It’s a specific kind of annoyance. You flip open your AirPods, see the green light on the buds, but notice the case is sitting at a dead zero percent. Or maybe the buds are at 100% and the case won't budge past 1%. Honestly, it feels like the hardware is gaslighting you. You’ve got AirPods charge but not case issues, and while it seems like a total hardware failure, it’s usually something way more mundane—and fixable.
Most people assume the battery is fried. They start looking up the cost of a replacement case at the Apple Store. Stop. Before you spend $79 on a new MagSafe charging case, you need to understand how the power handshake actually works between the wall, the cable, and that little white plastic box.
Why your AirPods charge but not case: The "Ghost Power" phenomenon
When your AirPods are inside the case and plugged into the wall, the power doesn't just flow into one big bucket. It’s a tiered system. Apple’s firmware prioritizes the earbuds first. If your case is struggling to pull enough amperage, it might pass every single drop of juice directly to the AirPods themselves, leaving nothing for its own internal battery cell.
This is why you'll see the buds hitting 100% while the case stays red. It's essentially "starving" itself to keep the headphones alive.
Check the physical barrier (It's grosser than you think)
Pocket lint is the silent killer of electronics. You carry that case in your jeans every day. Over six months, tiny fibers from your pockets get shoved into the Lightning or USB-C port every time you plug it in. Eventually, you’ve got a compressed "carpet" of lint at the bottom of the port.
The cable clicks in. It feels secure. But the pins aren't making full contact.
Take a toothpick—not a metal paperclip, please, you'll short the pins—and gently dig. You’d be surprised how much grey gunk comes out. If the pins can’t draw the full 5W or 10W required, the case controller might decide it doesn't have enough power to initiate a charge for the internal lithium-ion cell, even if it has enough to trickle-charge the buds.
The software glitch nobody talks about
AirPods have firmware. You can’t manually update it, which is kind of annoying. It just happens "magically" when they are near your iPhone. Sometimes, a botched background update or a simple logic hang causes the charging controller to freeze.
The case thinks it's full. Or it thinks it’s overheating. Either way, it shuts down the charging gate.
- Flip the lid open.
- Find the setup button on the back.
- Hold it. Keep holding it.
- Don't stop when it flashes white. Wait for the amber/orange flash.
- Once it goes back to white, let go.
You’ve just hard-reset the logic board inside the case. This is the "turn it off and back on again" of the audio world, and it fixes about 60% of cases where the AirPods charge but not case logic has gone haywire.
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The "Dead Zone" Battery Theory
Lithium-ion batteries hate being at 0%. If you left your AirPods case in a drawer for three months, the voltage might have dropped below a critical threshold. When this happens, the standard charging protection circuit kicks in. It sees the battery voltage is too low and refuses to charge it because it thinks the battery is unstable or damaged.
It’s a safety feature that feels like a bug.
To "wake up" a deep-discharged battery, try using a low-wattage charger. Paradoxically, sometimes a high-wattage MacBook charger is "too smart" and will reject a dead case, while an old 5W iPhone brick will stubbornly push juice until the battery wakes up.
Cable and Brick: The Hidden Culprits
Are you using a gas station cable? Be honest.
Apple products are notoriously picky about "handshaking" with chargers. If the MFi (Made for iPhone) chip in your cable is failing, the case might accept enough power to keep the buds alive but refuse to engage the higher-draw circuit needed to fill the case battery.
Try this: Swap the cable. Then swap the brick. Then try a different outlet.
If you’re using a wireless charging pad, stop. Qi charging is notoriously inefficient and generates a lot of heat. If the case gets too warm, the internal thermal sensor will kill the charging process to prevent a fire. If your AirPods charge but not case on a wireless mat, plug them into a physical wire. Heat is the enemy of capacity.
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Is the battery actually dead?
Batteries are consumables. If you’ve had your AirPods Pro or Gen 2s for more than three years, there is a very real chance the lithium-ion cell in the case has reached its cycle limit. According to data from battery analytics firms like Ifixit, these tiny cells usually last about 300 to 500 full charge cycles before they significantly degrade.
If the case charges to 100% but drops to 0% in ten minutes, the cell is chemically exhausted. There is no software fix for physics.
Beyond the basics: Moisture and Corrosion
You don't have to drop your AirPods in a pool to cause water damage. High humidity or a sweaty gym session can cause microscopic corrosion on the internal ribbon cables. If moisture gets into the charging port, it can create a "bridge" between pins, causing a tiny short circuit.
The case detects this "leakage" and shuts down the charging circuit to protect the logic board.
If you suspect moisture:
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- Do NOT use rice. It’s a myth and just gets starch in your ports.
- Use silica gel packets or a fan.
- Leave the case open in a dry, room-temperature environment for 24 hours.
Actionable steps to restore your case power
Start with the "Physical Audit." Clean the port with compressed air and a non-metallic pick. This solves more problems than any other step. If the port is shiny and clear, move to the "Logic Reset." Hold that back button until you see the amber light. It’s the only way to clear the NVRAM on the charging controller.
Next, change your power source. Move from a USB port on a laptop (which often has power delivery limits) to a dedicated wall outlet using an official Apple 20W USB-C brick or a high-quality Anker equivalent. If you’ve been using wireless charging, switch to a cable for at least three hours to see if a direct connection can bypass a faulty Qi coil.
Finally, check your warranty status. Use the Apple Support app or the coverage website. If your case is under a year old (or two years with AppleCare+), and it isn't charging, Apple will usually replace the case for free. They don't repair them; they just swap them. If you’re out of warranty, look into "The PodSwap" or similar services, though often, buying a standalone replacement case from a reputable electronics retailer is the most cost-effective path forward.
Check your "Optimized Battery Charging" settings in your iPhone’s Bluetooth menu for the AirPods as well. Sometimes, the software intentionally holds the charge at 80% to preserve battery health, which can look like a "stuck" charge to the uninitiated. Turn it off temporarily to see if the case will finally climb to 100%.