One AirPod or earbud not working: how to find the cause

First, check which side is really silent

Put both earbuds in, open the headphone test and play the left channel, then the right channel. Start with the volume low and raise it slowly.

• The left sound comes from the left ear and the right from the right, but one side is quieter: look at balance settings and cleaning first.
• One side plays nothing at all, in this test and in other apps: check charging and pairing.
• Both sounds come out of the same ear: mono audio is probably on, or only one earbud is connected.
• Only one app is affected: the problem is in that app or that file, not in the earbuds.

Testing in the browser rules out a single song or video that was simply mixed that way.

Check the balance slider and mono audio

A balance slider pushed to one side makes one earbud quiet or silent, and it is easy to move by accident.

• iPhone and iPad: open Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual and make sure the Balance slider is in the middle.
• Windows 11: open Settings > System > Sound, select your earbuds under Output, then open the volume settings and set Left and Right to the same level. On the same page, make sure Mono audio is off.
• Mac: open System Settings > Sound > Output, select the earbuds and check that the balance slider is centred.
• Android: balance and mono audio are usually in the accessibility settings; the exact names depend on the phone maker.

Mono audio sends the same sound to both ears. It does not make one side silent, but it hides left and right differences, so turn it off while you test.

Clean the speaker mesh

Earwax and dust on the speaker mesh are a common reason for one earbud being much quieter than the other. Apple suggests removing the ear tips, checking the microphone and speaker mesh on each AirPod, and cleaning them with the method described in its own cleaning guide.

• Use a soft, dry, lint-free cloth or a dry cotton swab on the outside.
• Do not push liquid, sharp objects or anything that can leave fibres into the openings.
• For other brands, follow the cleaning instructions in the manual; some earbuds have removable filters, many do not.

Test again after cleaning. If the quiet side is now as loud as the other, the earbud was fine.

Charge both earbuds and check the case

Earbuds charge separately. If one stays out of the case, does not sit properly on the contacts or has dirty contacts, it can be flat while the other is full.

1. Make sure the charging case itself has charge, and clean the case's charging port if it does not charge.
2. Put both earbuds in the case and leave them for at least 30 seconds.
3. Open the case next to your phone and look at the battery status: you should see a level for each earbud. With AirPods, Apple shows them on the iPhone or iPad when you open the case nearby.
4. If one earbud shows no battery or does not appear at all, it is not charging or not connecting.

Apple also suggests a one-earbud check: wear only the AirPod that does not work, leave the other in the closed case, make sure the AirPods are connected and play audio.

Reconnect or reset the pairing

If one earbud has charge but stays silent, the pairing may have gone wrong, for example after it connected to a different device.

• AirPods: if one AirPod still does not work after charging, Apple recommends resetting the AirPods with the steps in its reset guide for your model, then connecting them again.
• Windows: open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices, remove the earbuds, put both back in the case, put them in pairing mode as the maker describes and add them again. If Windows asks you to connect the second earbud, accept.
• Other earbuds: many have a reset sequence with the buttons on the case or the earbuds. It differs between models, so use the manual rather than a sequence from another brand.

Testing with a second phone or computer tells you where the fault is: if both sides play there, the first device's settings are the cause; if the same side is silent everywhere, the earbud itself is the likely cause.

Wired headphones with one silent side

With wired headphones, a sound on one side only very often comes from the plug or the cable.

• Push the plug fully into the jack. A plug that is not all the way in can play on one side only.
• Rotate the plug slowly while audio plays. If the sound cuts in and out, the jack or the plug is worn or dirty.
• Bend the cable gently near the plug and near the earpiece. Crackles or drop-outs point to a broken wire.
• Try another device and, if you can, another pair of headphones in the same jack.

For speakers rather than headphones, the speaker test plays left and right separately in the same way.

When it is probably the earbud

If one earbud stays silent after cleaning, charging, centring the balance and pairing again, and it is silent on other devices too, the earbud is probably faulty or its battery has worn out. A web page cannot repair it or measure its battery health. Contact the manufacturer or the shop: many brands, Apple included, can replace a single earbud, and it may be covered by the warranty. You can find more audio checks on the audio and video tests page.