There may be occasions when you are in a hurry and forget to take your AirPods case with you when you leave the house. You may not realize that you have left it behind and may be wondering how to connect AirPods without a case.
We take a look at the ways that you can connect your AirPods to devices that you have previously paired them to without having the case with you.
Can You Use Airpods Without The Case?
If you find that you have forgotten the case for your AirPods you may wonder if you can still use them. Happily the answer is yes, you can use them without having the case with you.
There are two main functions for the case. The first is when you initially connect your AirPods to your device as the case is necessary for the initial pairing process. The second use for the case is to charge your AirPods.
That’s not to say that the case only has these two functions. It is also very important for storing your AirPods and keeping them free from damage, dirt and liquid ingress.
When it comes to connectivity however, your AirPods case is not essential, and you can connect your AirPods to your paired device without it.
There are different devices that you can pair your AirPods with and the process for connecting to them varies. We’ll take a look at connecting to an iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows PC when you don’t have your AirPods case nearby.
Connecting Airpods For iPhone
You will only be able to connect to an iPhone that you have previously paired with your AirPods if you don’t have the case with you.
Using Apple’s AirPlay feature you can connect your AirPods without needing the auto pairing feature of the case.
Below is the step-by-step guide to connecting your iPhone to your AirPods using AirPlay.
- On your iPhone swipe down from the top of the screen to get to the Control Center.
- Turn on Bluetooth by tapping the icon.
- In the upper right corner of the screen tap the audio card.
- To the right of this screen you’ll see the tiny AirPlay icon, tap this to reveal the list of previously paired devices.
- Select your AirPods from this list.
Connecting Airpods For Android
For Android phone users there is a different method for connecting your AirPods without the case being close by. An Android will treat your AirPods like any other Bluetooth device which means you don’t need the case to connect them to the phone.
Like an iPhone you can only connect your AirPods to an Android without the case if they have previously been paired.
This is how to turn on your AirPods from your Android phone.
- Go into the settings app on your phone.
- Turn on the Bluetooth slider by tapping it.
- Your phone will give you a list of previously paired devices. Select your AirPods from this list.
- This will connect your phone to your AirPods.
Connecting Airpods For Windows PC
As with an Android phone your Window PC will treat your AirPods like any other Bluetooth device.
You may be familiar with connecting your regular Bluetooth headphones to your PC so connecting your AirPods is really no different.
- In the Windows search box type in ‘Bluetooth’.
- When the option of ‘Bluetooth and other devices settings’ comes up click on it.
- Under ‘Audio’ find your AirPods and select them.
- Your PC and Airpods should now be connected.
Connecting Airpods For Mac
It is relatively easy to connect your AirPods to your Mac if you haven’t got the case with you. Here’s how to go about connecting the two.
- In the upper right corner of your screen turn on the Bluetooth by clicking on the icon.
- A drop-down list of relevant devices will appear.
- Select your AirPods from this list.
- Your Mac will now be connected to your AirPods.
How To Turn Off Airpods Without The Case?
While you can connect your AirPods without the case for the devices we have talked about and in the way we have described there is actually no way to turn off your AirPods without the case.
The only thing you can do in this situation is to unpair the AirPods from the device that you are connected to. Next time you want to use your AirPods with that device you will need to have the case with you so that you can pair them again.
Using Your Airpods Without Their Case
It is quite easy to connect your AirPods to an iPhone, Android, Mac or Windows PC without having the case nearby. However you won’t be able to charge them without the case.
There is no other way to charge AirPods other than through the official case.
The other important function of the AirPods case is for pairing to devices that you have not previously paired with your AirPods. It’s not possible to do this without the case.
Neither is it possible to turn off the AirPods without the case, instead you have to unpair them from the device.
On a non-technology level the AirPods case is important to keep your AirPods free from damage, water ingress and in good condition.
It also helps you to keep them safe and make it less likely that you will lose them when you are not wearing them.
Without the case you can’t use the automatic connection feature, check the status of your AirPods, or use the setup button which allows you to reset your AirPods.
It also performs a manual connection to non-iOS devices like an Android phone.
Final Thoughts
As we’ve seen it is possible to connect your AirPods without the case, and it’s not that difficult or complicated.
However, your AirPods case is important for charging, automatic connection, checking the status of your AirPods and for keeping them protected from damage or loss.
We hope this guide has been helpful and informative for you.
