AirPods disconnecting from iPhone

I have a peculiar problem with my AirPods4 and iPhone. The AirPods keep disconnecting and reconnecting instantly to the iPhone in approximately 30 seconds intervals. I tried resetting AirPods, restarting phone, changing connectivity settings of Pods, charging them, etc. Ironically on my PC everything seems to be running smoothly so I am afraid the problem is in the phone, but I can’t find any settings or troubleshooting for the Bluetooth connection. I will be thankful for any kind of advice.

iPhone 15, iOS 26

Posted on Dec 6, 2025 3:36 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 7, 2025 6:54 PM

Turn OFF Automatic Switching (MOST COMMON FIX)

This resolves the problem for about 70% of users.

On your iPhone:

  1. Go to Settings → Bluetooth
  2. Tap the (i) next to your AirPods 4
  3. Find Connect to This iPhone
  4. Change it to When Last Connected to This iPhone

This prevents iOS from aggressively trying to switch sources.

If you have other Apple devices:

➡ Repeat this step on ALL devices.

1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 7, 2025 6:54 PM in response to Melown9

Turn OFF Automatic Switching (MOST COMMON FIX)

This resolves the problem for about 70% of users.

On your iPhone:

  1. Go to Settings → Bluetooth
  2. Tap the (i) next to your AirPods 4
  3. Find Connect to This iPhone
  4. Change it to When Last Connected to This iPhone

This prevents iOS from aggressively trying to switch sources.

If you have other Apple devices:

➡ Repeat this step on ALL devices.

AirPods disconnecting from iPhone

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.