AirPods Pro on Mac: how do I get the case battery level?

TidBITS Talk
1

So I have my AirPods Pro in ear using them for work but wondering how much charge I have left. A quick click (well actually it’s two because of a known yet unfixed bug in Big Sur) on the BT menu bar extension shows I have only few % left in either. No biggie, I figure, I can pop them in the case for a quick top off. But… Does my case still hold enough charge? No way to know, because the BT menu bar extension shows no information for the case. Opened or closed, I just cannot get the menu bar extension to show case charge level. AFAICT, it only shows there once when the AirPods are removed from the case initially.

So where do you get up-to-date case battery level information without interrupting AirPod Pro use?

2

I think you have to have at least one AirPod in the case for its battery level to show up. This is true on the iPhone too. My assumption is that’s because the case doesn’t have a Bluetooth radio in it, so unless at least one AirPod is in, it can’t communicate to the Mac/iPhone.

3

This Apple reference might be helpful.

4

Sorry. Here is the missing link:
“Charge your AirPods and learn about battery life”