Earbuds Case Shows No Light — Dead Case or No Charge
Charging case shows no LED when you put earbuds in or press the button — diagnosis and fix across AirPods cases, Sony, Jabra, Anker, Beats, and Samsung Galaxy Buds.
Solid
white
Quick info
Visual description
You place your earbuds in the charging case and close the lid, but no LED light appears on the case. Or you press the status button on the back of the case (on AirPods-style cases) and nothing lights up. The case appears completely dark. On some cases, the internal LED (visible through the case opening) is also off. Audio may still play through the earbuds on internal battery, but the case isn't providing any charge.
What it means
A completely dark charging case almost always means one of three things:
1. Case battery is fully depleted. The case battery itself has run to 0%. This is the most common cause. Connect the case to a wall charger immediately. 2. Charging cable or power source issue. The case may be seemingly 'plugged in' but not actually receiving power — faulty cable, loose connection, or insufficient USB power from a laptop port. 3. Charging contact problem. The case contacts that connect to the charging cable are dirty or damaged.
In rare cases, the LED itself has burned out while the case still charges. You can test this by placing earbuds in and checking battery levels on your phone — if they're climbing, the case is charging but the LED is dead.
Brand & model variations
The same light pattern can mean different things across manufacturers.
| Brand / Model | What white solid means | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
Apple AirPods (all models) | AirPods case with no LED: either the case battery is dead or the LED has failed. Press the setup button on the back — if the LED doesn't respond even with the case on a charger, the LED or logic board may have failed. If battery level appears on iPhone (when case is open), the case electronics are working — only LED is affected. | Connect via Lightning or USB-C to a wall adapter (not laptop). Wait 5 minutes, then open lid near iPhone to check battery popup. |
Sony WF-1000XM5, WF-C700N | Sony's case LED is on the front panel. If completely dark with earbuds inside: case battery likely dead. Sony cases typically show a few hours of warning (low LED states) before dying completely. | Charge via USB-C to a 5V/1A wall adapter. Sony case usually shows amber LED within 2 minutes of power connection. |
Jabra Elite 4, Elite 85t, Elite 10 | Jabra cases charge via USB-C. A completely dark case means dead battery. The Jabra case does not have a button to check status — the LED only lights when earbuds are seated or when receiving charge. | Connect to wall charger, not laptop USB. The LED should appear within 1–2 minutes. |
Anker / Soundcore Liberty 4, Space A40, Life P3 | Soundcore cases usually have 4 dot LEDs on the back or bottom showing case battery percentage. If all 4 are dark, case is dead. If 1–2 are dark, case just has low charge but is operational. | Press the case button on the bottom/back to check. If nothing: USB-C to wall adapter. |
Beats Fit Pro, Studio Buds+, Powerbeats Pro | Beats cases use an LED inside the lid (similar to original AirPods). If the lid-interior LED is off when earbuds are inside: case is dead. Powerbeats Pro case has no external LED at all by design — use iOS battery widget only. | Connect Lightning/USB-C to wall power. Check iOS battery widget after 5 minutes. |
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, Buds FE, Buds3 Pro | Galaxy Buds cases have an internal LED that's only visible through the case opening, not an external LED. If you can't see the internal LED with earbuds out and the case on a charger: likely dead case. The Galaxy Wearable app shows case battery percentage. | USB-C wall charge. Galaxy Wearable app will update case battery % once the case has enough charge. |
Diagnose your issue
Answer a few questions to narrow down the cause.
What is the current charging state of the case?
Safe next steps
Ordered from least to most involved. Check each step as you go.
Connect the case to a wall adapter — not a laptop USB port. Use the original cable or a certified replacement.
Wait 5 minutes before concluding the case is completely unresponsive. Deep-dead batteries need time.
Try a different USB cable — cable failure is one of the most common causes of a case that won't charge.
Inspect the USB-C or Lightning port on the case with a flashlight or phone camera. Look for lint, debris, or bent pins.
Gently clear any debris from the case charging port with a wooden toothpick — never use metal tools near USB ports.
For wireless charging (MagSafe or Qi): ensure the case is centered on the pad and the pad has power (check its indicator light).
After 30 minutes on a wall charger: open the lid and check if an iPhone shows an AirPods battery popup (Apple) or open the companion app (Sony/Jabra/Anker) to see if case battery % is now visible.
When it resolves on its own
Condition: Dead case connected to charger
Expected time: First LED response from a dead case: 3–10 minutes. Full case charge: 1.5–2 hours for most earbud cases. AirPods case (MagSafe): up to 3 hours from 0%. Soundcore Space A40 case: approximately 2 hours.
When to escalate
Stop troubleshooting and contact your ISP or manufacturer if:
- Case shows no response after 30 minutes connected to a known-good wall charger with two different cables.
- Case charging port visibly damaged — bent pin, cracked port, or liquid damage.
- Case charges but earbuds never receive charge despite clean contacts — internal power regulation fault.
- Case is within warranty period — manufacturer will replace case unit for free in most markets.