Why Won’t My AirPods Disconnect? Learn How To Fix?

If you’re wondering why won’t my AirPods disconnect then you’re experiencing a widely popular problem that seems to appear every now and then.

The non-disconnecting AirPods issue could be coming from the charging case or your smartphone’s connectivity settings.

In this guide, we’ll provide you with all known solutions to this problem and how to solve the issue in a matter of minutes!

Your AirPods won’t disconnect either because your charging case has no juice or because it’s not closing well enough for the magnets to contact. A software issue with your smartphone is also not excluded so the best approach would be to re-pair your AirPods.

How To Fix When AirPods Not Disconnecting When In Case?

The upcoming solutions will not only teach you how to disconnect your AirPods manually but also how to solve the root problem.

Make sure to follow the solutions in order to get the best results at troubleshooting.

Solution #1 Manually Disconnect The AirPods

So when inserting the AirPods into the case, they practically turn off and don’t use any power. However, there’s one slight mention we want to make.

The AirPods will only turn off in the case if they are receiving a charge.

This is the signal that the AirPods comprehend as “turn off” and if they don’t start receiving charge, they also won’t turn off.

A great way to manually disconnect the AirPods when putting them into the case is to do it through your iPhone or another phone device.

As you probably know, there are certain Bluetooth settings within your device that will enable you to unpair from the AirPods.

Here’s how to manually disconnect your device from the AirPods:

1. On your device, head to the Settings tab.
2. Choose “Bluetooth” from one of the top options.
3. Scroll down to locate your AirPods connection.
4. Tap on the “Info” button, which is in blue color.
5. Scroll over to the bottom and tap “Disconnect” which is also in blue color.
6. Insert the AirPods into the case.

Keep in mind that manually disconnecting the AirPods won’t prevent them from auto-pairing the next time you take them out of the box.

Tip: Remember that you can disconnect the AirPods both when they are in the case and outside the case.

Solution #2 Charge The AirPods Case

Your AirPods will not disconnect from the device unless they receive a charge.

In that regard, if the battery of the case has died, the AirPods will not start charging and therefore they will not disconnect from your device.

What you have to do in this solution is simple – just charge the AirPods case.

Ensure that the power adapter and cable are healthy, plug them into a power source, and then attach the case to the charger.

Give the charging case maybe an hour or so to receive a sufficient charge. After that, pair your AirPods and attempt to disconnect them by inserting them into the case.

Note: While the case is charging, avoid using your AirPods to preserve their battery until you’re ready to put them inside the case.

Solution #3 Clean AirPods Charging Case Magnet

As we’ve mentioned earlier, the AirPods will not disconnect if the charging is not initiated upon inserting the headphones within the case.

Walking out from that, your charging case will not charge the AirPods if the case itself doesn’t close properly.

Regardless of the generation of AirPods you have, all of the charging cases use a magnet to close.

If that magnet is obstructed in any way and doesn’t close properly, your AirPods will not disconnect.

How To Clean AirPods Charging Case Magnets?

For the process, you will need this:

• A dry tissue or napkin.
• A slightly wet tissue or napkin.
• A couple of drops of alcohol for better cleaning.

Tip: While you’re at it, it’s also suggested that you clean the AirPods’ contact magnets that they use to charge.

Here’s how to clean the charging case of your AirPods:

1. Using the slightly wet water napkin, have a couple of alcohol drops on its surface.
2. Go over the contact magnets at the front of the charging case.
3. Dry up the surface using a completely dry cloth.
4. Close and open the case a couple of times for the magnet to start making contact.

Alert: Prevent any water or alcohol from going down the airport necks of the charging case to avoid damaging the hardware.

Solution #4 Forget AirPods & Re-Add

After all previous solutions, the problem you’re experiencing is most likely to be software-related.

A quick cure to any software problems with the AirPods is to forget them and then re-add the units from your device.

Here’s how to forget the AirPods on your device and then re-add them in easy steps:

1. On your phone, head to the Settings tab.
2. Tap on “Bluetooth”.
3. If the connection with the AirPods is active, go to “Active connections”.
4. If the connection is not active, head to “Remembered connections”.
5. Select your AirPods.
6. Scroll all the way down and tap on “Forget this device”.
7. Once removed the AirPods, insert them into the charging case.
8. Open the latch of the charging case.
9. Hold the pairing button on the back of the box.
10. Wait for the Bluetooth connection to pop up on your phone.
11. Tap on the connection to pair the AirPods.
12. Test.

Notice: When pairing the AirPods, make sure that they are next to your phone and the case as well.

Solution #5 Reset Your AirPods

Another thing you can attempt to get the AirPods disconnected when putting them back into the case is to reset them.

This will help with any software bugs and glitches that are impacting the functionality of the headphones.

Here’s how to reset AirPods and AirPods pros in easy steps:

1. Insert the AirPods into the case and close the lid.
2. Standby for 30 seconds.
3. Disconnect them from your phone if they’re still connected at this point.
4. Press and hold the setup button for 15 seconds.
5. Open the latch during the 15 seconds.
6. Wait for the LED to turn from amber to white color.
7. Close the lid.
8. The reset is complete!

Important: It’s important that the AirPods aren’t connected to your phone during the time of the reset.

Solution #6 Turn Off Phone Bluetooth

If nothing worked so far, the best way you can get the AirPods disconnected from your phone is by turning off the Bluetooth.

At this point, you’ve tried everything that can potentially solve this weird issue.

The next time that the AirPods don’t disconnect upon putting them into the case, disable your phone’s Bluetooth and turn it on the next time you use the headphones.

In case you need to keep the Bluetooth on due to other devices being constantly connected, contact Apple for additional support.

Note: The non-disconnecting AirPods has been a widely-known problem, which appears from time to time. A permanent solution does not exist.

Thus, to make your AirPods disconnect when inserted into the case, you would need to check if the case has a battery and if the magnets connect. Then you’ll need to re-add your AirPods to your smartphone and if necessary, factory reset them.

Read Next: Why Won’t My AirPods Connect To Zoom?

Final Take: Why Won’t My AirPods Disconnect!

Now that we’ve answered the question “why won’t my AirPods disconnect?” we hope that you were able to solve the problem.

In case the issue continues to appear in the future, don’t forget that by stopping the Bluetooth you can always disconnect them manually.