Why does my left airpod not work

Airpods are almost like magic. One minute, they’re in your ears, transferring music wirelessly from your phone. The next, they’re tucked away in a pocket, ready to be called upon at a moment’s notice. But at times, even the best technology can go wrong. 

Being the most used product made by Apple Inc, it also has its fair share of difficulties that come with it, not all products from Apple are perfect.

The Airpods, Airpods Pro, Airpods 2, and Airpods 3 are designed to work perfectly with all of Apple’s Bluetooth-enabled gadgets, and mostly, they meet our expectations. However, that doesn’t mean they always perform flawlessly for every device. 

Have you ever had an Airpod that didn’t work as it should? If so, you’re not alone. Some people have had Airpods that don’t fit snugly in their ears, while others have had them that have refused to turn on. In this article, we’ll talk about how to fix a left Airpod that doesn’t work.

Now, let us examine the solution briefly:

What to do?ExplanationReset Your AirpodsCompletely rest your AirPods by unpairing them and then pairing them back.Cleaning The Left Airpod and Its Charging Port Examine your Airpods, and if the speakers appear clogged, clean them. Turning Your Phones Bluetooth ON and OFF Try resetting your phone’s BluetoothDisable Automatic Ear Detection Simply disable Automatic Ear Detection to see if that is the source of the problem.Resetting your Phones Network status Reset your phone’s network status to remove all the previous connections made with your network or other devices. An overview of solutions to fix Left AirPod Is Not Working

Page Contents

  • Why Is My Left Airpod Not Working? 
  • How to Reset Your Airpods? 
  • Cleaning The Left Airpod and Its Charging Port 
  • Turning Your Phones Bluetooth On and Off 
  • Disable Automatic Ear Detection 
  • Resetting your Phones Network Status 
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 
    • Q1. How do I repair one of my Airpods that isn’t working with my Android phone? 
    • Q2. Why isn’t my left Airpod working when I’m on the phone? 
    • Q3. What is the Live Listen Feature?
  • Conclusion 
  • Other Articles 

Why Is My Left Airpod Not Working? 

Mostly, the problem is that the Airpod isn’t charged fully which can leave you with only one Airpod, and with only one Airpod the experience is not the same as it would be. If your AirPods are fully charged anl the left one istill s not working, then your left Airpod would have some gunk stuck in the Airpod. 

That gunk could be debris or ear wax which can be removed easily with some tissues and earbuds. But still, if your Airpod isn’t working, you should try resetting it. It can take a lot of time to reset it. 

You can also follow these steps that Apple helpers have provided: 

  1. Verify that your charging case has a full charge. 
  1. Put both AirPods in the charging case and give them a 30-second charge. 
  1. Open the charging case and place it near your iPhone or iPad. 
  1. Check your iPhone or iPad’s charge status to ensure that each Airpod is charging. 
  1. Put the Airpods in both of your ears. 
  1. Play audio to put both Airpods to the test. 
  1. If your AirPods are still not functioning, reboot them. 
Why does my left airpod not work
Why does my left airpod not work
Here’s how to reset your AirPods

How to Reset Your Airpods? 

Resetting your Airpods is a lengthy process but very helpful, it can quickly fix your Airpods if only one of the Airpods is workincorrectlyly.

If you’re resetting your Airpods for the first time then buckle up, these are the steps you can follow to reset your Airpods: 

  1. Place your AirPods inside the charging case and put the lid on.
  1. Wait 30 seconds before proceeding. 
  1. Remove the lid from your charging case. 
  1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and tap the More Info button next to your Airpods. (If your Airpods aren’t visible in Settings > Bluetooth, proceed to the next step.) 
  1. Tap Forget This Device once more to confirm. 
  1. Now click on the setup button located on the back of the case and hold it for about 15 seconds, or until the status light turns amber and then white. 
  1. Reconnect your Airpods: Place your AirPods close to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch while the charging case is open. Follow the on-screen instructions. 

This process will completely reset your Airpods, and your left Airpod should now be able to connect to your phone. 

If this fix doesn’t work the first time, I recommend trying it again. In my experience, it can take several resets to resolve the issue. 

Don’t be upset if you’re one of the unlucky few for whom this didn’t workSeveral other fixes willll most likely solve your problem, so keep reading. 

Cleaning The Left Airpod and Its Charging Port 

You might not be able to hear audio from one Airpod because gunk has accumulated inside it, preventing sound from escaping. Lint, dust, or even earwax could be the culprit. Examine your Airpods, and if the speakers appear clogged, clean them. 

