Once, I was trying to check the AirPods battery using the battery widget on my iPhone, and I realized it wasn’t there at all.
I had no idea why it had stopped working, and the thing is, I use that widget all the time. It was super annoying. After some time of messing around with a few settings and trying different things, I finally figured it out
Has anything like that ever happened to you? If yes, then let me walk you through what worked for me; hopefully, it saves you some time and frustration.
Why The Battery Widget Matters
So let’s see why the batteries widget actually matters:
- It shows you the real-time battery levels for your iPhone and anything connected, like your AirPods, Apple Watch, and all that stuff.
- You can even check the battery for each individual AirPod and the charging case. It is super handy when you are traveling, working out, or sitting in a meeting and don’t want to fiddle with your case.
Why Is Your AirPods Battery Widget Missing?
Here are the most common reasons your AirPods battery might not show in the widget:
Maybe The Widget Isn’t Added Yet
Make sure to check if the Batteries widget is on your home screen or Today View. Sometimes it’s just not there, so the battery info won’t show up. If that is the case, just long-press your screen, hit the “+” button, search for “Batteries”, and add it. Easy fix.
Your AirPods Might Not Be Connected
The widget only shows your AirPods battery when they are actually connected via Bluetooth. So if your AirPods are still in the case or not paired, you won’t see them on the widget. Make sure they are out and connected.
The Case Lid Is Closed or You Are Too Far
Here is a little thing that trips people up: the charging case battery only shows when the lid is open and the case is close to your phone. If it’s closed or too far away, forget it. Just open the app near your phone, and it should pop up.
Could Be An iOS Bug
Sometimes, it’s just a bug. After some iOS updates (like iOS 16 and later), the widget can glitch and stop showing stuff correctly. If you have ruled everything out, it might be a bug messing with you.
Try Resetting And Reconnecting
If none of the above tricks work, try this: unpair your AirPods by hitting ‘Forget my AirPods’ in Bluetooth settings, and reconnect. I did this myself when the battery disappeared, and it fixed the problem. Sometimes, a fresh start clears up those hidden connection issues.
How To Fix the AirPods Battery Widget
Now that we have talked about what might be causing the problem, let’s get to the good stuff – how to actually fix it. These steps are pretty straightforward, and they won’t take long. Let’s walk through them together, so you can get that battery info back where it belongs:
- Add or Re-Add The Batteries Widget
Press and hold the Home screen > tap “+” > search Batteries > select your preferred size > tap Add Widget.
- Ensure AirPods Are Connected
Open the AirPods case near your iPhone or go to Settings > Bluetooth to manually connect them.
- Keep The Case Lid Open
Your AirPods case battery info only shows up when the case is open and close to your iPhone. This is especially true for AirPods Pro two and some other models, so if you don’t see it right away, try opening the case and bringing it closer.
- Turn On Bluetooth
Open the Control Center and ensure that your Bluetooth is enabled. Without it, the AirPods won’t appear.
- Restart Your iPhone
Hold down the side + volume button > power off > wait a minute > power on again. Doing this has caused problems for many users.
- Update iOS
To check, go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available updates. Updates often fix widget bugs.
- Reset Your AirPods
- In Bluetooth Settings, tap the “i” icon next to AirPods > Forget This Device.
- With the case lid open, press and hold the back setup button until the LED flashes amber and then white.
- Reconnect them to your iPhone.
- Fix Find My Network Bug (AirPods Pro 2)
Some users found the case didn’t appear until they toggled Find My Network off and on again in AirPods settings. So you can also try the same, and it might work for you.
When To Contact Apple Support
If you have tried all these steps and the widget still doesn’t show up, or it never appears even when you open the case, it could be something more serious.
Sometimes it’s a deeper software issue that might need a full iOS reinstall. Other times, it could be a hardware problem, and some users have had to replace their AirPods.
Fingers crossed, you won’t have to go that far!
Bonus Tips
Here are some bonus tips for you to make things easier and better:
- Add the widget to your Today View for easy access, even on the lock screen. Just enable Today View and Search in Settings > Face ID & Passcode.
- If you just need quick battery info, open the case near your iPhone or just ask Siri.
Wrap Up
The Batteries widget might be small, but it’s a total powerhouse when it comes to keeping an eye on your AirPods and charging case. Sometimes it can play hide and seek, thanks to some pesky glitches, but don’t sweat it.
You just need quick checks and a reset to bring it right back. With these tricks up your sleeve, you’ll never be caught off guard with a dead AirPod again.
