Why Do My AirPods Keep Pausing ? ( Easy Fixes!)

Last week, I had a total ball, merrymaking with my childhood buds, Sam and Sera in Vegas. It was the most absurd but completely amusing trip I had after Covid. To tell you how enjoyable and why-so-memorable it was, devil-may-care! What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas !! 

Anyways, I was back in town, all bouncing and blooming and before I had even settled after the weekend, I received an email informing me that my proposal for the designation of a ‘Technical Consultant’ in an upcoming Start-Up in Nebraska was accepted. I was over the moon and quickly scheduled my interview for the day after.  

But a chill ran down my spine when I was collecting all my essentials for the interview. The last time was a total catastrophe when in the middle of an interview, my AirPods paused out of nowhere ! 

Just imagine ! I was supposed to elaborate on my achievements and the AirPods just paused ! They were stammering and stuttering constantly.My heart wanted to yell that I was a piece of junk who owned these grotesque AirPods which either got lost when I needed them the most or they would be all quiet in the middle of a 10-hour journey. God knows I took at least a week to get over that agony!

Why Do My AirPods Keep Pausing ?

No way, I could let it happen again and the AirPods were the first things I set out to proof check. This time, I wasn’t surprised to have them faltering again. But now, time is at my convenience and I am never letting myself face the ticklish situation when the AirPods keep pausing and I just don’t know why.  

So, while I was introspecting about why do my AirPods keep pausing , I learned about many flawed and erroneous daily practices on my part which result in a frail connection of the AirPods and that’s why the AirPods keep pausing intermittently. 

Here today, I am going to share all the reasons I found out which are responsible for this fluctuating behaviour of the AirPods. You’ll also gain clarity over the easiest and most reliable fixes for this issue so that you never in future have to delve upon why my AirPods keep pausing. 

So, wade through with me here onwards to learn how you will prevent the Airpods from pausing and to have them running without a halt ! 

Why Do AirPods Keep Pausing?

Why Do AirPods Keep Pausing ?

There are quite a few reasons why your AirPods have been pausing but the most universal reason is the Ear Detection Feature which is powered by proximity sensors. When the Ear Detection Feature doesn’t work efficiently, such complications are bound to happen. 

Study about the most common reasons here which I shortlisted while trying to figure out why do my AirPods keep stopping. 

  1. The AirPods have low battery
  2. The AirPods have a weak Bluetooth Connection
  3. One AirPod is used and the second one, being inactive, keeps moving around 
  4. The Music App you are using, or your phone is facing a glitch.

So, these faulty connections on either your device or the music app which you are currently using to listen to music, have been causing the AirPods to pause in between. Ofcourse, the biggest reason still remains the enabled ‘Ear Detection’ feature on your device. 
In my case, the reason for my AirPods pausing randomly was the Ear Detection feature enabled and my AirPods weren’t fully charged.

Can A Physical Damage Make AirPods Pause?

Can A Physical Damage Make AirPods Pause ?

The issue currently at hand when the AirPods have been pausing randomly, is unlikely to occur due to physical damage. Physical damage can cause much more than these minor technical issues. Damaged AirPods showcase many-a-errors like poor connectivity, unable to charge anymore or the volume gone down forever. 

If you mistakenly left behind your AirPods in your car when the sun was hot or swam with them, you’ll end up damaging them completely and they won’t connect at all. Consider them gone forever. So, if your AirPods have just been pausing intermittently, it’s not because you dropped them once, it has a lot to do with the software on the AirPods.

After an in-depth analysis, I have elucidated the best possible fixes for this issue which will fix your AirPods in just no time and they’ll go very smoothly without any waver. 

But before that, you should at least know what these proximity sensors are and why the AirPods begin to pause when one earpiece is removed

Having said that, it is imperative to learn about these proximity sensors because I believe, unless you know with what purpose a feature has been bestowed upon on your device, you won’t be able to understand what havoc can wreak if that feature malfunctions. 

