[AirPods 3] Strange Issue: Stuck in Pairing Mode but Cannot Connect

Hi everyone, I’m having a really odd problem with my AirPods 3 that I received from a family member.

At first, I was able to connect them to my iPhone without issues, but I noticed something strange — I couldn’t change the AirPods’ name in the Bluetooth settings. In the Find My app, I was still able to see their location and even the movement history on the map.

A few weeks later, I didn’t use them and they completely ran out of battery. After charging them back to full, the problem started:

• The AirPods no longer connect to any device (iPhone, Android, or Windows).
• I tried resetting them following Apple’s official steps, but it didn’t help.
• The case LED blinks white, which normally means pairing mode, but no device detects their Bluetooth signal.

I also checked with the original owner, and he confirmed that he had removed the AirPods from his Bluetooth devices and also deleted them from his Find My account before giving them to me.

👉 Has anyone experienced this before? Is there any way to fix this or is the hardware itself faulty?

Thanks a lot for your help!