Why is AirBuddy showing my AirPods even when they're in the charging case with the lid closed?

NOTE: a recent AirPods firmware update can cause them to show up inadvertently in AirBuddy 2.4.5, especially when running on macOS Big Sur 11.6.1. You may also see the auto-switching notifications on macOS or iOS devices telling you that your AirPods Pro are connected even when they're in the charging case with the lid closed. A free AirBuddy update will be made available soon which works around this firmware issue. For now, you may disable showing the status window automatically in AirBuddy's settings under "Proximity" and set up a keyboard shortcut to show the window manually, under "Advanced".

Other than that, this can also happen for a couple of reasons:

AirPods have been put in the charging case recently

If you were using your AirPods and have recently put them in the charging case and closed the lid, the app may still show them for a few minutes.

AirPods connection still open

Sometimes, AirPods will keep sending information (usually from just one of the buds) after they've been put in the charging case and the lid has been closed. You'll notice that both AirBuddy and your iOS devices will display the offending AirPods in the batteries widget.

This usually indicates some sort of issue with the communication between the AirPods and the charging case, or with the charging case itself.

To address this, you can try the following:

• Clean your AirPods, especially the metallic tip at the end of the stem, following the instructions from this Apple article
• Remove and re-insert the AirPods in the charging case, then close it again

If this issue persists even after following the steps above, and you can still see the AirPods (or one of the buds) in AirBuddy and on iOS, take your AirPods to an Apple Store or authorized repair center.