Unfortunately, you cannot turn off AirPods Max without the case. This was a bit of a surprise to me when I first got them, as I was used to being able to power off my previous wireless headphones. However, after some research and experimenting, I discovered that the only way to put the AirPods Max into a low power mode is by placing them in their Smart case.
Now, you might be wondering why this is a big deal. Well, for one, it means that if you don’t have the case with you, there’s no way to conserve battery on the AirPods Max when you’re not using them. This can be quite frustrating, especially if you’re traveling or on the go and want to preserve as much battery life as possible.
I personally experienced this frustration during a recent flight. I had forgotten to bring the case with me, and after a few hours of not using the AirPods Max, I realized that the battery was draining faster than I had anticipated. I tried looking for a way to power them off, but to my dismay, there was no such option.
Now, you might be thinking, “Why didn’t you just put them in the airplane mode?” Well, unfortunately, AirPods Max do not have an airplane mode either. So, even if I had put my iPhone in airplane mode, the AirPods Max would still be actively searching for a Bluetooth connection and using up battery in the process.
It’s worth mentioning that Apple claims the AirPods Max have a battery life of up to 20 hours of listening time on a single charge. While this may be true, it’s important to note that this estimate assumes that the AirPods Max are in their Smart case when not in use. Without the case, the battery life can drain much faster, especially if you’re not actively using them.
To be fair, the AirPods Max do have a feature called “Ultra-Low Power Mode” which kicks in after 18 hours of inactivity. In this mode, the AirPods Max will enter a low power state to preserve battery charge. However, this mode can only be activated when the AirPods Max are in the Smart case. So, if you don’t have the case with you, you won’t be able to take advantage of this power-saving feature.
The AirPods Max do not have a way to completely turn them off without the Smart case. This can be frustrating for those who want to conserve battery when the headphones are not in use. It’s important to keep this in mind and always carry the case with you if you want to maximize the battery life of your AirPods Max.