If you clean your Airpods twice a week, there is no way your Airpods wouldn’t work plus you would have clean pair of Airpods, not some dirty Airpods filled with Debris.  

The method to clean your Airpods is that, if you use your Airpods frequently, they may become gunky and dirty, which may reduce the sound quality. Apple recommends cleaning Airpods by wiping them with a slightly dampened, lint-free cloth or a Clorox wipe and then drying them with a dry lint-free cloth. 

During this process, be very careful not to get water into any of the holes in the Airpods because, while the Airpods Pro are water-resistant, they are not waterproof. Water could cause damage if it gets inside an Airpod. 

Why does my left airpod not work
Why does my left airpod not work
Airpods and their case

Turning Your Phones Bluetooth On and Off 

The issue with your Airpods could be that your device’s audio is not properly transmitted to your earbuds. In that case, you should try resetting Bluetooth.

Go to Settings > Bluetooth on an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, then slide the Bluetooth slider to off/white, wait a few seconds, and then slide it back to on/green. 

To Reset it: 

  1. Go to Settings, then Bluetooth. 
  1. Turn off Bluetooth and wait 20 seconds. 
  1. Then, turn Bluetooth back on. 
  1. Re-select your Airpods and try again. 

Disable Automatic Ear Detection 

Airpods come standard with technology that detects when they are in your ear and stops playing audio from your device. 

While the technology is impressive, any errors in the process will result in an insufficient connection. It’s possible that the left Airpods detection sensor is broken. 

Dirty Airpods are the most common cause of this feature malfunctioning. Earwax, dirt, and grime can all accumulate and clog important sensors on your Airpods, as previously stated. 

To begin, I would simply disable Automatic Ear Detection to see if that is the source of the problem. Keep in mind that if you turn this off, your Airpods will continue to play even when you remove them from your ears. 

To disable Automatic Ear Detection, follow these steps: 

  1. Go to Settings, then Bluetooth. 
  1. Next to your Airpods, press the Info button. 
  1. Scroll down and deactivate Automatic Ear Detection. 

Resetting your Phones Network Status 

By resetting your phone’s network status, your phone would also remove all the previous connections made with your network or other devices. 

Your device’s settings govern how it connects to networks, including Bluetooth devices. If there’s an issue with those settings, that could be the source of your problem.  

Resetting the settings may help, but you’ll have to re-pair Bluetooth devices, enter Wi-Fi passwords, and so on. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings to reset your network settings. 

  1. Head to Settings. 
  1. Scroll down to the General section. 
  1. Select Reset at the bottom. 
  1. Finally, click on “Reset Network Settings.” 
Why does my left airpod not work
Why does my left airpod not work
A pair of AirPods

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

Q1. How do I repair one of my Airpods that isn’t working with my Android phone? 

If you’ve connected your Airpods to an Android phone, the troubleshooting steps are similar to those for iOS, with a few exceptions. Use an app like Air Battery from the Google Play Store to check the battery charge. To rule out firmware issues, pair your Airpods with an iPhone to ensure they receive the most recent updates. 

Q2. Why isn’t my left Airpod working when I’m on the phone? 

If the microphone isn’t working with your left Airpod, check the microphone settings on your Airpods, you might have the mic set to the right earbud. Select Automatic, Always Left Airpod, or Always Right Airpod in Settings > Bluetooth > Microphone. 

A full descriptive video on How to fix an AirPod if it’s not working

Q3. What is the Live Listen Feature?

Your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch can serve as a microphone for your AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, Powerbeats Pro, or Beats Fit Pro by using Live Listen. You can use Live Listen to hear someone speaking across the room or over loud noise to hear a discussion.

To learn more about this feature you can check out this study by Critical Studies in Media Communication to understand it more clearly.

How do I reset my left AirPod?

Open the lid of your charging case, and put your AirPods in your ears. Go to Settings > Bluetooth. Or go to Settings > [your AirPods]. If your AirPods appear there as connected, tap the More Info button next to your AirPods, tap Forget This Device, then tap again to confirm.

What to do if right AirPod won't work but the left one will?

How to fix one AirPod that isn't working.
Put both AirPods back in their case and make sure they're charging. Let them charge for 30 seconds..
Open the case's lid near your iPhone or iPad and wait for them to pop up on screen..
Put both AirPods in your ears and try playing music or a video to make sure audio is working..