Proximity Sensors Of AirPods

Proximity Sensors Of AirPods

You can find these sensors on the earpiece of each pair of AirPods. Basically, they are infrared sensors which instantly detect when an object is extremely close. Take your ears for an example. The AirPods immediately know the moment they come in contact with your ears. It’s because of these proximity sensors.

You can pretty easily identify them. They are those black bars on the earpiece’s side of your AirPods. 

Now, if these sensors get dirty due to any reason, be it dust or moisture, anything, they will malfunction and won’t be able to detect whether they are plugged in your ears or not. They will fake believe that they are not plugged in and they stop playing the music, then. 

You see, this is the entire game of these proximity sensors. By any chance if they are at fault, the entire mechanism of the AirPods goes down the drain and the AirPods keep pausing randomly. 
Identifying the problem closely makes the troubleshooting more accurate and quicker. Be ready to pick up the best solutions for fixing a minor issue like this and the Airpods will never pause unless you ask them to.

Why Do AirPods Pause On Removing One Ear?

There is this unique feature that the Apple AirPods come with i.e “ Automatic Ear Detection”.

This piece of technology states that your AirPods know whether they are plugged in your ears or not. 

If you are listening to music and plug the AirPods out abruptly to lend an ear to someone for listening to their piece of mind, the AirPods will know this and the music will stop playing. They will remain connected, of course but they’ll pause. Very Smart, isn’t it ! 

Why Do AirPods Pause On Removing One Ear ?

This ‘Automatic Ear Detection’ features offers two convenient services : 

  1. Auto-Pause : Auto Pause here means if you remove one earpiece to listen to someone, the music will pause even if the other earpiece is still plugged in your ear. It allows you to understand what the other person is saying by pausing Eminem’s Feelings on your AirPods. 
  1. Ear Switch : This is another very smart feature on your Airpods. The AirPods automatically detect when one AirPod is used and the other is not. The music stops playing on the unused Airpod and lets it rest. 

So undoubtedly, this Automatic Ear Detection is a very smart and convenient feature and it rests on the fragile shoulders of an extremely important part of your AirPods- The Proximity Sensors.  

Fixes To Apply When AirPods Keep Pausing

The best troubleshooting tricks and tips to stop your AirPods from pausing are elucidated here onwards. They can fix the Airpods in just no time and will leave you very learned about a few exclusive features of your AirPods which I bet you didn’t even know if they existed.

1. Turn the Automatic Ear Detection ‘Off’.

This is the very first and a basic thing to do. This feature of ‘Automatic Ear Detection’ as I elaborated in detail above, must be turned ‘off’ on your iPhone. Then, the next time you plug one AirPod out, the music will not stop playing automatically and in case if you want it to, you’ll have to tap the AirPods to stop playing. The Airpods won’t do it automatically on their own.

How to do :

  1. On your iPhone, open the Settings.
  2. Now, tap on ‘Bluetooth’ and select your Airpods.
  3. There will be an icon ‘i’ next to their name.
    Automatic Ear Detection
  4. You’ll see ‘Automatic Ear Detection’ there. Tap on it to turn it ‘off’.

Voila! It’s done. See, with this feature turned ‘off’, you won’t be able to switch ears or pause music automatically on removing one Airpod, as I said but it saves you from the frustrating situation when the music stopped playing on its own and you didn’t want it to.

2. Check the Bluetooth Connection.

Check the Bluetooth Connection.

You’ll often find yourself guessing why does my AirPod keep pausing if your iPhone’s Bluetooth is connected to more than one device. The Airpods will be puzzled about which device they should send audio to and will stop playing music on the one you hold, most probably.

Say your  iPhone is connected to your Airpods plus your Mac , your iPhone will only be puzzled which device should it be sending audio to.

To remove a connected device from your iphone, look at these steps : 

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone and tap on Bluetooth.
  2. Click on the ‘i’ icon , sitting next to the name of the device you wish to remove.
    Check the Bluetooth Connection.
  3. Keep scrolling until you find ‘Forget this Device’. Click on it.

So, before deciding that your AirPods have lost control and are damaged, check the devices connected to your phone’s bluetooth and disconnect them so that only the Airpods are found in the vicinity and can be easily connected to. 

