Knowing how to turn off AirPods without case allows you to save battery life. This article will show you exactly how to do it!
With over 50 million AirPods out there, it’s one of the more popular wireless earphones you can use with your iPhone.
Their unique feature is that they come with their own batteries and need recharging. We’ll show you how you can limit that by turning them off.
Let’s find out right now!
To turn off your AirPods without docking them back into the case, you’re going to need to change a few settings. You can put your phone into Low Power Mode, and connected AirPods will follow. Turning off active noise cancellation also helps preserve battery life throughout the day.
Let’s look at some of the things you need to consider if you own AirPods before we attempt to turn them off.
What to Consider with How to Turn Off AirPods When Not in Use
The most important thing you need to consider with AirPods is that the only way to switch them off effectively is to dock them into the case.
If you can’t do that, the best thing is to force them to use less battery power by putting them in some form of Sleep Mode.
This is certainly a challenge, so you want to know what you’re up against by understanding your AirPods.
Here’s what you need to know before performing any of the steps.
1. No Physical Power Button
AirPods don’t have a physical power button, so there’s no way to turn them off. It’s all done by getting them into low power as quickly as possible.
2. Only Conserve Their Battery Life
The best action to take is to conserve battery life, so you don’t have to charge them in the middle of the day.
3. Use Virtually No Power When Not In Use
The good news is that if your AirPods are not in use, they don’t draw that much power from their batteries.
4. Configure For Maximum Power Savings
Turning your AirPods off while you’re not using them means you need to set them up for maximum power savings.
Now that you have a better idea of the problem we’re facing, we can now tackle it head-on and take the necessary steps to power down your AirPods.
Full Guide on How to Turn Off AirPods Without Case
Now that you better understand your situation with your AirPods let’s look at some ways you can disable them without using the case.
One of the first things you can do is to switch off your phone’s Bluetooth. With it off, the connection with your AirPods will also stop and turn off.
Another step you can do is to turn off your Music app. Make sure that it stops playing music, then close it, so it doesn’t communicate with your AirPods. Also, turn it off.
These are simple ways to effectively switch off your AirPods without putting them back in the case.
You can continue reading below if you want to know about other ways.
Step #1: Put Your iPhone into Low Power Mode
One of the more effective ways to cut the connection between your phone and AirPods is to switch them to low-power mode.
It’s a mode that minimizes your phone’s battery usage, which can affect other connected devices.
Putting your phone into low power mode shuts down non-essential components like the Bluetooth module.
It also stops apps in the background from accessing the internet, so your music app stops playing if you’re not listening to it.
Here’s how to put your phone in low-power mode:
- Open your phone’s Settings.
- Go to Battery.
- Toggle the Low Power Mode switch to On.
Note: Using your AirPods in low power mode will produce a quieter sound. Get it to normal levels by switching off low power mode.
Step #2: Disable Your AirPod’s Spatial Audio Feature
Since you can’t physically switch off your AirPods, the next best thing you can do is get it to use less power.
Putting them inside their case can be a chore, so you just want to leave them on your ears but not draw power so they last longer.
One of the things you can do is turn off your AirPod’s spatial audio. It’s a feature that tracks your head position and brings theater-quality audio right into your ears.
Turning it on requires additional sensors, which can affect battery life, so you want to disable it.
Here’s how to turn off your AirPod’s spatial audio:
- Wear your AirPods and make sure they’re connected to your phone.
- Open your iPhone’s Control Center.
- Tap and hold the Volume Controls.
- Select the Off option.
Step #3: Enable the Automatic Ear Detection Feature
Whenever you’re not listening to music or podcast, you’re likely going to put down the earphones and not place them inside the case.
Now, doing this won’t turn off your AirPods completely.
Activating the automatic ear detection feature will lessen the power draw of your AirPods.
It will only turn on when it detects that it’s inside your ear.
Here’s how to activate the Automatic Ear Detection on your AirPods:
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Select the Bluetooth option, and turn it On.
- Scroll down to “My Devices.”
- Tap on the ‘i’ icon opposite your AirPods.
- Toggle the Automatic Ear Detection to the On position.
Note: You want to ensure that your AirPods are connected to your phone for this to work.
Step #4: Change Your AirPod’s Double Tap Settings
If you’re constantly wearing your AirPods the entire day, then there’s a way to switch them off virtually.
One of the problems of not doing this is that your AirPods will continually detect that it’s in your ear and not put itself in low power mode.
However, changing your AirPod’s double tap settings will allow you more control over it so you can leave it in your ear the entire time and not see any significant battery level loss.
Here’s how to change the double tap settings on your AirPods:
- Open your iPhone’s Settings app.
- Navigate to Bluetooth.
- Tap on the ‘i’ icon next to your AirPods.
- Under Double Tap AirPod, select Left, then tap Off.
- Do this for your Right AirPod as well.
Note: You can now switch your AirPods off by double tapping on them. You’ll need to do this to both AirPods.
Step #5: Unpair Them From Your Phone’s Bluetooth
If you’re sure you will not be using your AirPods for an extended period, one of the solutions you can take is to unpair them from your phone.
Cutting the connection will put them into a low power state, effectively turning them off.
The downside to this method is that you will need to pair them again if you want to use them.
Here’s how to unpair your AirPods from your phone:
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Select the Bluetooth option.
- Tap on the ‘i’ icon next to your AirPods.
- Choose Forget This Device.
- Tap Forget Device to confirm.
Note: Unpairing your AirPods on your iPhone will also unpair them with your Apple Watch.
Step #6: Turn Off Active Noise Cancellation on Your AirPods
As long as you’re wearing your AirPods, even if you’re not listening to anything, they’re constantly at work and drawing power from their batteries.
Or course, you want to slow this down as much as possible so it will last you the entire day.
One of the most effective ways to do this is to switch off active noise cancellation.
Setting it both to Noise Cancellation or Transparency will allow your AirPods to be in use the entire time.
Turning this setting off will make sure that it won’t work as long as you’re not playing music or a podcast.
Here’s how to deactivate active noise cancellation on your AirPods:
- Swipe down from the top right of your iPhone’s screen.
- This will open the Control Center.
- Touch and hold the Volume control.
- Tap on the Noise Control button in the bottom left.
- Select the Off option.
Note: Before you perform this step, the AirPods must be connected to your iPhone to change the settings.
Of course, the quickest way to switch off your AirPods is by docking them into the case. However, they might not be the most convenient option.
These steps will help you get your AirPods in a low-power state so they don’t run out of batteries.
Bottom Line
Now that you know how to turn off AirPods without case, you can do all these to extend their battery life.
Sometimes you just want to leave them in your ears as you go about your day, and following these steps carefully will allow you to do that.
Now, you’ll be able to listen to them on demand without worrying about their battery levels.
Read Next: How to Make Your AirPods Louder on Spotify?
Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites.