// ENGADGET — MOBILE & WEB
Why your AirPods keep disconnecting without warning: These settings can fix it
Before blaming Bluetooth, check where your AirPods are getting their orders from.
If your AirPods keep disconnecting, it's doubtful the AirPods themselves are broken, though that's always a possibility. The best course of action is a process of elimination, starting with checking automatic switching. This feature is available on all AirPods Pro and AirPods Max models, plus AirPods 2 or later.
Let's say you have your iPhone, an iPad and a Mac. If you use your AirPods on all three, or have in the past, those bothersome disconnections may not be disconnections at all, but rather the AirPods trying to bounce back and forth among all three devices. It's aggravating, but you need to make changes on all three to put a stop to it.
The setting you want is called Connect to this iPhone/iPad/Mac. First, put your AirPods in your ears. On iPhone or iPad, you should see your AirPods appear near the top of the Settings app. There, select your AirPods > Audio & Routing > Connect to this iPhone/iPad and choose When Last Connected to This iPhone/iPad.
Alternatively, or in System Settings on a Mac, open Settings > Bluetooth and select the little i in a circle next to your AirPods. If the AirPods aren't currently connected, choose Connect to This [Device] > When Last Connected to This [Device]. If they are connected, open the same Audio & Routing menu first.
If you mostly use your AirPods with one device, leave this setting on Automatic there and switch it to When Last Connected on your other Apple devices. That way, your AirPods will automatically connect to your most-used device when you put them in, but won't connect to your other devices unless you manually choose to use them. This won't fix every connection problem, but it will correct a common issue with using AirPods across multiple Apple devices.
You can also fully remove your AirPods using the Forget This Device option in the Bluetooth menu on any devices you never use them with.
The next time your AirPods disconnect, check to make sure they've actually disconnected by looking in the Bluetooth menu. AirPods have a feature called Automatic Ear Detection, which is enabled by default. It does what its name implies: detects when you remove your earbuds and automatically halts playback. It's a handy feature when you need to pull a bud out to hear what someone is saying, but if the sensor is misbehaving, it will interrupt your music for seemingly no reason.
Before you turn this off, it's worth making sure your AirPods are fitting properly. With your AirPods in your ears, go to the same AirPods menu mentioned above and hit Ear Tip Fit Test in the list. This will run a quick check to see if your buds have a good seal; if the tips you're using are the wrong size for your ears, or dirty, they're more likely to slip out.
Clean your AirPods and consider upgrading your earbud tips so they stay in and comfortable for long periods. It's important to clean the case too, as bits of earwax or trapped lint can block the electrical contact points and prevent one or both of your AirPods from charging. Special troubleshooting applies if only one of your AirPods isn't working.