5 Ways to Fix Disconnecting AirPods on Windows 10 & 11

AirPods are great, but some Windows users have found that they have a tendency to randomly disconnect from their Windows devices. This issue is usually caused by a minor glitch in Bluetooth, but it can also be caused by corrupt audio drivers or faulty audio gateway services as well.

We’ve listed some troubleshooting methods below that are likely to fix disconnecting AirPods on Windows.

1. Reconnect Your AirPods Manually

If your AirPods keep disconnecting, then the first thing that you should do is try to reconnect them manually. Simply enable the pairing mode by pressing the Setup button on the AirPods till you see a white light.

Then, click on the Connect button in the Settings app. Once the AirPods are reconnected, try using them. We also recommend disabling Bluetooth on your other devices as they might be interfering with the current process, preventing AirPods from establishing a stable connection with the Windows device.

Check if the issue occurs again.

2. Run the Bluetooth Troubleshooter

AirPods and most other wireless earphones/headphones connect to your computer using Bluetooth technology. A malfunctioning Bluetooth service on your system will likely cause you to encounter problems when trying to use hardware that relies on these services.

The best way to fix issues related to Bluetooth on Windows is by using the Bluetooth troubleshooter. This utility is present in the Troubleshooting section of the Settings app, and it scans your system for potential issues that might be causing the Bluetooth service to act up.

If any issues are found, it will suggest relevant fixes.

Here is how you can run the Bluetooth troubleshooter:

1. Press Win + I together to open Windows Settings.
2. Choose Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters in the following window.

3. Now, look for the Bluetooth troubleshooter and click on the Run button associated with it.

4. After the troubleshooter completes its initial scan, it will display the problems found. In some cases, the troubleshooter will automatically apply the fixes while in others, it may suggest you fixes.

5. If it suggests fixes, click on Apply this fix.

However, if the troubleshooter fails to identify or fix the problem, move to the next method below.

3. Adjust the Power Management Settings on Your Computer

Your system might be configured to turn off its Bluetooth when the battery is below a certain percentage. If this is what’s causing your issue, you can resolve the issue by disabling the power-saving feature in Device Manager.

Follow these steps to disable this setting:

1. Type “Device Manager” in Windows search and click Open.
2. In the following window, click on the View option at the top and choose Devices by type from the context menu.

3. Now, expand the Human Interface Devices option and right-click on AirPods Audio/Video Remote Control HID.
4. Choose Properties.

5. In the Properties dialog, head over to the Power Management tab and disable the Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power option.

6. Perform the same steps for AirPods Hands-Free Call Control HID and Bluetooth Low Energy GATT compliant HID device too.
7. Now, close the Device Manager window and check if the issue is resolved.

In case you are using a power-saving mode, we also recommend you optimize your power usage by switching to a different power mode (preferably the Balanced mode) and see if that makes a difference.

4. Update Your AirPods Drivers

Drivers play an important role in connecting your hardware components with Windows. If the drivers are corrupt or haven’t been updated in a long while, they are likely to prevent the hardware devices from connecting to the system properly, resulting in issues like random disconnections.

In this case, you can resolve the issue by updating the relevant drivers to their latest available version. Usually, driver updates are installed automatically regularly, but if they don’t for some reason on your computer, then you can manually install them using the Device Manager.

Here is how you can proceed:

1. Launch Device Manager and expand the Bluetooth section.
2. Right-click on your Airpods driver and select Update driver from the context menu.

3. In the following dialog, choose Search automatically for drivers.

4. Wait for the system to pick and install a driver and then check if the issue is resolved.

If the error persists, then you can proceed with reinstalling the driver from scratch. This involves uninstalling the current driver via Device Manager and then installing the latest version through the manufacturer’s website.

5. Restart the Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service

Your AirPods can also keep disconnecting when one or more of the services necessary for them to work is either disabled or just not functioning properly.

Several users have reported that the Bluetooth Audio Gateway service was not working on their computers, which in turn caused the disconnection issue. This is why we recommend restarting the service as it might do the trick for you.

Here is how you can restart the service:

1. Press Win + R to open Run.
2. Type services.msc in Run and click Enter.
3. In the following window, look for the Bluetooth Audio Gateway service and right-click on it.
4. Choose Properties from the context menu.

5. Now, click on the Stop button, wait for a few seconds, and then click Start.
6. Make sure that the Startup type is set to Automatic.

7. Perform the same steps for the Bluetooth Support service.

8. Click Apply > OK to save the changes.

If the said service was the culprit, restarting it should fix the problem.

Fix Your AirPods Connection Issues for Good

The methods listed above will help you fix most, if not all connection issues that can occur while using AirPods. It is also recommended to be within 10 meters of your Windows device to ensure a smooth connection. In order to avoid such issues in the future, make sure the relevant services and drivers remain in good working order.