3. Clean the AirPods- Specially the Proximity Sensors

Clean the AirPods- Specially the Proximity Sensors

You had received a deep amplification on this in my last article when these same AirPods had become oddly quiet because of the same issue of accumulated dirt on them.

Now, since the AirPods have begun to pause randomly, the dirty earpieces, especially the dusted Proximity Sensors can be one of the reasons. Dirty AirPods are not even filthy to look at, these sensors are the first thing they attack, resulting in technical issues like these.

Thereafter, they lose their capacity to judge whether they are plugged in your ears or not and begin to hitch abruptly, causing these random issues of pausing.

So, keep your AirPods very, very clean. For cleaning your AirPods, you can use-

  1. A clean, dry, lint-free piece of cloth dipped in distilled water.
  2. A cotton swab
  3. An Alcohol Cleaning Wipe
  4. Blu Tack 

Any of the above mentioned tricks to clean your Airpods will leave your Airpods squeaky clean and spotless.

Even if this one didn’t help with the pausing issue on your AirPods, it’s always a good idea to keep them spotless and orderly. At least, you won’t have to put up with dumb AirPods for sure.

4. Charge the AirPods

There’s actually a lot more than random pausing that you might have to face when the AirPods are not charged. They’ll be dead and offline  and it will be tough to trace them out of the hideous hole.

The AirPods can easily offer about 6 hours of the listening time and about 4 hours of the talktime on one single charge. Ofcourse, you can offer multiple cycles of charge to keep them going for at least 24 hours. 

Charge the AirPods

Now, if they haven’t been charged at all and have just some 5% battery or less, they’ll connect poorly, lose volume, lose functionality of the microphone as well. The life of your AirPods Battery Life can be shortened permanently if they are used on a low battery often. 

When you are taking a rest, the LED Light on your AirPod Case should be blinking in yellow or red. If the LED Light is blinking green, it means they are still connected. This way they lose the battery even when not in use.

Charge the AirPods

It won’t take long, don’t worry. Nearly dead AirPods can charge fully in just an hour. So, keep them good on charge and you won’t face any such random pausing issue on AirPods anymore.

5. Restart your iPhone

There is no device which hasn’t ever faced an unexplainable electronic issue. You have been correcting your AirPods all this while but you never know, it’s the device they are connected to, is the one who’s facing the glitch.

The last time when Spotify and HBO Max ceased to work on my dad’s Roku, It was the Roku TV which bore a hitch, not them.

Similarly, if there is a hiccup on your iPhone, you won’t be able to enjoy music on your AirPods without any interruption.They’ll keep pausing randomly and will fail to even connect, at times. 

After you have vigorously tried charging, disconnecting and connecting from Bluetooth, cleaning them, restart your iPhone and see if you see any changes. 

To restart your iPhone, do these quick steps : 

  1. Press and hold together the Volume and the Power button. 
  2. The Power button now will appear on the display screen. Either Slide/Press it to power your device off.
    Restart your Iphone
  3. Please wait to let the device shut down completely. 
  4. Now, wait for a few seconds and then, hold the Power Button to turn ‘on’ your iPhone.
    Restart your Iphone

A fresh restart at times, can easily fix up minor software glitches. After your device restarts and the above mentioned steps have been tested, I am pretty sure that the random pausing on your AirPods have been fixed. If not, there are a few more things you can do. Check them out here.

6. Update the AirPods Software

The AirPods can easily be updated using any iOS device like Iphone, Mac, iPad etc. And I tell you, they must be checked for updates from time-to-time even if a notification hasn’t popped up in a while. 

Apple Software Updates are a regular affair and must be launched on the iOS device you own so that you never face any performance glitch and the device runs as smooth as it’s first day.

Follow these steps to update your AirPods- 

  1. Grab your iOS device and turn ‘on’ its Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
  2. Now, pair the AirPods with this device.
    pair the AirPods
  3. Gather your AirPod Charging Case and slide the AirPods in it.
  4. Keep the AirPod Case and the device close to each other for about 15 minutes. 

