My AirPods Pro 2 used to last me all day but recently they're dying after like 4 hours of use. I got them about two years ago and I charge them regularly in the case. Is there something I'm missing or do the batteries just degrade over time?
Four hours is pretty rough but it's not necessarily just degradation - check if you've got multiple apps running heavy background audio, Bluetooth interference from nearby devices, or if automatic ear detection is glitching and keeping them awake even when you're not using them.
Battery health definitely diminishes over two years, but that usually means going from 6 hours down to 5, not cutting your time in half, so I'd troubleshoot the software stuff first before assuming the battery itself is toast.
Two years isn't actually ancient for AirPods Pro 2, so while battery degradation is real, it's probably not the main culprit here!
I'd actually look at your iOS version first - sometimes updates mess with power management, and resetting your Bluetooth connection or doing a full earbud reset can work wonders. Also check if you've got spatial audio cranked up constantly or if something's running crazy in the background, since those drain the battery like mad.
If none of that helps, then yeah, the battery cells might be getting tired, but honestly four hours suggests something's actively wrong rather than just age creeping up on you!
I had something similar happen with my earbuds where the left one started tanking after like 3 hours, and it turned out the charging contacts in the case were just gunked up with lint and dust. Cleaned them with a dry cloth and it made a huge difference.
But if that's not it, definitely reset your AirPods through the Bluetooth settings and forget the device entirely, then re-pair from scratch - sometimes the connection gets weird and drains battery faster than it should. Battery degradation after two years is real, but usually it's more gradual than dropping from all day to four hours, so I'd exhaust the software and contact stuff first before assuming the battery itself is shot.
Before you assume the battery's shot, don't just keep charging them in the case - try resetting the AirPods themselves by holding the button on the back of the case for 15 seconds until the light flashes amber. A lot of people skip this step, but firmware glitches can absolutely tank battery life, and a reset clears that out. Beyond what the others mentioned with contacts and iOS updates, check your Bluetooth settings to see if the earbuds are bouncing between multiple devices - if your phone, tablet, and laptop are all trying to connect at once, it drains the battery like crazy because they're constantly searching and reconnecting rather than staying stable on one device.
Lithium batteries do degrade over two years, but here's what folks sometimes miss: if you're charging them constantly (like leaving them in the case plugged in overnight), you're basically asking the battery to stay at 100% all the time, which burns through cycles faster than normal use does. Have you tried letting the case battery drop to maybe 20-30% before charging it back up, just to see if that helps your earbuds recover a bit?
The charging case contacts are probably your biggest culprit - that's what caught me out with my own earbuds a while back. After two years of daily use, lint and dust accumulate on those tiny metal pins inside the case, which means the AirPods aren't actually getting a full charge even though you think they are. Grab a dry cloth or even a soft toothbrush and gently clean both the contacts on the case and the little metal dots on the back of each earbud. It's honestly wild how much of a difference this makes.
Once you've cleaned them, do a factory reset by holding that button on the back of the case for about 15 seconds - you'll see the light flash amber then white. This clears out any funky software stuff that might've built up over two years. After that, let them charge fully in the case overnight and see if you're getting closer to the 6+ hours you used to get.
If cleaning and resetting don't help much, then yeah, battery degradation could be playing a role - lithium batteries do naturally lose capacity over time, especially after two years of constant cycles. But honestly, 4 hours after all that suggests it's probably still contact issues or a software glitch rather than the battery itself being completely shot. Give it a week of proper charging and see where you land.
Battery drain that sudden usually points to something fixable before you resign yourself to replacing them. The thing is, lithium batteries do degrade over time, but you'd expect a gradual slide over two years, not a sudden cliff drop. So something changed recently - either in how you're using them, your phone's settings, or the earbuds themselves.
One thing that caught me off guard with my own earbuds was Bluetooth staying connected to multiple devices at once. If your AirPods are paired with your phone, laptop, tablet, and that old iPad gathering dust in the closet, they're constantly switching between them and draining way faster than normal. Go into your Bluetooth settings and unpair anything you're not actively using. Also check if there's a firmware update waiting for your AirPods - sometimes older firmware has battery drain bugs that a fresh update kills pretty effectively. You can force a check by going into your phone's settings and looking for AirPods in Bluetooth.
The other culprit that gets people is the charging case contacts. Even a thin layer of dust or lint on those tiny metal pins can block a proper charge, so the earbuds are never actually reaching full capacity. Grab a dry cotton swab and gently clean the metal contacts inside the case and on the back of the earbuds themselves. If you've been tossing them in a pocket or bag without the case, they're probably pretty grimy by now. If none of that helps and the drain persists after a reset (hold the back button for about 15 seconds until the light flashes), then yeah, the battery cells might actually be on their way out - but try the easy stuff first.
Battery degradation over lithium batteries is real and happens faster than people think, especially with constant charge cycles over two years. That said, the drop from all-day to four hours is pretty dramatic for that timeframe, so something else is likely going on too.
One thing folks don't always realize: if you're leaving your AirPods in the case between uses, the case itself is constantly trickle-charging them even when they're already full. This keeps the batteries in a state of constant low-level stress. Try leaving them out of the case for a few days and see if that changes anything. Also check Settings > Bluetooth on your phone and see if there's anything weird with connection stability or if you've got a ton of other paired devices nearby causing interference. Sometimes a phone restart clears up Bluetooth wonkiness that drains buds faster than normal.
If nothing changes after that, grab a soft cloth and actually look inside the charging case contacts - sometimes lint buildup prevents proper charging and forces your earbuds to drain what little charge they have way faster. You can gently wipe the little metal pins on both the case and the earbuds themselves. And definitely try a factory reset if you haven't already - hold that button on the back of the case for about 15 seconds until you see the light flash orange and white. It's worth doing before you assume the battery itself is toast.
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