Why Your AirPods Keep Pausing And How To Fix It

Apple AirPods are some of the best in-ear headphones on the market. From one generation to the next, these devices continue to evolve, delivering one of the most robust listening experiences for your favorite playlists, albums, and artists. But when your AirPods stop working the way they should, it can feel like Apple has a personal vendetta against you.

One holdup we hear about on a fairly regular basis is a sudden pause in audio. By default, most AirPods have a feature called Automatic Ear Detection enabled, which does indeed pause media when your AirPods are removed. This is a function you can easily toggle off if you're not into it. Just grab your iPhone, launch Settings, and select the ("i") icon next to your AirPods. Scroll down to Automatic Ear Detection and toggle the setting off.

But what if that's not when your AirPods are pausing? In cases where your AirPods cease playing when they're still in your ears, there could be a few reasons why they are misbehaving. Let's start unpacking this potentially multi-layered debacle.

We say it all the time: First and foremost, you'll want to make sure your AirPods are running the latest firmware version. It may not be the root cause of every AirPods glitch, but it's a surefire way to weed out any abnormalities Apple has already patched.

To do so, open the Settings app, tap Bluetooth, then tap the ("i") icon next to your AirPods. If the firmware version listed doesn't match the latest version on Apple's support site, you can initiate an AirPods update by popping them in their charging case, closing the lid, then plugging the case in for power. Place your iPhone next to the closed case and wait about 10–15 minutes for the update to push through.

Suppose you're listening to music through a streaming platform like Spotify or Apple Music. In that case, you'll need to have an internet connection to listen to any song, album, or playlist that isn't downloaded to your device for offline listening. You may be experiencing a sudden audio dropout when your iPhone, iPad, or other host device loses access to Wi-Fi or cellular data.

To troubleshoot, look at your iPhone's status bar the next time your AirPods pause. If neither the Wi-Fi icon nor a 5G, 4G, or LTE icon is present, your device isn't connected to the internet. Perhaps there was a local outage, or maybe Wi-Fi was accidentally toggled off. Fortunately, reenabling is as simple as tapping Settings > Wi-Fi, then toggling Wi-Fi back on if it's off (Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data for mobile data).

If your AirPods are low on battery, the Bluetooth signal between the earbuds or headphones and your host device may weaken, which could result in paused audio or disconnected AirPods entirely.

It may sound obvious, but the solution to this problem is ensuring your AirPods are charged enough when you pop them in your ears. And even if one or both buds are on the cusp of dying, only 5 to 10 minutes in the charging case should net you at least an extra hour or two of playback — as long as the case itself has enough charge, too.

Your AirPods use proximity sensors to let them know when they're in your ears and when they're removed (a core part of the Automatic Ear Detection setting). If these sensors become dirty, the sensor interruption may cause your AirPods to play and pause when you least expect it. Check the Apple website for detailed information on how to clean your specific AirPods model.

One final cause of random AirPods pauses might be overreactive touch sensors if you're using the original AirPods or AirPods 2. These earlier AirPods models use a double-tap control system that handles things like track playback and call answering. Sometimes, an accidental double-tap can cause your media to stop playing.

To make sure this doesn't happen, go to Settings > Bluetooth > [your AirPods name], then choose either the left or right bud. Make sure neither bud has the Play/Pause function selected, then initiate a double-tap to confirm the setting is disabled or modified to your liking (you can also program left and right bud double-taps for track skipping and Siri access).