Earbud Charging Indicator Lights: Brand Comparison
AirPods show amber while charging, Sony shows red, Jabra shows red, Samsung shows green. A complete cross-brand comparison of what the charging LED looks like.
Signal: Earbuds Solid Red Light (Low Battery or Charging)
Full page| Brand | What it means on this brand | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
Apple AirPods Pro, AirPods 3 | Apple AirPods use an amber/orange light, not red. Solid amber = case charging. Flashing amber = pairing error. No LED on the earbuds themselves — all status is on the case. | Amber light = keep case connected to charger. See AirPods amber light page. |
Beats Fit Pro, Studio Buds | Solid red LED = battery below 20%. Flashing red = critically low, will shut off within minutes. No solid red 'charging' state — Beats shows white LED while charging. | Place Beats in case immediately and connect case to power. |
Sony WF-1000XM5 | Red light inside the case = earbuds are charging. Red light on earbud body (in use) = low battery alert. Sony transitions from red → green when the earbuds reach full charge. | Charging red is normal — leave connected until green appears. |
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II | Bose uses amber (not red) for low battery warnings. Solid amber while charging. No distinct 'low battery' LED — Bose relies on voice prompts. | Voice announcement 'battery low' precedes shutdown on Bose. |
Jabra Elite series | Red flashing = critically low battery, will shut down in under 5 minutes. Solid red inside case = charging in progress. | Solid red in case is fine — it will turn off when fully charged. |
Signal: AirPods Amber / Orange Light — What It Means
Full page| Brand | What it means on this brand | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
Apple AirPods (1st gen, 2nd gen) | LED is inside the lid. Steady amber with AirPods inside = charging. Steady amber with case open and empty = case battery below 1 full charge. No flashing amber state on 1st gen — pairing errors show as no light response. | Connect Lightning cable to case to charge. Green = full. |
Apple AirPods (3rd gen) | LED moved to front of case. Steady amber = charging. Flashing amber = reset needed. Green = full. 3rd gen also supports MagSafe charging — if placed on charger, amber appears immediately when charging begins. | Flashing amber: factory reset both AirPods (press and hold case button 15 seconds). |
Apple AirPods Pro (1st gen) | Front LED behavior identical to AirPods 3. Steady amber = AirPods charging. Flashing amber = pairing/firmware error requiring reset. Note: after repair or battery service, amber flashing is common until the firmware re-verifies. | Same reset procedure. If amber persists after reset, contact Apple Support. |
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen) | Same LED behavior. 2nd gen Pro adds a speaker on the case for Find My — this does not affect LED meanings. Case amber = charging. Earbuds amber shown in the iOS battery widget in the Notification Center. | Check iOS battery widget for per-earbud and case charge levels. |
Apple AirPods (4th gen, USB-C) | USB-C model, otherwise same LED behavior as 3rd gen. Amber = charging, flashing amber = pairing error. | Same reset: open lid, press and hold the setup button on the case back for 15s. |
Apple AirPods Max | LED on right ear cup. Amber = charging. AirPods Max enters a low-power mode after 5 minutes in the Smart Case — LED turns off. Flashing amber = pairing error, reset by holding noise control and Digital Crown simultaneously for 15 seconds. | When charging via Lightning/USB-C: amber = charging, green = full. |
Signal: Samsung Galaxy Buds Light Colors Explained
Full page| Brand | What it means on this brand | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 (2021) | LED inside case lid. Green = charged, Yellow = medium, Red = low/critical. No external case LED. On-bud LED status: inside bud panel only visible in dark environments. Pairing: no visible external LED — pairing done via Galaxy popup or Bluetooth settings. | Open case lid to see charge LED. Use Galaxy Wearable app for precise % readings. |
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro (2022) | Same internal LED setup. Added: LED briefly flashes when case is opened to show charge status. Buds 2 Pro supports 360 Audio — if LED is red and audio quality drops, prioritize case charging. | Brief flash on lid open shows status. Sustained green = both earbuds full. |
Samsung Galaxy Buds FE (2023) | Budget Galaxy Buds — simplified LED: only green (charging or full) and no light (buds removed, case off). No red warning LED on FE. Charge warnings come through the Galaxy Wearable app notifications. | FE simplification: rely on Galaxy Wearable app for charge % if you need precision. |
Samsung Galaxy Buds3 / Buds3 Pro (2024) | New open-type design (stem earbuds similar to AirPods in appearance). LED behavior updated: small dot LED on earbud stem (right earbud). Slow white blink = connected. Rapid white flash = pairing mode. Solid white = ANC adjustment or call in progress. Case: same internal LED tradition maintained. | Buds3 has visible stem LED — slow white blink in ear = connected. Rapid flash = pair mode. |
Summary by brand
Apple
Earbuds Solid Red Light (Low Battery or Charging): Apple AirPods use an amber/orange light, not red. Solid amber = case charging. Flashing amber = pairing error. No LED on the earbuds themselves — all status is on the case. — Amber light = keep case connected to charger. See AirPods amber light page.