Now, how will you know about the latest firmware on your AirPods and what the latest developments are ?

Embrace this small tip to check the your version of AirPods:

  1. On your iPhone, go to Settings and click on General.
  2. Now, click on About and then, tap on AirPods

You will easily know what firmware version you are using right now.

 Apple Latest Security Updates are easily available here and you can easily know whether your Airpods are up-to-date or not. 

Keeping the device updated with the latest software developments is what I always recommend. Even if you weren’t facing these issues of random pausing, it’s very essential for the functional health of your device. So, always keep your iOS devices fully updated.

7. Repair your AirPods

Repair your AirPods

If nothing at all from cleaning to charging, disconnecting other devices and even updating the device has not helped when your AirPods keep pausing, I feel you must now add your AirPods once again to the device’s Bluetooth list. 

It’s simple to do and can easily fix connection issues, if any that you device or the AirPods might be facing.

  1. In the Settings on your iPhone, click on Bluetooth.
  2. Identify your AirPods and click on ‘i’ option.
  3. Under the option of ‘Disconnect AirPods’, you’ll see ‘Forget Connection’. Click on it.
    you’ll see ‘Forget Connection’
  4. Now, grab the AirPods Case and hold the pairing button ( located at its backside) for about 10 seconds. 
  5. Now, place the AirPods back in the Case and close the lid.
  6. The AirPods will appear now on the Bluetooth Device’s List when you refresh and scan for new devices.
    Bluetooth Device’s List
  7. Upon locating, click on them to pair with your iPhone.

A fresh paired up connection is known to have fixed up the trickiest of issues on devices, let alone this one of random pause. 

If the issue has still not been fixed up, I would suggest either you try connecting to another iphone for testing your AirPods or there is something seriously wrong with the connectivity of your AirPods. Only a new pair of AirPods can heal your anxiety. 

Why Do AirPods Pro Keep Pausing?

Why Do AirPods Pro Keep Pausing?

AirPods Pro can also face this glitch of pausing in between the music and can keep you awake wondering why my AirPod pro keeps pausing. This is one software glitch which the best of the Apple devices can face at times. 

Just like the AirPods ( 2nd Gen or the 3rd Gen) which you just fixed above, these pricey and high-end siblings of the AirPods can also be settled. 
I know it can be very frustrating for not being able to play your playlist on these prized possessions but below listed are the easy and simple steps you can take to fix your Airpods Pro pausing randomly, before taking them to the Apple Store and disowning them. Take a look.

1. Check the Double-Tap Action

The AirPods Pro came up with this amazing element of a ‘double-tap’ and ‘triple-tap’ which can also be personalised as per your convenience. I have been using ‘double-tap’ mostly to play/pause my songs.

Please check carefully that the touch-pad on your phone should not be damaged or pressed anyhow because if it is, it will interfere with the play/pause command and will receive incorrect signals. 

To check this double-tap option for your AirPods Pro on your iPhone, check these steps : 

  1. From the Settings, go to the Bluetooth option. 
  2. Identify your AirPods Pro and click on the ‘i’ icon.
    click on the ‘i’ icon
  3. One by one, tap on Left and Right.
  4. You can change from Play/Pause to other available options.

2. Clean Up and Reset your AirPods Pro

It is fairly possible that the AirPods Pro have not even been pairing and resetting correctly because either the Left or the Right charging connector is not connecting properly in the charging case. 

3. Update your AirPods Pro

Update your AirPods Pro

When your AirPods Pro are paired up with your iPhone and they are connected to the Wi-fi network, the new software updates keep installing automatically and updating themselves. 

There isn’t any need of updating them manually if the ‘Auto-Update’ mode is on. 

If you still like to toggle the device and check yourself, I have explained about updating the AirPods and the device in great depth above. 

If you still want a glimpse of its recap, all you have to do is simply keep your AirPods Pro back in the Case, connect to a power source and then, pair them up with your iPhone or iPad. If they are already poured, well and good. That’s it. The Airpods Pro will be updated on their own now. 

