How to Fix Your AirPods Max's Battery Drain Issue

Some AirPods Max users have encountered a strange battery drain issue that will affect the earbuds even if they are not in use, but there may be a simple solution.

According to numerous social media and forum posts, AirPods Max can quickly drain the battery, even when sitting in a smart case (which should put them in ultra-low power mode). Some owners said their headphones dropped from a fully charged battery to just 1% overnight.

Apple has not commented on this problem, and there is no official solution, but there is a possible solution: Apple has just released the new AirPods max firmware, version 3C39. Apple doesn’t provide patch instructions for AirPods updates like iOS and macOS, so we don’t know what has changed in this new firmware. Hope to include a fix for the battery drain issue. We will confirm that users install 3C39 firmware again.

Unfortunately, it is rolling out slowly so it may take us a while to find out. In other words, even if we can’t confirm if version 3C39 fixes AirPods Max battery life, it is advisable to install the update as soon as possible.

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How to update your AirPods Max to prevent the Battery Drain Issue

When the headphones are connected to the iPhone via Bluetooth and charged, the AirPods firmware update will install automatically. The whole process happens indirectly; If a patch is available, it will download and install in the background. This makes system maintenance easy, which means you may have installed the patch, but you should carefully check your iPhone settings to confirm the firmware version of your AirPods Max.

Here is how to check:

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Tap “Bluetooth.”
Make sure your AirPods Max headphones are turned on and listed in the connected devices column. If not, pair them with your iPhone before you continue.
Tap the Info icon next to your AirPods Max.
Check the number listed under “Firmware Version.”

If your AirPods Max includes version 3C39 (or higher), then you have the latest firmware. The old version number was 3C16, so if you see this then you need to update your firmware, although as we said before, you cannot do the update manually.

Please note that the firmware update installation may take up to 30 minutes. Let your AirPods Max sit in the charger for half an hour and then check again. If the firmware is still an older version, you can try to force an update:

On your iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth.
Tap the Info icon next to your AirPods Max in the “Connected Devices” list.
Tap “Forget this device.”
Plug your Airpods Max into the charger.
On your iPhone, go back to Settings > Bluetooth.
Look for your AirPods from the “Other Devices” list. Tap to pair the headphones with your iPhone.
Wait 30 minutes then check the firmware version again.

This is not a guaranteed solution, but it is worth a try. If you try to force an update but still don’t see it installed, the new firmware may not be ready for your device. Please wait a moment and try again. It should appear in the next few days.