Why are my AirPods flashing orange? 7 Quick Fix!

Apple’s AirPods are extremely comfortable and versatile wireless alternatives to earphones or headphones. However, with all new technology, there may be a few tips and tricks that you are not aware of that can make your user experience even better. 

What does it mean when you are in the middle of a jam session and the little LED light on your charging case starts to flash a light orange or amber color? Do not panic, in most cases, this little problem can be fixed quickly. Below are some simple solutions to make sure that your indicator light goes back to its less alarming green or white light. 

What do the different colors shown on your AirPod case indicator light mean?

1. No light: Currently not being used or your AirPods have run out of battery power completely. 
2. White light (flashing): AirPods are ready to pair 
3. Orange/Amber light (flashing): An error occurred during pairing 
4. Orange/Amber light (with AirPods in): AirPods are inside the case and charging 
5. Orange/Amber light (without AirPods): The case is not charged enough to completely recharge AirPods again. 
6. Green light: The relevant component is fully charged and ready for use 

What does it mean if your Apple AirPods flashing orange/amber?

In most cases, if the indicator light is showing a steady orange/amber light it means that either your case or AirPods needs to be charged, or both. 

However, if the indicator light is displaying a flashing or pulsing orange/amber light, this points to an error that has resulted in pairing or connectivity. 

How to fix AirPods that are flashing orange/amber

If you have noticed a flashing orange/amber light and you do not know how to fix it, below are different steps you can take to stop it:

1. Reset and reconnect your AirPods 
2. Recharge the AirPods and their case
3. Restart the device your AirPods are connected to 
4. Update your AirPods’ firmware 
5. Clean your AirPods 
6. Factory reset the charging case 
7. Ask Apple Support for help 

How to reset and reconnect your AirPods

Open the setting app on your iPhone and navigate to Bluetooth. Then look for ‘AirPods’ in the list of connected devices. 

Reset: 

1. Tap the ‘i’ button next to where your AirPods are listed 
2. Select the ‘forget this device’ option 
3. Place your AirPods back into their charging case 
4. Then close the lid of the charging case and reopen it again 
5. Press the setup button on the back of the charging case and hold the button down until the indicator light flashes orange/amber and then flashes white

Reconnect: 

1. Go to the home screen 
2. Hold your charging case with your AirPods in them and the lid open close to your iPhone while the indicator light is flashing white
3. An animation of your AirPods should be displayed on your home screen, look for the connect button at the bottom of the screen 
4. Press ‘Connect’  
5. Press ‘done’ once your AirPods have been reconnected 

How to recharge the AirPods and their case 

1. Take the AirPods out of their case and look at the color of the indicator light on the case. 
2. If it is a solid green color the case is sufficiently charged and you can continue troubleshooting
3. However, if it is a solid orange/amber the case needs to be charged and you can continue to step four 
4. Put your AirPods in the case and close the lid 
5. Locate the lightning connector at the bottom of the charging case and connect it to the lightning cable.
6. Plug the other end of the connector into a computer port or USB charger 
7. Wait for about an hour until they are fully charged 

Once your AirPods and their case are fully charged you can go back to the section on rebooting and reconnecting your AirPods and follow the steps

How to restart the device your AirPods are connected to 

1. Close all open tabs of any apps you are using 
2. Hold down the power button for a few seconds 
3. Press the restart button that should appear on the screen 
4. Wait until your device powers back up 
5. Go back to the section on rebooting and reconnecting your AirPods and follow the steps

How to update your AirPods’ firmware 

There is no specific way to manually update your device’s firmware. Most AirPods will automatically be updated once Apple makes a new version available. 

Simply go to the Bluetooth setting of your device and connect the AirPods to your device. Place the charging case connected to the AirPods directly next to your device. Then the update will take place. 

Make sure that your device and AirPods as well as the case are both fully charged or kept connected to a power supply to ensure that the update is successful. 

How to perform a factory reset on the charging case 

If your Apple AirPods flashing orange while charging here is what you can do: 

1. Put your AirPods in their charging case and close the lid for about thirty seconds
2. Open the lid while keeping the AirPods in their charging case 
3. Disconnect your AirPods from all devices they are connected to by going to settings and selecting the forget this device option on all relevant devices 
4. Press and hold the button at the back of the case until the indicator light orange/amber and then flashes white
5. Once the indicator light has flashed white the AirPods are reset and any settings have been restored to their factory settings

Asking Apple support for help 

Apple support allows you to find an answer to your problem in the plethora of solutions on Apple’s database. As well as to ask someone from Apple directly for help. 

If all of the tips above fail, Apple support is available at this link: https://support.apple.com/ 

1. Once on the website, scroll to the bottom and select ‘Start Now’
2. Enter your location 
3. Select ‘AirPods’
4. Then Select ‘More’
5. Then Select ‘The topic is not listed’ and type in the issue you’re experiencing
6. Choose between an online chat or a phone call with an Apple support representative and follow the instructions they give you on how to solve this problem

Summary

There you have it, although AirPods flashing orange may seem very concerning. You are now equipped with a few different ways to resolve this issue by yourself. The next time you see it, you know exactly what to do. 

If you have tried all of the steps mentioned above and nothing is working, do not hesitate to take your AirPods to the nearest iStore and have them check out your problem for you.