There’s recognition but no connection

I’ve had AirPods gifted to me a few yrs ago, never been connected to any device ever until today. I decided to charge them up and see if they would work on my new 17 pro max.

my cel acknowledges them but they disconnects immediately after I do a hard shut down and reboot. The connection lasts for about 5 seconds not even enough time to get both pods in my ears

Posted on Sep 18, 2026 7:06 AM

1 reply

WheelieNick

Level 9 (74,110 points)

Sep 18, 2026 2:01 PM in response to 1locorojo

Hi there

Please try this

Charge the Case and Pods Fully: Plug the charging case into a wall charger with the AirPods inside for at least 30 minutes. If the tiny batteries inside the AirPods dropped below a critical voltage from years of zero use, a short charge will not sustain a stable Bluetooth link.

Clean the Charging Contacts: Take a cotton swab and gently clean the bottom of the charging case and the stems of the AirPods. Dirt or residue can stop one or both pods from charging or communicating with the case properly.

Perform a Factory Reset on the AirPods:

Put both AirPods in the charging case and close the lid for 30 seconds.
Open the case lid.
Press and hold the setup button on the back of the case for about 15 seconds until the status light flashes amber and then white. (If your case doesn't have a back button, tap the front of the case three times).

Reconnect to Your iPhone: Hold the open AirPods case next to your iPhone 17 Pro Max and follow the setup animation on your screen.