This means your Apple AirPods (3rd generation) and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) have no dust protection rating, but are considered protected from splashes, drips, and sprays of water. Basically, if you get caught out in the rain, or you sweat a lot at the gym, these will perform without issue.
Only the AirPods Pro is IPX4 water-resistant – but only to a certain degree. This means if you accidentally dropped your AirPods in water or they became super sweaty from working out, you should dry them immediately.
Before even attempting to connect them to your phone or use them, simply dry them thoroughly with a microfiber cloth and let them sit upside down to air out. The same practice should go for the charging case. If, after a few minutes of drying time, your AirPods seem dry, go ahead and try to use them.
Make sure to leave your AirPods in a drying solution for at least 12 hours. Use electric heaters to dry Airpods – Airpods are not designed to withstand extreme temperatures, especially after they've been exposed to excess water.
One of the biggest signs of water damaged AirPods is distorted audio. If your music, podcasts, or audiobooks sound muffled or scratchy, this may be a sign that your AirPods are water damaged. If your AirPods won't charge or work at all after they got wet, this may be another sign that your AirPods have water damage.
What About Accidentally Drying AirPods? Many reports from users that have managed to save their AirPods after a wash also say that they were in the dryer cycle as well. The dryer cycle is still risky, but less so than the washer cycle, so your headphones will likely be fine if they survive the water first.
Leave AirPods with desiccant
While the science behind this does work, rice is certainly not the best desiccant to use in this situation. Instead, you can use silica gel. This will prevent your AirPods from getting damaged by starch and small particles of rice.
Fixing water-damaged AirPods cost $89 per AirPod in case you do not have an AppleCare+ subscription. With AppleCare+, the replacement fee jumps down to $29 every time you bring your device for service.
In fact, Airpods can survive up to 60 minutes in the washing machine, according to Tech Geek Base. But they recommend you dry them out for at least 12 hours afterward.
You can replace a single AirPod (left or right AirPod) or a Charging Case for a fee. Use our “Get an Estimate” tool to review potential costs if you get service directly from Apple. If you go to another service provider, they can set their own fees, so ask them for an estimate.
The first thing to do is stay calm and get a microfibre or lint-free cloth. Use this cloth to slowly dry all the affected areas of the AirPods case. Use only this type of material and avoid any abrasive type of material or cloth to dry off the case.
If your AirPods are water damaged, replace them.
If the speakers sound distant or warbled, they may need to dry a bit longer. Give the drying process another day or two and try again.
AirPods typically last about 2-3 years before most users feel the need to replace them. This short lifespan is because of their lithium-ion batteries. AirPods have proven tough in several durability tests and have shown that they can withstand pressure.
This thing can be pricey to replace. If you're not covered by AppleCare+, the cost of replacement or repair is steeper. Out-of-warranty AirPods cost $69 USD to replace each earbud, the wireless charging case, or the MagSafe charging case, while the wired charging case is $59 USD.
To conclude, there is no possible way to charge AirPods without its case. These AirPods are designed to charge only when kept inside their case but not through a wall adapter or USB port directly.
One of the most likely causes of one AirPod earbud being louder than the other is the balance control being off-center, as covered in this article above. You can adjust the balance in the Settings app of your iPhone under Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Balance and move the slider back into the middle.
Damage to Mac computers and accessories due to liquid exposure is not covered by the Apple One (1) Year Limited Warranty or the AppleCare Protection Plan.
After workouts, heavy sweating, or water splashes and before putting AirPods Pro or AirPods (3rd generation) into the charging case, wipe down your AirPods Pro or AirPods (3rd generation) with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth. Don't use heat or compressed air to dry your AirPods Pro or AirPods (3rd generation).
Fixing water-damaged AirPods cost $89 per AirPod in case you do not have an AppleCare+ subscription. With AppleCare+, the replacement fee jumps down to $29 every time you bring your device for service.
Place your AirPods in a dry environment for 12 hours.
A window seal is a good place to put them, as long as it's sunny and dry. Avoid leaving them in direct sunlight for too long. You can put them outside if it's dry and not too humid or hot. Leave them in a dry area for 12 hours.
If you have waterproof earbuds, you definitely don't have anything to worry about. However, if you are using earbuds that aren't waterproof, your result will depend mostly on the type of speakers in your earbuds and the corrosion levels.
Shake the earphones to remove water droplets. Let the earphones air dry for 48 hours. Do not speed the drying by using a clothes dryer, a hair dryer, or any other type of forced hot air.