How Far Away Can AirPods Be From Phone? The Range Explained


Whether you are cleaning around the house or working out, you might have faced the problem of your AirPods buffering or cutting out if you move too far away from your phone.  While AirPods are great for listening to music, podcasts, and more, there is a limit to which you can separate your AirPods from your device. So, how far can AirPods be from your phone?

AirPods should work clearly when separated from your phone by 30 feet. Depending on the environment around you, the most basic range is between 30-60 feet. In certain circumstances, your AirPod range could reach up to 100 feet.

Read on to learn more about how far away AirPods can be from a phone. Judging from the high likelihood that the device you are connected to is your iPhone, such an instance will be the focus of the article. As you will learn, however, some different circumstances and devices can affect the range of the connectivity of your AirPods.

How Far Away Can AirPods Be From Phone?

AirPods should work with no problem between 30 to 60 feet away from your device. In most cases, this is plenty of range to complete whatever activities you are performing while being able to listen to what is playing through your AirPods.

Of course, this is not always the case. For one, you are probably not constantly measuring how far you and your AirPods are from your device. At the same time, you might be doing something that requires you to move further than 60 feet away from your device. Also, different obstacles that block the Bluetooth connection can get in the way of the connectivity of your AirPods.

Below you can learn more about what may happen when your AirPods are too far away from your device as well as factors that can further cause problems with your AirPods’ Bluetooth connectivity. In rare cases, the problem may rest within your AirPods, but that should not be the first thing to consider.

What Happens If Your AirPods Are Too Far From Your Phone?

Perhaps you are cleaning your living room while listening to an audiobook, but you realize that the vacuum is upstairs. When you leave the room to bring the vacuum down, the audiobook playing in your ears begins cutting in and out. You have not lost full connection, but it is difficult to understand what is coming from your AirPods.

You might even move further away from your device. You could be listening to music at the gym while working out a certain set of muscles on a machine. When you finish the exercise, you decide to walk to the other side of the gym for another machine. However, you forget to bring your phone with you, so your music stops playing.

Although Bluetooth is certainly a useful invention, there are limits to its abilities. You can only separate the connected devices so far before problems arise. When you move your AirPods too far away from your device, the connection can become interrupted. 

The first sign that your AirPods are too far away from your device is if the audio coming from the AirPods cuts in and out. If you continue moving further away, you will find that the connection cuts off completely. With Apple technology, the Bluetooth devices should reconnect when they come closer together, but sometimes, you may have to reconnect them manually.

Factors That Affect AirPod Connection To Your Phone

There are different factors that can affect the connection of your AirPods to your phone:

  • How far away the devices are
  • Other obstacles that can interrupt the connection
  • AirPod model

The reason your AirPods disconnect from your device could be one or more of these causes.

As has been covered, The most common reason your AirPods disconnect from your phone is when they are too far away from the device they are connected to. However, there are still other causes you should consider.

If you are in a part of your home with several walls or, for example, in an area like a gym or coffee shop where many obstacles can get in the way, the range of your AirPods’ Bluetooth connectivity can be reduced even more. Similar to WiFi, connectivity is weakened by physical interferences. Even if you are only ten feet away but you have gone to another room or area separated by walls or obstacles, your AirPods may have connectivity issues.

Lastly, the model of AirPods that you use may influence the Bluetooth range. If you have the 2nd generation AirPods and have used them for years, chances are that they are a bit more worn down than a brand-new pair of AirPods. Simple wear and tear can cause connectivity issues with your AirPods. Newer AirPods are the most up-to-date products, meaning that they could have bug fixes that aid connectivity range.

How To Extend The Range Of Your AirPod Connection

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If you constantly face the problem of your AirPods disconnecting when you move too far away from your phone, there are ways to extend the range of your AirPod connection. If your AirPods are old and you have the means and will to buy new ones, go for it. However, there are simpler options. Still, you will have to have the products below to benefit from the fixes.

Using An Apple Watch

If you have an Apple Watch, this is the easiest way to fix your connectivity problems. No matter if you are walking in your neighborhood or running errands, connecting your AirPods to your Apple Watch instead of using your phone as your main device is highly convenient. 

As you go about your day, wearing your Apple Watch is likely already commonplace. When you connect your AirPods to your Apple Watch, you do not have to worry about interrupted connections as the AirPods and Apple Watch are near each other at all times.

Using Apple TV

If you are completing projects in your home but still have to move around the house, your AirPods may not remain securely synced with your phone. With Apple TV with the same Apple ID as your AirPods, you can connect to your television. This may not let you go anywhere in your home without disruptions, but as the TV may be in a more central location than your phone, the Bluetooth connection can be improved.

Takeaway

Your AirPods should function normally up to 60 feet away from the device they are connected to. Besides distances, however, other factors may influence the strength of the connection between AirPods and other devices. Additionally, there are ways to improve the connectivity of your AirPods with other Apple products.

Sources

https://spacehop.com/how-far-can-airpods-be-away-from-phone/

https://www.apple.com/airpods/

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7889171

https://tv.apple.com/

John Hammer

Hi i'm John Hammer, Founder and Author of Gizbuyer Guide. Ever since the original Xbox, PlayStation, and iPhone I've purchased and worked on all kinds of consumer tech products, gaming gadgets and operating system softwares. To this day my curiosity has never left, and my aim is to guide and share my knowledge on technology as I continue to experience the latest of the consumer electronics industry.

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