How to factory reset your AirPods or AirPods Pro

If you own AirPods or AirPods Pro, sometimes you need to factory reset the wireless earbuds due to bugs, a delay, or because you want to give them to someone else. Whether it’s due to connectivity, charging, or audio issues, it’s easy to factory reset your AirPods.

How to factory reset AirPods or AirPods Pro

1. Put your AirPods in their charging case, and close the lid.
2. Wait 30 seconds.
3. Open the lid of your charging case, and put your AirPods in your ears.
4. Go to Settings > Bluetooth. Or go to Settings > [your AirPods].
   • If your AirPods appear there as connected, tap the More Info button next to your AirPods, tap Forget This Device, then tap again to confirm.
   • If your AirPods don’t appear there, continue to the next step. 
5. Put your AirPods in their charging case, and keep the lid open. 
6. Press and hold the setup button on the back of the case for about 15 seconds until the status light on the front of the case flashes amber, then white.
7. Reconnect your AirPods: With your AirPods in their charging case and the lid open, place your AirPods close to your iPhone or iPad. Follow the steps on your device’s screen.

AirPods can only be associated with one Apple ID. If you want to use AirPods 3 or AirPods Pro that someone else has used, they first need to remove the AirPods from their Apple ID.

How to remove AirPods or AirPods Pro from Apple ID

Besides factory resetting AirPods or AirPods Pro, sometimes you need to remove them from an Apple ID. Here’s how to do that:

1. Open the Find My app, then tap the Items tab or Devices tab.
2. Tap the item or device you want to remove, then swipe up on the handle.
3. Tap Remove Item or Remove This Device, then tap Remove to confirm.

How to remove AirPods from Find My on Mac

1. Open the Find My app.
2. Select the Devices tab.
3. Select the device you want to remove.
4. On the map, click the More Info button.
5. Click Remove This Device.