What Do the LED Colors Mean on Your AirPods?

Apple’s AirPods have become a cultural phenomenon like no other. Take a little walk outside and there’s a guarantee that you will be spotting people wearing them. Some will be on their afternoon jog while having their AirPods play their favorite workout anthem. Others will be taking a conference call to decide how to tackle a client pitch. The ubiquity of the AirPods is truly staggering.

When they were released, they were one of the first truly wireless earbuds that really worked. Even with the earliest iterations, the pairing process was smooth and easy to navigate through. Today, through various revisions and updates, Apple has taken that near-perfect formula that everyone loved and made the experience just that much more enjoyable. The sound quality is great, even from the perspective of audiophiles who like to really get into the nitty-gritty.

Apple is perhaps best described as a company that really likes to nail the user experience and this is indeed the case with AirPods as well. Take AirPods Pro or even the over-the-ear AirPods Max, you are most likely going to love the experience and join the army of AirPods fanboys.

One thing that generally tends to confuse people, though, is that there is not much indication of what the different types of LED Colors mean. They can stay constant or even flash sometimes. The good news is that this is nothing that a little bit of a guide can’t explain. This is why we decided to create a min-manual that you can use to understand exactly what your AirPods are trying to say to you.

Before we get into the guide itself, let’s take a look at a great solution that will not only make your AirPods look hip but also protect them from the occasional scratch.

AirPods Cases

If you are looking to buy an AirPod Pro case for yourself, you have come to the right place! Longvadon offers a wide range of leather AirPods Pro cases, each one more enticing than the next.

There are many reasons why you might want to get yourself a case. One of the most compelling which serves a crucial function is the fact that you need protection for your AirPods. Made from shiny plastic, AirPods are extremely susceptible to scratches that can come even if you are using your AirPods with considerable care.

Even an innocuous activity like placing them on a table can cause scuffs that you won’t like. While the white color does a good job of concealing most minor scratches, the perfectionist in you won’t ever fail to notice them. In order to protect your AirPods, it is essential that you keep an external case on the AirPods themselves. Considering that the casing itself is vital to the whole operation and there’s no way to charge the earbuds alone, a little care goes a long way.

Another problem that a case will completely solve is a much more interesting one. For many, the AirPods look quite okay. The design is made to be recognizable yet also melts into the background just quietly doing its job. However, for the aesthetically inclined, the design might seem like it’s too ‘plain’. In order to give your AirPods a new coat of paint, a well-designed external cover does the job.

Top Grain Leather

Now, the two vital qualities that the perfect external AirPods case has are durability and an aesthetically pleasing exterior. These might seem quite simple but finding a case that does both admirably is a hard job.

This is where the Longvadon leather AirPods Pro case comes in. The Caiman Series crocodile embossed leather case is the answer if you are looking for a fusion of beauty and durability. The leather is cut from bovine skin and is top grain only. The name comes from the fact that the leather comes from the top layer of the cowhide and is buffed or shaved off. It is considered to be one of the most premium types of leather and has a characteristic leather feel to it.

The crocodile embossing creates a killer look that is instantly recognizable as well. There are a lot of cheap cases you will be able to find online that use sub-par leather that has been roughly split, bonded, or even fake leather. The difference is massive when you feel the intricate granularity of genuine bovine leather in your hand compared to the cheap feel of fake alternatives. An interesting side note is that embossing aids grip as well.

Seamless Connectivity

If your AirPods are ones that have wireless charging enabled (if you don't know whether your AirPods are wireless charging enabled, head on to this helpful article), you will be able to seamlessly charge your AirPods even with the exterior cover on. This supports the vision that Longvadon started out with, a casing that never needs to be removed and is completely seamless in its function. Even the leather itself is completely seamless in how its patterns look. You won’t find any cuts or stitching anywhere.

Protection You Can Trust

Since the shell of the case is made from polycarbonate, a material that has high tensile strength, you can rest easy knowing that your AirPods are wearing a bulletproof vest of sorts. There’s also a separate line in the Caiman Series that is catered to first and second-generation AirPods as well. Since the first and second-gen AirPods have different dimensions from the Pro model, the separate case is made for those requirements exclusively. If you have the third-generation AirPods, there is a separate line for them as well.

What do the LED Colors mean on AirPods?

There are essentially 3 main colors that you will spot on your AirPods. Orange, Green, and White. Interestingly, there are two main types of behaviors they can exhibit. Either they will be constantly on or  flashing; both behaviors mean different things.

Solid Amber

Often referred to as orange, the color is actually amber. If your AirPods’ light is amber and is solid, this means that your AirPods are being charged. If connected to a charger this means both the buds and the case are being charged. If your AirPods case is not connected to a charger, then that means that the earbuds themselves are being charged by the case.

Flashing Amber

It’s a good chance that you remember the red ring of death that the Xbox 360 used to display. Many Xbox 360 consoles met their demise through this siren of death. If your lights are flashing amber on your AirPods, this means that there is danger. Essentially, the AirPods have encountered an error that has stopped them from functioning.

However, the good news is that this is not nearly as fatal as the red ring of death and is usually fixed by a quick reset that you can perform. The reset is done by closing the case and pressing the button on the front of the case for 15 seconds. Make sure that any connected device in the vicinity has the ‘Forget Device’ button turned on for the AirPods before you reset them.

Green

Green is often the bearer of good news. If your AirPods LED is green, that means that it has been fully charged and you can disconnect your case and start listening to your favorite songs. If your AirPods are not connected to a charger and pressing the button shows a green light, this means that the earbuds themselves have been completely charged by the case.

Flashing White

If your AirPods are flashing white, that means that they are ready to be paired to a device.

Common Issues

There are a few issues that you need to look out for. If the AirPods don’t flash white while you are trying to pair them to a device, this is a good indication that the battery is depleted. Connect the AirPods to a charger and wait for them to be fully charged. After that, if the AirPods still refuse to show the white flashing light, a factory reset will do the trick.

If your AirPods are showing any other color that is not the three that we have mentioned, that means that you have bought counterfeit ones. AirPods are a favorite of scammers and there are millions of fake models being sold to unsuspecting customers all over the globe. In order to always be on the right side of this scam, make sure to always buy your AirPods from certified dealers. If you notice any unusual lettering on the box (misspells for example) or see the seals being broken, do not buy as this is a good indicator that the seller is trying to defraud you.