Apple’s decision to drop the 3.5mm headphone jack on the iPhone was met with plenty of criticism. The first generation AirPods were revealed alongside this iPhone as an instant solution, and nearly a decade later, Apple’s AirPods are one of the most popular Bluetooth accessories on the market. We’ve seen several iterations of them over the years, including the in-ear style AirPods Pro that have been hailed as one of the best noise cancellation earbuds you can buy.

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AirPods have also gained several new features, such as Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness, or the precision tracking tech that makes it easy for you to locate your misplaced AirPods using an iPhone. Another useful addition that made its way to the AirPods lineup is wireless charging. This makes it effortless to place your AirPods case on top of a Qi-certified wireless charger — no cables, no fuss. Certain models even come with MagSafe charging, allowing you to stick them on top of wireless chargers even quicker.

The AirPods have decent battery life and remain charged when in their charging case. Despite this, it’s not uncommon for you to inadvertently start your day with a pair of AirPods that are completely drained. In such cases, you should be delighted to know that you can top them back up using your iPhone — but not without a few asterisks, in classic Apple fashion.

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You can charge any model of AirPods using your iPhone — granted you own an iPhone 15 or later, that comes with the newer charging interface. After the Lightning port’s painfully long tenure, and pressure from the E.U., Apple finally gave in and shipped the iPhone 15 series with USB-C. There are a lot of advantages that come with USB-C on the iPhone, including faster file transfers, a higher ceiling for charging speeds, and the ability to connect your iPhone to a monitor.

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Another prominent feature of USB-C is reverse charging. Android phones have been able to do this for years, but you can now use reverse charging on the iPhone. It’s as simple as connecting one end of a charging cable to your iPhone, and the other end into a device that needs charging. This works with all models of the AirPods, as long as you have a cable you can connect them with to your iPhone.

For example, if you own a pair of AirPods that charge via the Lightning port on the charging case, you would need a Lightning to USB-C cable. AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 that charge via USB-C can also be plugged into your iPhone with a USB-C to USB-C cable. Apple doesn’t disclose the charging speeds for its AirPods cases, but in our testing, we noticed no major differences in charging them via an iPhone versus a dedicated power source.

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Every model since the iPhone 12 has shipped with MagSafe, except for the iPhone SE and iPhone 16E. Though it only makes sense to try to snap your MagSafe-compatible AirPods case to the back of your iPhone, you’ll be disappointed to find out that they don’t charge or even stick to your phone like other MagSafe accessories. Many Android phones feature reverse wireless charging, and you actually can charge your AirPods with a phone like the OnePlus 13.

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While we wait for Apple to implement this functionality on the iPhone, it’s worth exploring other ways you can charge your AirPods. For models that support wireless charging, placing them on any Qi-enabled charger will do the trick. AirPods with MagSafe-compatible charging cases can also be charged using an Apple Watch charging puck.

The individual earbuds themselves automatically begin charging as soon as they’re placed inside the charging case. You can check the battery percentages of both the buds and the charging case using an iPhone, iPad or Mac that’s connected to your AirPods. If you’re constantly being annoyed by uneven battery levels on your AirPods, make sure the charging case is clean and free of any dust that may cause an obstruction.

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