How to care for the WF-1000XM4 earbud headphones

If the earbuds are not well-maintained and foreign substances (such as dust or earwax) build up, the volume may seem lower than usual or not heard at all, or they may not charge properly. We recommend you care for the earbuds and charging case regularly to prevent these issues.

Before you start

• Use a soft dry cloth or a cotton swab.
• Do not leave the earbuds in freezing environments.
• To prevent malfunction, make sure to wipe off any water or moisture after use.

Instructions to clean your earbuds

1. Remove the earbud tips.

   Hold the earbud, and then twist and pull to remove the tip.
   

   Note: Do not pull on the polyurethane foam portion of the earbud tip. Doing so may cause the tip to be torn or damaged.

   These videos show how to correctly and incorrectly remove the tips:

   • The correct method to remove the earbud tips
     
   • The incorrect method to remove the earbud tips
     

2. Clean the earbuds, the tips, and the charging case.

   Foreign substances such as dust, dirt, sweat, or moisture on the earbuds or charging case can cause corrosion and make charging more difficult, or not work at all.

   Note: If the battery charges slowly or doesn't charge at all, carefully clean the charging ports to improve charging.

   • Clean the contact points on the charging case with a dry soft cloth or cotton swab.
     
   • Clean the contact points on the earbuds with a dry soft cloth or cotton swab.
     
   Note: Don’t use compressed air to remove dust as this can cause dust to get into the microphone or sound outlet holes, leading to malfunction.
   • Clean dirt or debris off of the outside of the headphones with a soft dry cloth
   • Wipe the tips with a soft dry cloth to remove dirt.
     
     
     Notes:

     • Do not wash the tips in water or with a wet wipe. Doing so may speed up deterioration.
       
     • Metal objects, finger nails, adhesive tape, or foreign objects may damage the tips.
       
       IMPORTANT: If the earbuds are cracked, peeled, or deteriorated, refrain from using them until you can replaced them with new ones. Furthermore, wearing cracked, peeled, or deteriorated earbuds may result in earbud fragments remaining in your ear, which could cause disconfort or injury. If the earbuds are not in good condition they may not provide full sound quality or noise canceling performance.
       
       
   • Clean the sound outlet holes with a slightly dampened cloth to remove to remove dirt, earwax, or any other foreign matter that may have accumulated. Be extra careful not to accidentally push dirt or debris into the earbud tips.
     
   • Drain the sound outlet holes. Position the sound output holes facing downward towards a dry cloth, and then shake several times to get the water out.
     
   • Drain the microphone holes. Turn the microphone hole downwards towards a dry cloth, and then gently tap it about five times.
     
     Note: There are two microphones. Be sure to drain each one.
     
     
   • Dry the earbuds at room temperature before placing them back in the charging case.
     
     
     Note: Lay the earbuds with the IR sensor sideways or face up when drying them. If the IR sensors touch the table, the earbuds may think they are being used and may continue to consume battery power.

3. Attach the earbud tips.

   If the earbud tips are not attached completely, they may come off the earbuds and adversely affect the sound quality, noise canceling performance, and wearability.

   This video shows how to correctly attach the tips:
   

   1. Firmly insert the earbud tip all the way.
      
      Note: Look in the center of the earbud tip to confirm that the stem color (orange, green, or light blue) can't be seen
      
      
   2. Make sure the tips are not loose or tilted in any way.
      
      Note: If the stem color (orange, green, or light blue) can be seen in the center of the tip, it is attached incorrectly.
      

4. Place the earbuds in the charging case, and then close the lid.

Charge the earbuds and charging case