One Beats Earbud Not Working? Left or Right Side Fixes

This guide is for one Beats earbud, or one side of your Beats headphones, that has gone silent, sounds quieter than the other side or keeps dropping out. If both sides sound quiet or muffled, that's a different fix, covered in the escalation list at the end. For pairing, battery and other problems, start with the fixes on our page to fix your Beats headphones.

The six fixes below run from charge to settings, cleaning and updates, with the reset kept for last. For AirPods, Galaxy Buds and other brands, the page on a left or right earbud not working gives each maker's first fix.

Why Is Only One Side of My Beats Working?

Six causes can leave one side of your Beats silent or quieter, and the fixes below check them in this order:

• A flat earbud that isn't charging in the case, or headphones that have run down.
• The audio balance on your iPhone, Mac or Android phone moved off center, so one side plays quieter.
• A phone setting: Mono Audio is off, so you hear stereo rather than the same content in both ears, or Automatic Ear Detection has paused playback because one earbud is out of your ear.
• A dirty eartip, speaker mesh or charging contact on the earbud that has gone quiet or won't charge.
• Out-of-date software on the paired phone, or old Beats firmware.
• A fault the fixes can't clear, which is a job for Beats Support.

How to Fix Beats That Only Work on One Side

Apple has no Beats one-side article, so these steps use Apple's Beats charging, sound and reset pages; reset comes last.

Fix 1: Charge Both Earbuds and Check Each Battery

Start with power: charge both earbuds and read each one's level before you change any setting:

1. Place both earbuds in the charging case, then connect the case to a power outlet using a USB-C cable and a compatible power adapter.
2. Check each level. On iPhone or iPad, leave the case open and hold it close to your device: the levels for both earbuds and the case appear onscreen. On a Mac, go to System Settings > Bluetooth and look at the top of the My Devices list. On Android, open the Beats app, tap the menu button, then tap My Beats.
3. If one earbud shows no level, clean its charging contacts (Fix 4), then seat it in the case again.

Fix 2: Center the Audio Balance

When one side plays quieter than the other, set the Balance slider to the middle on the phone or computer your Beats are playing from:

• iPhone: Go to Settings, tap Accessibility, tap Audio & Visual, then scroll down to Balance. Make sure the slider is set in the middle.
• Android: Google puts the balance control under Audio adjustment in your Accessibility settings. Menu names differ between phone makers, so look for left and right balance there.
• Mac: Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Sound in the sidebar, click Output, select your Beats, then drag the Balance slider to the middle.

Balance is part of your phone's or Mac's own settings, so check it on every device you play from.

Fix 3: Check Mono Audio and Automatic Ear Detection

Two settings can make one side sound wrong or stop, and both are switches you set on your phone, tablet or computer:

1. Mono Audio plays the same content in both ears instead of stereo sound. On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual and turn on Mono Audio. On a Mac, go to System Settings > Accessibility > Audio and turn on Play stereo audio as mono. On Apple Watch, it's under Settings > Accessibility, below Hearing. Apple notes that with Mono Audio on, you can't use Spatial Audio and head tracking.
2. Automatic Ear Detection pauses Beats Fit Pro and Powerbeats Fit when you remove one earbud and resumes when you replace it. To turn it off on iPhone, go to Settings, tap your Beats near the top of the screen, then tap the Automatic Ear Detection switch. On a Mac, click your Beats in the System Settings sidebar. On Android, the switch is on the device screen in the Beats app.

Fix 4: Clean the Eartips, Mesh and Contacts

Apple says to never wear earphones if the eartips appear dirty, so clean each part with the method Apple gives for it:

1. Wipe the eartips and earbuds with a dry cleaning cloth to remove dust and oil. Don't use aerosol sprays, solvents or abrasives.
2. On Beats headphones, use a dry cloth on the ear cups and ear cup mesh, never a damp one.
3. On Beats Studio Buds, Studio Buds +, Beats Fit Pro and Powerbeats Fit, clean the earbud charging contacts with a cotton swab slightly dampened with warm water, and keep liquid out of the openings.

For the case pins and other Beats models, see our guide to clean your earbuds and case.

Fix 5: Update Your Phone and Your Beats

Apple's reset page puts the update before the reset: make sure the device your Beats are paired with is up to date first.

1. Update iOS, iPadOS, macOS or Android on the phone or computer your Beats use.
2. Let the Beats firmware update. It arrives automatically over the air on Apple devices and through the Beats app on Android; the Beats headphones firmware update page has Apple's conditions and the version check.

Fix 6: Reset Your Beats (Last Step)

Apple lists sound issues as a reason to reset Beats, once the paired device is up to date. For Beats Fit Pro, Powerbeats Fit, Studio Buds +, Powerbeats Pro 2 and Solo Buds, the reset starts with both earbuds in the case and the case open. Afterwards you pair them again. The button and hold time for each model are on factory reset Beats headphones.

Left, Right or One Earcup

The fix order is the same on either side; what changes is the model and whether it has a case. If one earbud or earcup keeps cutting out rather than going silent, see what to do when Beats headphones keep cutting out.

Situation	What's different
Left or right earbud silent	Same fixes. Check that earbud's level first (Fix 1).
Beats Fit Pro left earbud	Same fixes. The reset: both earbuds in the case with the case open, then hold the system button for 15 seconds, until the light flashes red and white.
One earcup of Beats headphones (Solo 4, Studio Pro, Beats 360)	No case. Charge by USB-C, center the balance, then reset. The charging light turns white once they're at least 95 percent charged (right earcup on Solo 4, left earcup on Beats 360). If you use a cable, grasp the plug to disconnect it, never the cable.
One side quieter, not silent	Balance first (Fix 2), then clean the eartip and mesh (Fix 4).
Only one earbud connects at all	A pairing problem: see Beats not connecting.

Solo Buds differ from the other earbuds at the reset: Apple's step is to hold the button above the "b" logo on both earbuds for at least 10 seconds, with both earbuds in the open case.