AirPods are a great addition to your iPhone or iPad because they allow you to listen to music or podcasts with no wires. This makes it much easier to work out or do things around the house. AirPods also have a microphone at the end of each headphone to allow you to talk to people hands-free. Sometimes though, the microphone might stop working. 

AirPod microphones might stop working if: 

  • There is dirt inside the holesYou have incorrectly configured some of the settingsA temporary bug or glitch

You might be wondering how you can fix the above issues to get your AirPods working again. We will go over all the details in this article. We will also discuss ways to keep your AirPods clean so you don’t have to worry about dirt clogging the microphone holes. 

AirPods Not Working 

AirPods can stop working for many different reasons. 

Luckily, most of the issues have easy fixes:

  • Microphone settings are configured incorrectly. You might have accidentally turned the microphone feature off or you turned it on to only work on one side. Dirt and debris are in the microphone holes. Just like with any other gadget, dirt can slowly get into the holes of the microphone. This means they might stop working completely or you might not be able to hear properly. Bugs and glitches. Sometimes new firmware can cause bugs in the system. Apple is usually made aware of these problems, and they will fix them with another firmware update that you can install.

These are the most common causes of AirPod microphones not working. Keep reading to learn how to fix these issues.

How to Fix an AirPod Microphone Not Working 

Now that you know the problems a little more in-depth, you’re probably wondering how to fix them. 

Check the Microphone Settings 

If the microphone is only working on one side or not at all, the first thing you should do is check the settings. 

To check the settings, follow these steps:

  • Go to Settings. Click Bluetooth. Click the i icon next to the name of your AirPods. Tap Microphone. Enable the option that says Automatically Switch AirPods.

The other two setting options you see will only allow the microphone to work on the left or right side, not both at the same time. This is an issue because you might only be using one AirPod at a time or there might be too much noise on that side of the AirPod, so it will stop working while you are trying to talk to someone. 

Update the AirPods Firmware 

Outdated firmware or firmware that has a glitch in it will cause the AirPods to stop working. 

If you think the firmware is causing the problems, you can follow these steps:

  • Go to Settings. Click General. Click About. Click AirPods. Look at the current firmware version.

If the number of the firmware is outdated, you should update the firmware. You will need to connect the AirPods and the case to a charger and place them next to your iPhone. Make sure your iPhone is connected to the internet. 

They usually take about 30 minutes to update as long as your WIFI connection is stable and strong. 

Clean the Headphones 

If there is dirt inside the microphone, you need to clean it. Even if you don’t see dirt, it could be hiding inside so cleaning them is important whether there is visible debris or not. 

If the sound comes through the microphone, but it’s muffled, there is probably dirt hiding inside. Follow these steps for cleaning:

  • Spray a cotton swab with alcohol but make sure it’s not saturated. Dab the microphone holes at the bottom to loosen the dirt. Gently remove any particles with a toothpick or tweezer. Make sure you don’t poke the mesh part that covers the microphones.

These are the most common three ways to fix the microphone not working, but there are a few others you can try if the above didn’t work. 

Other Solutions for Fixing Broken AirPod Microphone 

If the main solutions didn’t work, don’t worry. There are still some other fixes.

Try these:

  • Update your iPhoneCharge the AirPods Put the AirPods back in the case and reconnect Reset the AirPods and Reconnect Reset the iPhone’s Network Settings Take the AirPods to a professional to get them replaced Buy new AirPods if nothing else works

Now you know everything about why your AirPods microphone won’t work.

Final Thoughts 

Having broken AirPod microphones can make it much harder to communicate with people. If you have owned your AirPods for a few months and the microphones stop working, It’s probably because they are dirty, the firmware has a glitch, or the settings are improperly configured. All these problems have simple solutions.