Freezer repairs AirPods Max – for a short time

Repair experts report that older AirPods Max models exhibit hardware problems after a few years of use: The frequent rotation of the headphones from the wearing position to the listening position can lead to cable breakage (or at least micro-tears with conductor faults) at the connection between the headband and the ear cup. Corresponding complaints can be found on Reddit and in Apple's official support forums, among others.

The issue manifests itself in the fact that the over-ears, which cost Apple 579 euros, lose the connection to Mac, iPhone and Co., and the usual reset by double-pressing both control buttons then fails. The necessary white flashing LED that indicates the reset simply does not appear – so it is then no longer possible to reconnect the AirPods Max and the devices remain mute. Interestingly, a special trick is circulating as a solution: the defective devices should be placed in the freezer for a few minutes. And, as a test with one of the affected headphones in the Mac & i editorial office (Lightning model, purchased in 2021) showed, this actually works – but is neither a permanent solution nor a fundamentally good idea.

The tip with the freezer compartment

However, users who have the described problems with their AirPods Max should do something else first: Clean the connection between the headband and ear cups – on both sides. This can be done by separating the two using a SIM tool or a paper clip –, which is very easy, as this YouTube tutorial shows. You should then carefully clean with cleaning alcohol suitable for electronic products and cotton buds to ensure that the plug (in the earpieces) and socket (in the ear cups) are clean. Occasionally this is enough to enable the longed-for reset.

If that doesn't work either, you can try the freezer trick, but only if the devices have long been out of warranty (after 24 months) and Apple is not willing to repair them as a gesture of goodwill. The seemingly dead AirPods Max are placed in a freezer bag and simply placed in the freezer compartment for 10 to 15 minutes (some users even dare to try 30 minutes). The device should then be freed from condensation, dried, and allowed to warm up again. And indeed, often, resetting and pairing are then possible again.

Why this trick is not a good idea

There are various theories as to why the deep-freeze trick works. Probably the most accurate one, as postulated by a repair expert on Reddit: The flex cables that connect the earpiece and ear cup are made of plastic with integrated wires. These slowly break due to the continuous stress of rotation. Deep-freezing now causes the plastic in the flex cables to shrink, which causes the connection to re-form.

The problem: over time, this connection becomes brittle again due to the usual rotation or simply comes loose by itself. The model that was subjected to this treatment in the Mac & i editorial office has been playing normally again for several days, but it is unclear how long this will last. In addition, deep-freezing can damage other parts of the AirPods Max electronics. This process is a major physical no-no, especially for the integrated batteries. You therefore do this at your own risk. It is probably best to be more careful when rotating the AirPods Max, for example by not turning them too quickly. The problem often only occurs years later – unfortunately exactly when Apple's warranty has expired.

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