Have you recently purchased replacement Airpods due to the fact that you cannot locate your earbuds or they dropped inside water and you are looking to figure out how to pair replacement Airpods?
If that is the case, you’re not alone.
Getting a replacement for the specific earbud is cost-effective when compared to buying the whole casing which some people do.
However, doing this comes with some issues.
When you get the replacement Airpods, you might struggle with pairing it with your former AirPods due to its firmware version.
But then, it’s not limited to that alone as some other connectivity issues come to play.
If you’ve got a different generation of Airpods as compared to the one you have for a replacement it would not be able to pair it.
They have to be of the same model to work for a case, that said, let’s delve into how to Pair replacement Airpods.
Now that you are aware of that, let’s delve into how to pair replacement Airpods.
Recommended: How to update your Airpods Firmwares
How to Setup the replacement Airpods
Before you will be able to use the device you have to reset it and to do this you need to sync the replacement Airpods with the casing while also enabling it to easily get paired to your smartphone.
Since you are aware of that, here is how to go about resetting the replacement Airpods
- Charge the case while leaving the replacement AirPods inside the case
- Once it has charged for a while, press and hold the setup button on the back of the case till the indicator light flashes white.
- Once it does, navigate to your iPhone home screen while bringing your Airpods case close your iPhone
- A setup Animation will appear and on it, tap on connect
- Finally, tap on skip > Not Now > Done
After you’ve carried out a reset on the replacement Airpods, here is how you pair the Airpods
How to Pair Replacement Airpods
If the setup process has been successfully completed. Pairing or connecting your Airpods to your smartphone shouldn’t give you much of a fuss.
That said, Here is how to do it
- Launch your smartphone and navigate to “settings“
- Locate and tap on Bluetooth
- Next, tap on the “i” icon button next to your AirPods.
- While doing it, ensure that the Airpods are inserted inside the casing.
- Next, tap the Forget This Device.
- Tap on “i” One more time and tap again to confirm your option
- Now, open the lid and check the status light. It should flash amber.
- If it does, press and hold the setup button on the back of the case for a few seconds.
- After doing that the status light would turn white and flash a white light
- Now, navigate to the Home Screen on your iPhone while
- Open the AirPods case and bring it close to your iPhone
- You should see a setup Animation appear on your screen
- Simply, tap Connect, then tap Done.
How to Pair Replacement Airpods pro
Airpods Pro Have a smaller and short casing when compared to the Airpods Gen 1 and Gen 2. If you’ve just gotten a replacement for an Airpods Pro and you are looking to pair the replacement with your lost AirPods follow the steps below closely
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Navigate and tap Bluetooth.
- Locate your AirPods Pro from the list of connected devices.
- Tap the I next to the “Airpods pro” icon.
- Next, tap Forget This Device.
- If you see the pop-up menu again, tap Forget Device.
- Once again, tap the prompt to confirm.
- Place both AirPods Pro in the charging case while ensuring the lid is open
- Make sure that the status light is flashing amber too.
- Press and hold the setup button on the back of the case until the light begins flashing white.
- Unlock your iPhone or iPad and make sure that you are on the Home Screen.
- Make sure that both AirPods are still in the case, and open the case lid.
- Tap Connect when prompted.
- Tap Done.
Now that you are aware of how to pair replacement Airpods and Airpods Pro, What if you are not pairing after a series of trials, here are some troubleshooting steps for you.
Replacement Airpods not pairing
When there are no positive outcomes from following the steps above. The first thing you need to look out for is that your battery is well charged.
Also, you have to ensure that the Airpods are also charged too before following through with these troubleshooting steps listed below
Here are what you should do first before trying to repair them
Forget your AirPods from the Bluetooth settings
After charging the Airpods, try removing both Airpods from your Bluetooth settings and pair them back with your device.
Here is how to do that
- Navigate to your iPhone, and go to Settings > Bluetooth.
- Tap the I button next to your AirPods, then select Forget This Device.
- If there are multiple AirPods, tap I to forget each of them.
Update your iPhone Software
Another common reason why your Airpods are not connecting to your Smartphone is outdated software.
Outdated iOS can affect the pairing process if it contains Bugs and security loopholes.
And as such it could be one of the reasons why you are stuck with pairing your replacement Airpods.
Since that could be a possible scenario here is how to update your iOS
- Navigate to Settings > General > Software Update.
- Now search for new updates.
- Download and install any available updates.
Update your AirPods’ Firmware
Updating the Firmware that comes with your Airpods is a huge determinant behind why a replacement Airpods will struggle to connect with the second real Airpods.
Usually, it could be due to the difference in the firmware version of these Airpods which would require you to update the firmware version of both AirPods.
Here is how to go about it
- Place both AirPods in the case and close the lid.
- Connect your AirPods case to a power source.
- Now, bring your iPhone close to the Airpods to enable the Airpods to download the New firmware over the Internet.
- Be patient for half an hour and ensure that the case is closed
- After 40 minutes, try repairing both Airpods again.
Can you connect two different AirPods Pro to one case?
You can’t but it depends
If both of them are of the same model and have the same structure and height they might connect. But there is no surety to that unless you connect the same model to each other.
Can you pair AirPods with a different case?
You can pair AirPods with a different case if they are the same model.
For example, an Airpods Pro White Case will pair with an Airpods Pro black case. But if their model is different it might not connect, here’s why?
There are some cases made by other companies apart from apple and such casing fits perfectly with the AirPods or Airpods or Airpods pro.
With these third-party cases, you cannot pair your AirPods with them. However, you can charge your Airpods with them if they have the same structure and height or if the third-party AirPods fit perfectly into the Airpods case.
If you want to pair your Airpods using a case, it has to be a casing with the same model.
How long does it take for your Airpods to charge
It takes 20-30 minutes for the Airpods to get a full charge.
If you are charging the case, it can take 2 – 3 hours provided you are using a Qi-certified charger.
You can check the list below for more detailed information on that
- AirPods (1st generation): around 30 minutes to an hour
- AirPods (2nd generation): about 45 minutes to an hour
- AirPods Pro and AirPods (3rd generation): one hour to two hours
Conclusion
By now you should have figured out How to Pair Replacement Airpods notwithstanding the Generation of Airpods you’ve just gotten.
While most of these instructions up here are proven to work, you might come across rare cases whereby after trying all the above steps there are no positive responses.
In cases like this, you should contact Apple support to get it resolved.