Surface Earbuds - Not Charging and No LED Light

Question

I purchased a new pair of surface earbuds from Best Buy and out of the box no charge or LED light to indicate they even work. I charge with the USB-C charger in the box and nothing. Charged for an hour and unable to turn on to pair with my Surface Duo 2. I attempted to plug them into my Surface Pro 8.....Nothing! I immediately return to Best Buy and exchange for a new pair. Get home and the same exact thing. Zero charge. When plugged in via the USB-C no LED light - JUST DEAD! A new adopter of Surface products from Apple and I have to say I have never experienced this EVER! I am accustomed to at least a few hours of charge out of the box. At least enough to pair the device. Two different sets of earbuds purchased brand new out of the box with zero charge, will not turn on and completely unable to pair or reset because they are an absolutely DEAD paperweight. Any suggestions or assistance? Pairing earbuds should not be this difficult.

Answer 1

Hello NewSurfaceAdopter,

Thanks for reaching Microsoft Community. We're sorry to learn that your earbuds are not charging and not connecting. We'll do our best to help.

When there's no LED light on the case and not connecting to the host device, it could be a problem with the firmware or possible hardware issue. We suggest to reset the firmware of your earbuds. Follow the methods below:

Reset the Firmware

On a Windows 10/11 PC

1. Plug the USB cable into your PC or into a USB power adapter (not included) for a wall outlet.
2. Press and hold the Pair button on the bottom of the charging case for less than 20 seconds.
   Note: Make sure you don't hold the Pair button down for longer than 20 seconds. If you do, it'll reset your Surface Earbuds to the default factory settings.
3. While still holding down the Pair button, connect the USB-C end to your case.
4. Release the Pair button.

But if issue still persists, we suggest to contact our support via Contact Us Microsoft Support to seek options for your device and for further assistance. You can also contact them via phone, see Global Support Phone Numbers. For detailed instructions on how to contact our support, click here.

Regards,

StevenK

Answer 2

Hello NewSurfaceAdopter,

We have noticed that you haven’t replied to our last response. We would like to know if you still need assistance with your concern. If yes, kindly reply back so we can further assist you.

Hope to hear from you.

Answer 3

Hi there, have the same issue with a brand new pair just received from Microsoft Store. They paired with my Surface Book, and via the Surface App on Windows, I've updated the firmare, and performed a factory reset, per the documentation available here: Reset Surface Earbuds (microsoft.com) and neither action made the LED work. Also, they will not pair with my iphone, either directly with the pair button & bluetooth settings, or via the iphone Surface app.

Suggestions on next steps to try?

I don't want to return, would prefer to exchange for working pair, but the online store process is just giving me a Return option only.

Thanks for the help,

--Libby

Answer 4

BTW, note for the support content team - it's really hard to follow the instructions that involve looking for the LED signals, when the problem is with the LED not displaying it all.

Answer 5

I have the same issue, and following the procedure above does NOT help.