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audio only coming from outside speaker

when i try to use my airpods, the audio only comes from the speaker on the outside. ive tried cleaning and resetting them to no avail. how can i fix this? (sorry for the horrible image quality)

Posted on Feb 22, 2023 7:32 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 22, 2023 9:00 PM

Hi cdwizard,

Welcome to the Apple (user-to-user) Community!


Re: "audio only coming from outside speaker"


Resetting the airPods was a great start with trouble-shooting!


Here's a few suggestions,

you might want to check to see if you have audio after each.


Try restarting the Mac, iPhone, or device you are connecting to.

"Forget" the airPods and reconnect.


See if turn off / turn on bluetooth helps re-establlsh the audio


You might want to check that you are only connecting airPods to one device at a time. (Eg may not be switching between multiple devices.)


See if the audio plays through the airPods in airport mode


Could an open app (eg Game with audio) be "over-riding" the airPods audio


AirPods Support Website:

topics, resources, and contact options:

AirPods Support - Official Apple Support


AirPods User Guide – Apple Support 


All the best :-)

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 22, 2023 9:00 PM in response to cdwizard

Hi cdwizard,

Welcome to the Apple (user-to-user) Community!


Re: "audio only coming from outside speaker"


Resetting the airPods was a great start with trouble-shooting!


Here's a few suggestions,

you might want to check to see if you have audio after each.


Try restarting the Mac, iPhone, or device you are connecting to.

"Forget" the airPods and reconnect.


See if turn off / turn on bluetooth helps re-establlsh the audio


You might want to check that you are only connecting airPods to one device at a time. (Eg may not be switching between multiple devices.)


See if the audio plays through the airPods in airport mode


Could an open app (eg Game with audio) be "over-riding" the airPods audio


AirPods Support Website:

topics, resources, and contact options:

AirPods Support - Official Apple Support


AirPods User Guide – Apple Support 


All the best :-)

Feb 24, 2023 8:30 PM in response to cdwizard

Thank you for trying those suggestions ... sorry that hasn't helped.

Yes ... Apple repair and service centre may be able to help.


If you want to check your warranty:

How to: Find the serial number of your AirPods – Apple Support


Where to enter the serial number to see what support info. is available:

Check Your Service and Support Coverage - Apple Support


About: AirPods Repair & Service - Apple Support

Feb 24, 2023 7:04 AM in response to brbo

hello! thank you for the suggestions! unfortunately, none of these have seemed to change anything and the audio remains only in the back speaker. im considering just going to an authorized repair and service center, as nothing ive found online has been able to fix the problem either.


thank you for the help regardless!

audio only coming from outside speaker

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