Just like the AirPods, the AirPods Pro can also run into software glitches and they can actually pause randomly in the absence of an uninstalled new software launch. 

4. Reset the AirPods Pro

Just like the AirPods, resetting the AirPods Pro is very simple and easy. When the AirPods Pro are forgotten on your device, a fresh connection will have to be established. 

You should also disable Bluetooth at this point to avoid connecting other devices to your iPhone at the moment. You will be connecting the Airpods Pro exclusively to reset them.

Follow these quick steps to reset your AirPods Pro :

  1. Place the AirPods Pro back in the case but keep the lid open
  2. Now, press and hold the button at the back of the charging case till the amber light blinks out.
    Reset the AirPods Pro
  3. Now, keep your Charging Case open and close to your iPhone. Let it scan the AirPods Pro.
    scan the AirPods Pro
  4. Tap on ‘Connect’ when a pop-up appears on the screen.

Now, you have successfully reset your AirPods Pro and I am very sure, no chance now your AirPod Pro keeps pausing. 

If still luck hasn’t shined on your side, for one last time, please try connecting to your device’s bluetooth once again and check for the ‘Automatic Ear Detection’ turned ‘off’.

You have learned already in this article about what an essential role does ‘Automatic Ear Detection’ play while you jam on your songs. 

It has been planted especially for the convenience of the user but in this case when the Airpod Pros keep pausing, this should be turned ‘off’ for disallowing your AirPods Pro to detect the unplugging and pause the music played on your device. 

I am most sure that by applying the methods mentioned above, you won’t face any lag on your Airpods Pro and they won’t pause at all unless you direct them to. 

Why Do AirPods Keep Pausing Spotify?

Why Do AirPods Keep Pausing Spotify?

Now, after you have sorted the issue of ‘random pause’ on your AirPods or AirPods Pro, there is one more glitch which is very commonly faced by the Apple users i.e. at times, a few music apps begin to malfunction or hitch constantly when played on iPhone. 

Here, you will be learning about a case when the very popular music app Spotify pauses unexpectedly on your AirPods. All this while, you have been digging various aspects of the Airpods pausing randomly but there are high chances that the Spotify app itself is facing some snag. 

My friend, an ardent fan of Eminem and Lil Wayne , always had Spotify play his favourite tracks on loop and one day when Spotify just didn’t load on his Roku TV, it was concluded after the fixing-up that the Roku TV was flawless in its functions and the app was facing some lags on its own. They were fixed, never mind and I still hear Ye from the top floor. 

In your case with the device being the AirPods, it can be totally bothersome when the content is being played on Spotify and you keep wondering why do AirPods keep pausing Spotify.

Continue reading to fix this issue on your AirPods. It’s a petty issue and can be easily resolved like the ones you fixed above.

The 3 Main Reasons Why Spotify Pauses On AirPods

  1. Weak internet Connection
  2. The Bluetooth Connection Malfunction
  3. Automatic Ear Detection 

Broadly, these three factors are responsible for pausing Spotify on your AirPods. Learn more about why this happens and how this can be fixed so that you can enjoy music without any lag. 

1. A Weak Internet Connection

A Weak Internet Connection

Not only this music app, Spotify but each app on your Smart Device requires a very stable internet connection with signal strength nothing less than good or excellent. If the internet connection is interrupted or if the signals are poor, the music won’t load or will keep pausing randomly. This can be annoying and the listener keeps thinking about why do my AirPods keep pausing my music. 

The Solution : 

To check if the internet connection is working well on your iPhone, apply the following steps : 

  1. Open the Settings on your iPhone and select your Wi-Fi connection.
  2. Click on the ‘i’ icon next to your network. It means ‘information’.
    Click on the ‘i’ icon
  3. Now, you can clearly see your network’s detailed information.
  4. For analysing signal strength, download NetSpot from the PlayStore.

That’s how you can easily check if the internet is running at a suitable speed or not. If the connection strength is poor, try restarting the Wi-fi router or disconnect if too many devices are connected. 

This will improve the signal load on the router and Spotify will receive enough internet signals to play music without any interruption. 

