Apple’s AirPods are easy to use, portable, and can be used wirelessly. It’s compatible with most devices, including non-iOS smartphones and tablets. However, some users have experienced Airpods connected but sound coming from phone.
This issue happens when you’ve connected your AirPods to your smartphone, but the sound continues to come from your phone’s speakers. This guide will show you how to fix your AirPods when connected but the sound is still coming from your phone. Read on to learn more.
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“My Airpods are Connected, But Sound is Coming From Speakers”— Most Common Fixes
When you’ve connected your Airpods to your phone, it should be the device’s main sound output accessory. However, various issues can cause the sound to come from your phone instead of your AirPods, including connection issues, bugs, and interferences, among other problems.
Here are the most common fixes to solve this Airpods issue. So, if you’re experiencing Airpods say connected, but sound coming from phone, you can review the solutions below:
Fix#1: Reset the Bluetooth Connection on Your Phone
One of the most common issues when connecting wireless audio devices to your device is the Bluetooth connection. Since devices—like Apple Airpods—rely on Bluetooth to transmit data, they will have issues when the Bluetooth connection isn’t working correctly.
To reset Bluetooth on your smartphone, follow these steps:
- Navigate to Settings > Bluetooth and toggle it off.
- Wait for a few seconds. Then, toggle Bluetooth back on and select your Airpods from the list of nearby Bluetooth devices.
- Wait for both devices to connect. Once paired, play any audio and check if your Airpods are working.
If it still doesn’t work, you can try restarting your phone and then proceed to follow the steps above. Try connecting to your Airpods and check if it works normally.
Fix #2: Disable Automatic Ear Detection on Your Airpods
A patented feature of Apple’s Airpods and Airpods 2 is Automatic Ear Detection. It allows your Airpods to detect whether they’re connected to your ear. Once you’re not actively wearing them, the sound will be automatically redirected to your phone’s speakers.
If you’re noticing that Airpods say connected but sound coming from phone, you can try disabling this feature and check if this solves audio issues on your Airpods. To disable the Automatic Ear Detection feature, follow the steps below:
- Navigate to Settings > Bluetooth and tap the Info (i) icon next to your Airpods device name.
- Toggle Automatic Ear Detection to Off.
Fix #3: Reset Your Airpods
Another effective fix that you can try is by resetting your Apple Airpods. This resets the Bluetooth connection on your Airpods and smartphone and fixes bugs. To reset your Airpods, proceed to these steps:
- Go to Settings > Bluetooth and tap the Info (i) icon.
- Choose Forget This Device. Your Apple Airpods will now be unpaired from your smartphone.
- Next, you’ll need to re-sync your Airpods back to your phone. Ensure that the Bluetooth feature on your smartphone is still enabled.
- Then, place your Airpods back into their charging case and open the lid.
- Press and hold the button on the back of your Airpods charging case until its LED indicator light blinks white. Your Apple Airpods is now in pairing mode.
- On your phone, navigate to the list of nearby Bluetooth devices. Select your Airpods device name and tap Connect.
- Wait for both devices to pair.
- Once connected, check if you can now play audio on your Airpods.
Fix #4: Keep Your Airpods Away From Other Devices
Since Bluetooth is a wireless mode of connection, it can be quickly disrupted by interference, which can come from other nearby Bluetooth devices. If you’re having issues using your Airpods, try keeping these devices away or turning them off if possible. This ensures that your phone will only connect to your Airpods and avoid recognizing other Bluetooth devices.
Fix #5: Perform an iOS Update (Apple Devices)
If you’ve recently had trouble using your Airpods, it may be caused by a bug in its Bluetooth connection. Fortunately, software updates for your iPhone can contain fixes to these bugs and critical upgrades to its pre-installed services like Bluetooth.
To perform a software update on your iPhone, do the following:
- Tap Settings and choose General.
- Select Software Update and tap Download and Install Updates.
- Once an update is ready to be installed, select Install Now. Remember to keep your iPhone’s battery level on or above 50%. Otherwise, you might need to plug in its charger to continue installing the update.
Final Thoughts
Your Apple Airpods are one of the best audio accessories to pair up with smartphones, tablets, and other devices. They have a superb sound quality and can be carried anywhere. However, you might experience your Airpods connected but sound coming from phone.
Hopefully, this guide helps you to fix the connection and audio output issues on your Apple Airpods. If these fixes don’t work, contact AirPods Support for further assistance.