AirPods Amber / Orange Light — What It Means: LED is inside the lid. Steady amber with AirPods inside = charging. Steady amber with case open and empty = case battery below 1 full charge. No flashing amber state on 1st gen — pairing errors show as no light response. — Connect Lightning cable to case to charge. Green = full.
AirPods Amber / Orange Light — What It Means: LED moved to front of case. Steady amber = charging. Flashing amber = reset needed. Green = full. 3rd gen also supports MagSafe charging — if placed on charger, amber appears immediately when charging begins. — Flashing amber: factory reset both AirPods (press and hold case button 15 seconds).
AirPods Amber / Orange Light — What It Means: Front LED behavior identical to AirPods 3. Steady amber = AirPods charging. Flashing amber = pairing/firmware error requiring reset. Note: after repair or battery service, amber flashing is common until the firmware re-verifies. — Same reset procedure. If amber persists after reset, contact Apple Support.
AirPods Amber / Orange Light — What It Means: Same LED behavior. 2nd gen Pro adds a speaker on the case for Find My — this does not affect LED meanings. Case amber = charging. Earbuds amber shown in the iOS battery widget in the Notification Center. — Check iOS battery widget for per-earbud and case charge levels.
AirPods Amber / Orange Light — What It Means: USB-C model, otherwise same LED behavior as 3rd gen. Amber = charging, flashing amber = pairing error. — Same reset: open lid, press and hold the setup button on the case back for 15s.
AirPods Amber / Orange Light — What It Means: LED on right ear cup. Amber = charging. AirPods Max enters a low-power mode after 5 minutes in the Smart Case — LED turns off. Flashing amber = pairing error, reset by holding noise control and Digital Crown simultaneously for 15 seconds. — When charging via Lightning/USB-C: amber = charging, green = full.
Beats
Earbuds Solid Red Light (Low Battery or Charging): Solid red LED = battery below 20%. Flashing red = critically low, will shut off within minutes. No solid red 'charging' state — Beats shows white LED while charging. — Place Beats in case immediately and connect case to power.
Sony
Earbuds Solid Red Light (Low Battery or Charging): Red light inside the case = earbuds are charging. Red light on earbud body (in use) = low battery alert. Sony transitions from red → green when the earbuds reach full charge. — Charging red is normal — leave connected until green appears.
Bose
Earbuds Solid Red Light (Low Battery or Charging): Bose uses amber (not red) for low battery warnings. Solid amber while charging. No distinct 'low battery' LED — Bose relies on voice prompts. — Voice announcement 'battery low' precedes shutdown on Bose.
Jabra
Earbuds Solid Red Light (Low Battery or Charging): Red flashing = critically low battery, will shut down in under 5 minutes. Solid red inside case = charging in progress. — Solid red in case is fine — it will turn off when fully charged.
Samsung
Samsung Galaxy Buds Light Colors Explained: LED inside case lid. Green = charged, Yellow = medium, Red = low/critical. No external case LED. On-bud LED status: inside bud panel only visible in dark environments. Pairing: no visible external LED — pairing done via Galaxy popup or Bluetooth settings. — Open case lid to see charge LED. Use Galaxy Wearable app for precise % readings.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Light Colors Explained: Same internal LED setup. Added: LED briefly flashes when case is opened to show charge status. Buds 2 Pro supports 360 Audio — if LED is red and audio quality drops, prioritize case charging. — Brief flash on lid open shows status. Sustained green = both earbuds full.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Light Colors Explained: Budget Galaxy Buds — simplified LED: only green (charging or full) and no light (buds removed, case off). No red warning LED on FE. Charge warnings come through the Galaxy Wearable app notifications. — FE simplification: rely on Galaxy Wearable app for charge % if you need precision.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Light Colors Explained: New open-type design (stem earbuds similar to AirPods in appearance). LED behavior updated: small dot LED on earbud stem (right earbud). Slow white blink = connected. Rapid white flash = pairing mode. Solid white = ANC adjustment or call in progress. Case: same internal LED tradition maintained. — Buds3 has visible stem LED — slow white blink in ear = connected. Rapid flash = pair mode.