three numbers on the pop-up card, the first is the case, and the second and third are the left and right earbuds. The case charges the earbuds when they are inside, so a case at 50% can still fully charge your earbuds multiple times depending on how depleted they are.

When the case battery drops below 10%, the pop-up card will show a low battery warning. At that point, you should charge the case soon — once the case is completely dead, you cannot charge the earbuds until the case itself has power. The earbuds themselves will work for a few hours on a single charge, but you lose the ability to charge them on the go.

Charging your AirPods case

The case charges via a Lightning cable (on standard AirPods and AirPods Pro) or USB-C (on newer AirPods Pro 2nd generation and AirPods Max). Plug the cable into the port on the bottom of the case and connect it to a power adapter. The case does not have a battery indicator light on newer models, so you will need to check the battery card on your phone to confirm it is charging.

Older AirPods cases have a small LED light on the front that shows charging status: amber means charging, green means fully charged. If you have a newer case without the light, open it near your iPhone to see the battery percentage climb as it charges.

Why the battery card is not showing

If you open your AirPods case and no battery card appears, first check that Bluetooth is on and your phone is unlocked. The card only displays when both conditions are met. If Bluetooth is on and the phone is unlocked, try closing the case and opening it again after a few seconds.

If the card still does not appear, your phone may not be recognizing the case. Forget the AirPods from your Bluetooth settings and re-pair them. Go to Settings, tap Bluetooth, find your AirPods, tap the info icon, and select "Forget This Device". Then open your AirPods case near your phone and follow the pairing prompt that appears.

In rare cases, a software update on your phone or a firmware update on your AirPods can cause the battery card to stop working temporarily. Check that your phone is running the latest iOS or iPadOS version, and that your AirPods have the latest firmware (which updates automatically when connected to a charged case).

Using Siri to check battery

You can ask Siri "What is the battery level of my AirPods?" and Siri will read the percentages aloud. This works on any iPhone or iPad with Siri enabled. straightforward set up Siri by holding the home button or saying "Hey Siri", then ask the question. Siri will give you the battery level of the case and both earbuds.

This method is useful if you cannot see your screen or want a quick voice confirmation without opening the case. The information Siri provides is the same as what appears on the battery card.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my AirPods case battery drain when I am not using it?

AirPods cases drain slowly even when not in use because they maintain a Bluetooth connection to your phone. This is normal and expected. A fully charged case can hold its charge for several weeks. If your case is draining much faster than that, try forgetting and re-pairing the AirPods, or contact Apple Support if the problem continues.

Can I see the battery percentage on my Mac?

Yes. Click the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar at the top of your screen, find your AirPods in the list, and hover over them. A tooltip will show the battery percentage of the case and both earbuds. On some Mac models, you can also add a battery widget to your menu bar for quick access.

What should I do if one earbud shows a much lower battery than the other?

This usually means one earbud is being used more than the other, or one is not charging properly in the case. Try cleaning the charging contacts inside the case with a dry cloth, and make sure both earbuds are seated firmly. If the problem persists, one earbud may have a battery defect and you should contact Apple Support.

Does the battery card show on my Apple Watch?

No. The battery pop-up card only appears on iPhones and iPads. On an Apple Watch, you can check AirPods battery through the Control Center or by using the Batteries widget if your watch supports it, depending on the watchOS version.