2. The Bluetooth Connection Malfunction 

It has been made amply clear from the beginning that if more than one device is connected to your phone’s bluetooth, it may malfunction and create issues while playing content on the apps. 

In the case of the Spotify Music app, a malfunction on your phone’s bluetooth can cause the app to pause. 

The Solution : 

  1. Try listening to songs on the Spotify app without the AirPods. Use other headphones or earphones on the app and see if the app still pauses. 
    Use other headphones
  2. If Spotify works well on other devices, it means there is no flaw in the app and it’s the AirPods which need fixing.
  3. The fixing guide for AirPods which pause randomly has been explained deeply in the first part of this article. 
  4. Try connecting the Spotify app once again with your AirPods and check if it worked. 
  5. Disconnect all the devices and then, connect the AirPods with a fresh start. 
  6. Now, play songs on the app and it will work for sure. 

3. Automatic Ear Detection

You must have mastered it by now while fixing the AirPods which pauses randomly. This feature has to be turned ‘off’ on your iPhone while using the AirPods or the AirPods Pro so that the music doesn’t stop playing automatically when one ear is plugged out. 

The Solution : 

  1. On your iPhone, turn this feature ‘Automatic Ear Detection’ off.
  2. Then, reconnect your AirPods to the device.
  3. Now, play any song of your choice and see if it worked. 

I was able to fix the Spotify glitch on my AirPods by disconnecting extra devices connected to my internet and by disabling the ‘Ear Detection Feature’. Try all the above and derive what works for you. 

I firmly believe that these are minor software glitches and will be resolved easily , leaving you to enjoy music on your AirPods or the AirPods Pro without any lag. 

FAQs

Q1. Why do my AirPods keep glitching ? 

Answer – Mostly, the Bluetooth Connection is to be blamed for a glitchy sound on the AirPods. If a weak signal or connection from other devices will keep interfering with the Bluetooth connection of your AirPods, this is bound to happen. To avoid such an issue, ensure that the device, to which the AirPods are connected, is close to the AirPods, not very far off. 

Q2. Why are my AirPods skipping in and out ?

Answer –To fix minor Software issues like these, I recommend ‘resetting’ your AirPods. Connectivity issues, poor battery sustenance, issues like these can easily be resolved by resetting your Airpods. This way, your AirPods receive a ‘fresh start’ and they won’t keep pausing randomly and keep skipping. 

Q3. How can I stop my AirPods from pausing automatically ?

Answer –In AirPods, there is this special feature ‘ Automatic Ear Detection’. This stops the music from playing the moment one AirPod is plugged out. When this feature is turned ‘off’, the music will not stop playing automatically if one earpiece is removed. 

Q4. What is ‘Auto Pause’ on an iPhone ?

Answer –Auto Pause is a feature which allows you to pause the timer automatically when you are not moving or your speed drops below a specified value. This was basically designed to stop the user at ‘Stop Lights’ or at other places where the user needs to slow down. So, this feature notifies you the moment you need to stop wherever required. 

Q5. Why does my Apple Watch pause while I am walking ?

Answer –There is this feature of ‘Auto Pause’ in the ‘workout app’ on Apple Watch. Some workouts can make the watch pause automatically when inactivity is detected on some workouts. It will resume monitoring when the user starts to workout again. 

Conclusion : 

The Apple Products are exclusively premium because of the unique features on them but some minor glitches like the one I just resolved, can malfunction at times, shaking the entire audio experience. 

Most of the problems in this world can be resolved by setting the ‘connections’ correctly. Be it the internet connection or the bluetooth connection. If the device is connected aptly, no issue will be raised and the device works smoothly. 

In today’s case of the AirPods pausing randomly, it can easily be fixed with checking on mainly the proximity sensors and the ear detection mode. Rest are universal fixes and you’ll master them once you follow the stepwise tutorial above. 

I hope there is no lag on your AirPods now. Keep listening to music and take care !  

1 thought on “Why Do My AirPods Keep Pausing ? ( Easy Fixes!)”

Leave a Comment