AirPods Keep Pausing: 7 Main Causes and How to Solve Them Quickly (2024)

Check out these top hacks to stop your AirPods from repeatedly pausing.

The AirPods have intuitive playback controls and features that integrate seamlessly with other Apple devices.

However, they’re prone to recurring pausing issues, detracting from a smooth listening experience. This stems from various factors like Bluetooth connectivity issues, outdated firmware, and touch control sensitivity, making it hard to solve the problem.

Luckily, these causes can be quickly resolved once you’ve identified them, as they can be as simple as having dirty sensors or slow internet. This article will cover the common causes behind AirPods pausing, how to solve them, and prevent them from recurring. Read on!

AirPods Pausing Due to Low Battery

Bluetooth uses up your AirPods’ battery life when connected to another device. And being low on battery power can affect the quality of your AirPods’ Bluetooth connection, as they can reduce the connection strength to save on power.

This weaker signal can result in connection drops or audio cutting out, which you might perceive as your AirPods pausing intermittently. As such, your AirPods need sufficient battery power to ensure optimal performance.

Solution: Charge your AirPods

To remedy this issue, you simply need to charge your AirPods. This ensures a stronger Bluetooth connection, thus preventing audio problems.

Here’s how to charge your AirPods:

1. Place both AirPods inside the charging case.

   

2. Check the status light. This must turn amber to indicate the AirPods are charging.

   

3. Wait for the status light to turn green, indicating the AirPods are fully charged and ready to use. AirPods 1 and 2 typically take 20-25 minutes to fully charge, while the AirPods 3 and Pro take 50-60 minutes.

   

To learn where to find the status light for your specific AirPods model, check out this article about charging your AirPods.

AirPods Pausing Due to Firmware Issues

Your AirPods’ firmware refers to the software programmed directly into their memory, which dictates their overall functioning. This controls how your AirPods work and communicate with other devices.

Missing firmware updates or installation errors can cause problems, such as your AirPods cutting out or pausing now and then. This is because your AirPods are missing essential bug fixes and other improvements to enhance their performance.

Solution: Update your AirPods’ firmware

Keeping your firmware updated addresses common connectivity errors and irons out incompatibility issues with your iOS device.

Your firmware update should automatically download while your AirPods are charging and within Bluetooth range of your iOS device. Your device must also be connected to the internet for the update to start.

To check if your firmware is updated, follow these steps:

1. Connect your AirPods to your iOS device.

   

2. Go to Settings, then Bluetooth.

   

3. Tap the ‘i’ icon beside your AirPods on the list of paired devices.

   

4. Check the Firmware Version displayed to see if it matches the latest firmware version for your model.

   

If you find that your firmware isn’t up to date, here’s what you can do to trigger the automatic update:

1. Place your AirPods back into the case.

   

2. Charge your case by connecting it to a power socket.

   

3. Connect your iOS device to the internet and place it beside the charging case. Your firmware update should start automatically. There’s no exact timeframe for this, but it should happen within 10 minutes.

   

During this time, do not unplug the charger or remove the AirPods from the case. As an extra precaution, don’t move your iOS device for a while to ensure you don’t interrupt the firmware update.

AirPods Pausing Due to Notifications

Receiving notifications while using your AirPods can pause your music if Siri is turned on. Your AirPods automatically do this to ensure you can hear as Siri reads the message you received.

What’s frustrating here is that sometimes your audio won’t play back automatically after the message alert. Instead, you manually have to press play to get back to your music.

Solution: Turn on ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode

Unfortunately, you can’t opt to reduce your audio volume while Siri announces your notification instead of pausing your music entirely. So, the best solution is to turn on ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode.

This setting silences all calls, notifications, and alerts you receive as your phone is locked. This conveniently prevents Siri from interrupting your listening session.

To turn on this setting, follow these steps:

For iOS

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen to go to the Control Center.

   

2. Click on the Focus icon.

   

3. Tap on Do Not Disturb to turn it on.

   

You can also go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb. From here, you can configure Do Not Disturb to turn on automatically at a given time or in certain locations.

For Android

1. Swipe down from the top of the Home screen.

   

2. Tap on Do Not Disturb.

   

AirPods Pausing Due to Proximity Sensors

One of the AirPods’ handiest features is its ability to start playing music when worn and to pause your music when taken out. The AirPods accomplish this with the aid of proximity sensors.

Simply put, proximity sensors respond to light. They are located in areas of the AirPods that get blocked when placed inside the ears. Hence, they interpret the lack of light as wearing the AirPods and translate the detection of a light source as taking out the AirPods.

However, this mechanism is prone to error. Dirty sensors, especially those blocked by debris, can erroneously interpret light signals, making them pause and play at random moments. Similarly, incorrectly wearing your AirPods can confuse your sensors, causing them to pause when they shouldn’t.

