although my apple ear pods were working fine - have now stopped on W11 (okay on Apple devices_

Question

Trying to activate my Apple earpods(gen3). They have been fine for as long as I can remember since upgrading to W11. Work fine with Apple devices. Bluetooth drivers seem to be the issue and device no longer available

Answer 1

Welcome David Mcneice,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum.  

I understand how frustrating it can be when your Apple AirPods (3rd generation), which previously worked on Windows 11, have stopped working, while they still function correctly on Apple devices, and the Bluetooth device now appears unavailable despite trying previous suggestions multiple times. 

To help resolve this as quickly as possible, could you please confirm the following details  

• Are you able to connect any other Bluetooth devices successfully on this Windows 11 PC? 
• Can you confirm the current Windows 11 version and OS build installed on the device? 

In the meantime, you can try the steps below to troubleshoot the issue:  

Option 1: Remove all Bluetooth audio device entries related to the AirPods 

• Open Device Manager by searching on start menu > expand Bluetooth and Sound, video and game controllers 
• Uninstall any entries related to AirPods or Bluetooth audio 
• Restart the PC 

Option 2: Restart Bluetooth Support Service 

• Press Windows key + R > type services.msc and press Enter 
• Locate Bluetooth Support Service 
• Restart the service and set Startup type to Automatic 

Option 3: Reinstall the Bluetooth adapter driver 

• Open Device Manager by searching on Start menu > expand Bluetooth 
• Right-click the Bluetooth adapter and select Uninstall device 
• Restart the PC to allow Windows to reinstall the driver automatically 

Option 4: Run the Bluetooth troubleshooter 

• Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Run the Bluetooth troubleshooter 

Option 5: Reset the AirPods connection on Windows 

• Put the AirPods back in the case 
• Press and hold the setup button until the status light flashes 
• Pair them again from Bluetooth settings on Windows 11 

I really hope that the information I gave above was helpful to you. Please feel free to reply below and let me know if you have further concern on this matter.  

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Answer 2

I have tried the suggestions numerous time with no positive outcome