How to fix AirPods that keep pausing

Apple’s AirPods are wonderfully convenient Bluetooth earbuds when they’re working. You might feel inclined to toss them through a window when they’re not.

There are several reasons why AirPods keep pausing even when they’re in your ears, but usually, the problem is related to a faulty sensor, a touch shortcut you trigger accidentally, or dodgy Bluetooth connections. Here are some of the common issues and quick fixes for them.

How to fix proximity sensor problems

The various AirPods models are designed to pause audio when removed from your ears. Proximity sensors on both earbuds power this feature. However, if these sensors are dirty or damaged, they won’t function correctly and might prompt your AirPods to pause erratically.

Consider cleaning your earbuds regularly to prevent debris from interrupting these sensors’ functionality. If this step doesn’t work, disable the AirPods’ automatic ear detection feature.

1. Open the settings app on your iPhone.
2. Select Bluetooth.
3. Find your AirPods and tap on the i icon.
4. Toggle off Automatic Ear Detection.

How to prevent erroneous double tap shortcut activation

AirPods feature touch-sensitive shortcuts that allow you to control audio from your earbuds. One such shortcut allows users to double-tap an earbud to activate Siri, play the next track, or, in some cases, play/pause audio. If you activate the latter option, this could be the reason why your AirPods keep pausing.

To change or disable this shortcut:

1. Open the settings app on your iPhone.
2. Select Bluetooth.
3. Find your AirPods and tap on the i icon.
4. Under the Double-Tap on AirPod section, tap Left or Right.
5. Toggle each off, or select a different command.

How to fix erratic Bluetooth connection

If disabling automatic ear detection doesn’t solve your problem, consider your Bluetooth connection between your phone and AirPods. Generally, any signal interruption between the two devices will result in momentary pops, blank space, or longer audio dropouts.

Bluetooth connectivity is fickle. Ensure that your AirPods and phone are within 30 feet of each other and that no large, dense objects obstruct their path.

You can also try to solve this by unpairing and resetting your AirPods with your device. Here’s how to do that:

• Place both AirPods Pro into their charging case and close the lid.
• Keep the AirPods Pro in the closed charging case for at least 30 seconds.
• Open the lid of the charging case near the device that you want to unpair your AirPods Pro from.
• On your device’ Settings, locate your AirPods. Scroll all the way down and then select Forget This Device.

• With the lid of the charging case open, press and hold the setup button on the back of the case until the status light flashes amber, then flashes white. This should take around 15 seconds.
• Close the lid of the charging case, then reopen it. Place the AirPods Pro close to your device and follow the normal pairing process.