Why your AirPods case is flashing orange and how to fix it

AirPods are arguably one of the best accessories that Apple makes for its ecosystem. These wireless earbuds are expensive, but they’re the one accessory that ties everything in the ecosystem together, be it an Apple Watch, iPad, MacBook, or iPhone. They’re great when they work, which is most of the time, but what happens when things fail? A trip to an Apple service centre aside, there’s not much that can be done. 

Some issues can be troubleshooted at home, however, and these are simple issues that can be annoying but easy to resolve if you know what to look for. One such issue is the flashing orange light on your AirPods case. You might have noticed a small LED on the front or inside of the AirPods case that flashes various colours (white, green, and orange). Normally, the light indicates charging status.

ALSO READ: How to reset your AirPods and AirPods Pro

If the case has plenty of charge, it’ll remain a solid green for several seconds when the lid is opened. If there’s less than one full charge left, the case will show an orange light. The same applies for when AirPods are already in the case, with the colour of the LED indicating how much charge the AirPods have.

The orange light will also flash orange or green for a second when inserting AirPods into the case to indicate that the AirPods are detected and charging. Sometimes, however, that AirPods case might just start flashing orange continuously and you might notice that the AirPods aren’t connecting or charging.

What does a flashing orange light mean?

Per Apple, a flashing orange light indicates connectivity issues with the AirPods or between the AirPods and your device. To fix this, one option is to reset the AirPods. To do this, first ensure that the AirPods case and AirPods have some charge. You can do this by charging them for a couple of minutes.

Then open the lid and put the AirPods in your ears. Head to settings on your iPhone, and then Bluetooth. Here forget the AirPods by tapping the ‘i’ icon next to the AirPods and hitting forget. Next, put the AirPods back in the charging case and press and hold the setup button found on the rear of the case. After 15 seconds, the status LED should flash orange and then white.

You may then open the AirPods case again and bring your iPhone near it to begin the pairing process anew. Please make sure that Bluetooth is enabled before starting this step.

Potential battery issues

The AirPods case might also flash orange when it’s unable to charge inserted AirPods or the case itself. To fix issues with AirPods not charging, simply clean the AirPods stems with a microfibres cloth, and the inside of the AirPods case with an earbud. If the case isn’t charging, try a different cable or charger or even a wireless charger in the case of supported AirPods.

ALSO READ: AirPods refusing to connect? Here are a few quick fixes to try out

If none of the above steps work, it’s likely that there’s something seriously wrong with the AirPods you own. Your only option now is to head to the nearest Apple Service Centre and have them look at it. In most cases, they will recommend swapping out the AirPods case or AirPods. Unfortunately, either of these options is quite an expensive proposition outside of warranty.