It’s good practice to wipe your AirPods’ sensors to ensure they’re clean. This quick hack prevents debris from affecting your proximity sensors.

Solution: Turn off Automatic Ear Detection

Turning off Automatic Ear Detection prevents this issue from occurring, as it lets you pause and play your AirPods only when you please.

Here’s how you can turn this setting off:

1. Wear both AirPods and connect them to your device.
2. On your iOS device, go to Settings.

   

3. Tap on your AirPods’ name. This is an additional tab just under your Apple ID settings.

   If this option isn’t available, go to Bluetooth, then press the ‘i’ icon beside your AirPods’ name.

   

4. Scroll to Automatic Ear Detection, then slide the toggle to turn the setting off.

   

If using a Mac, head to the Apple menu and select System settings. Scroll down to find your AirPods in the sidebar, then click on your AirPods’ name and turn off Automatic Ear Detection.

AirPods Pausing Due to Poor Network Connection

A weak internet connection can affect your AirPods’ performance, as lags and buffers while streaming can seem like your AirPods keep pausing.

Solution: Reset your modem

When it comes to technology, the mantra, “Try turning it off, then turn it on again,” solves many problems. The same is true with a slow internet connection.

Resetting your modem goes a long way. It terminates the previous connection so your modem can negotiate a new one with your ISP, thus improving your internet speed and resolving common Wi-Fi issues.

To do so, follow these steps:

1. Unplug both the power and ethernet cables connected to your modem.

   

   If your modem uses batteries, take those out too.

2. Wait for the modem to power off fully. This can take up to 3 minutes.

   Modems have internal capacitors that store a bit of charge. Waiting a few minutes after powering off your modem ensures the capacitors are completely discharged, allowing your modem’s settings to reset fully.

3. Plug the power and ethernet cables back into the modem.

   

4. Wait until all lights in the modem turn back on. The lights should be solid, not blinking.

   

If these steps don’t work, the problem may be with your internet service provider (ISP). Try reaching out to them to see if there are potential connection issues within your area.

AirPods Pausing Due to Touch Control Sensitivity

AirPods 1 and 2 utilize a double-tap feature that lets users press twice on the top of an AirPod’s stem to perform various functions. This includes pausing/playing audio, answering calls, and activating Siri.

You can only assign one function to the double-tap action per AirPod. This means you will still need your phone to perform most controls.

The problem with this feature is that accidental touches can activate it. Due to its touch-sensitive nature, brushing against the 1^st or 2^nd generation AirPods can easily trigger the pause/play function, causing your audio to pause repeatedly.

Solution: Change the double-tap command setting

If you’re using AirPods 1 or 2, don’t worry! You can switch the double-tap command from pause/play to a different function to prevent accidental pauses in your audio.

Do the following to change your double-tap command:

1. Connect your AirPods to your iOS device.

   

2. Go to Settings, then Bluetooth.

   

3. Tap the ‘i’ icon beside your AirPods’ name.

   

4. Select the left or right AirPod, then choose the action triggered by a double tap. Make sure this isn’t set to Pause/Play to prevent your AirPods from pausing accidentally.

   

AirPods Pausing Due to a Faulty Bluetooth Connection

Most AirPods models use Bluetooth 5.0, which theoretically works up to 280 meters (800 feet). However, to ensure a stable connection, you must stay within your AirPods’ optimal range of 9-18 meters (30-60 feet). Going further than this risks issues like connection drops, which can manifest as your audio cutting constantly.

Additionally, interference from other devices can also reduce your signal strength. Devices such as Wi-Fi and microwaves operate at the same frequency as Bluetooth, so signal congestion can weaken your Bluetooth connection. This results in audio delays or frequent disconnections that can interrupt your listening experience.

To check if it’s Bluetooth interference causing your problems, try connecting your AirPods to a different device. Alternatively, you can connect another pair of earbuds to the same device. If the issue persists, it’s likely that other devices are indeed interfering with your Bluetooth connection.

Solution: Reset your AirPods’ Bluetooth connection

Resetting your AirPods restores them to their factory settings. This removes any issue that may have come up while you were using your AirPods.

Here’s how to reset your AirPods:

1. Place your AirPods in the charging case with the lid open.

   

2. Look for the Setup button at the back of the case.

   

3. Press and hold the Setup button for 15 seconds. The status light should change from flashing amber to white.

   

4. Close the lid to complete the reset. You can then re-pair the AirPods to your device.

   

Conclusion

Various factors can cause your AirPods to pause constantly. However, there are equally many ways to fix these issues. Luckily, these solutions are just as easy to do!

We hope this article has helped you understand what’s causing your AirPods to pause constantly and how to remedy this problem. Moving forward, you can finally enjoy your music or podcasts without worrying about your AirPods pausing randomly anymore!

Did this article help you solve your pausing issues? Did we miss any potential cause and solution? Let us know in the comments!