Quick & Easy: Steps to Reset Apple AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max

Resetting your AirPods can be a practical option if you’re having problems with your AirPods or plan to sell your AirPods. A simple reset can fix most issues and will erase all personal data and disconnect them from Apple ID.

In this blog post, I’ll show you several ways to reset your AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Pro Max on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Whether you want to solve the problems with your AirPods or you want to sell or bring a used AirPods, you can easily reset your AirPods Pro with these simple steps.

How to Reset Your AirPods and AirPods Pro

Reset AirPods and AirPods Pro Using an iPhone or iPad

You can reset your AirPods or AirPods Pro with your iPhone or iPad. The steps are almost identical. You can follow the same steps on your iPhone or iPad to reset your AirPods or AirPods Pro.

• Connect your AirPods to your iPhone or iPad. When you connect AirPods for the first time, place both AirPods in the charging case, close the lid, wait for some time, and then open the lid.
  
• A welcome animation will appear on your iPhone or iPad. Press and hold the button on the back of the charging case until the status indicator turns from green to white. now tap Connect on your iPhone. Follow any other prompts that appear on the screen. Click “Continue.” Your AirPods are now connected and ready to use.
  
• Now take the AirPods out of the charging case and wear them.
• Open the Bluetooth settings on your iPhone or iPad. To do this, open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap the Bluetooth option.
  
• This will bring up the list of devices that are connected to your iPhone or iPad. Now find the AirPods or AirPods Pro in the list of connected devices and tap the i button to get more details.
  
• Scroll down and look for the “Forget this device” option. Now confirm the changes by tapping “Forget device”.
  

  

  

• That’s it, your AirPods or AirPods Pro are successfully reset. To reconnect AirPods to your iPhone or iPad, follow the same steps as when you first connected your AirPods.

Reset Your AirPods and AirPods Pro Using Mac

You can also use Mac to reset your AirPods or AirPods Pro. To connect AirPods Pro to your Mac, you’ll need macOS X 10.15.1 (Catalina) or later. For second-generation AirPods, you need macOS X 10.14.4 (Mojave) or later. For first-generation AirPods, you need macOS X 10.12 (Sierra) or later. Once you’ve met the requirements, follow the steps below to reset your AirPods with your Mac.

• Click the Apple menu in the upper left corner and select System Preferences. Alternatively, you can click the Settings icon in the Dock.
  
• In System Preferences, select Bluetooth.
  
• In Bluetooth Settings, turn Bluetooth on by clicking the toggle switch to the right of Bluetooth and leaving this window open.
• Now, place both AirPods in the charging case and open the lid. Press and hold the setup button on the back of the AirPods case until the status light starts flashing white. Now, you’ll see your AirPods or AirPods Pro in the list of nearby devices. Move your mouse and click Connect to connect your AirPods to your Apple Macbook.
  
• When the AirPods are connected to your Mac, they’ll be placed at the top of the list of Bluetooth devices. Now click the i button to access additional settings.
  
• Now click the “Forget this device” button.
  
• Confirm the changes, and now, click on Forget device to reset the AirPods.
  
• That’s it. Your AirPods or AirPods Pro have been successfully reset. To reconnect AirPods to your Macbook, follow the same steps as when you first connected your AirPods.

Factory Reset AirPods and AirPods Pro Without iPhone, iPad, or Mac

If you don’t have an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you can use the AirPods reset button to reset your AirPods Pro to factory settings.

• Place both AirPods in their charging case and open the lid.
  
• Press and hold the “Set up” button on the back of the case until the light changes from green/red to white.
  
• Now close the lid. Your AirPods or AirPods Pro have now been reset to factory settings.

How to Factory Reset Your Apple AirPods Max

You can also reset Apple’s high-end headphones, the Apple AirPods Pro Max, with simple steps.

• Take the Apple AirPods Max out of their fancy case and hold the digital crown and noise control buttons together for a few seconds. Make sure the AirPods Max battery still has enough capacity (at least 30%) to reset it. You can check the battery level on your iPad, iPhone, or Mac.
  
• Wait until the LED on the device turns white. After a successful attempt, your AirPods Max have reset successfully.
• To pair: go to Settings > Bluetooth on your device and turn on Bluetooth on the device you want to connect to.
• Take your AirPods Max out of the Smart Case, wait 60 seconds, and hold it next to the device you want to pair with until a setup animation appears.
• If you don’t see the animation, go to Settings on your device > Bluetooth and press and hold the noise control button on your AirPods Max for about five seconds or until the light flashes white. Now, you’ll see the Aipods Pro Max in the list of nearby devices.
• Press “Connect” and follow the on-screen instructions to reconnect AirPods Max to your iPhone/iPad or Mac.

Remove the Apple ID From Your AirPods

You can also reset your AirPods by removing the Apple ID from your Airpods. This can be useful if you want to sell your AirPods or get used AirPods from someone. You can use the Find My app on your Apple device or use iCloud to remove the account.

Using the ‘Find My’ App:

• Make sure your AirPods are close enough to your device to connect.
• Open the ‘Find My’ app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
• Click the devices icon to switch to the Devices tab.
• Select the AirPods you want to disconnect and tap on them.
• Scroll up the information about the AirPods.
• Click ‘Remove This Device‘ and Confirm by clicking ‘Remove‘ again.

Using iCloud:

• Log in to iCloud.com with your Apple ID.
• Click on ‘Find Me’.
• Click on ‘All Devices’.
• Click on the AirPods you want to disconnect.
• Click ‘Remove from Account’.
• Confirm by clicking ‘Remove’ again.

FAQs on How to Reset Apple AirPods

1. How to know if my reset was successful?

Pay attention to the instructions on the screen when you perform the reset. After resetting, open the lid of your AirPods or AirPods Pro near your iOS device (iPhone, iPad, and macOS). In the case of AirPods Max, you’ll need to bring them near your device. You should see a setup animation on your device. On your device, tap “Connect.” If it connects successfully, the reset is successful. You can also play a sound to see if both AirPods are working properly. This way, you can confirm that the reset was successful.

2. What other solutions can I try if my AirPods are still not working after a reset?

We have a detailed guide on how to fix AirPods Pro not working. Make sure your AirPods are connected to the right device and that the battery is sufficiently charged. Also, make sure you have Bluetooth enabled on your device. If nothing works, it could be a problem with the AirPods themselves, and you should contact Apple support or an Apple Genius Bar.

3. How often should I reset my AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max?

It’s not necessary to reset your AirPods unless you have an issue. This is a troubleshooting step that you should only take if you’re having issues with your device. This could be sound playback issues, connection difficulties, or battery life issues, for example. If you don’t have any issues with your AirPods, you don’t need to reset them.

4. Will I lose my customized settings when I reset my AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max?

Yes, when you reset your AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max, all of your custom settings will be erased. This includes AirPod gesture and paired device settings. After resetting, you’ll need to repair your AirPods with your devices by following the same process you would for new AirPods.

5. Why can’t I reset my Apple AirPods?

If you can’t reset your AirPods, it may be due to low battery or hardware issues, such as the button on the back of the case not working or you not pressing it hard enough.