A woman on TikTok is going viral for a story that sounds almost too wild to believe. She says her new AirPods literally exploded in her ear.
Bethy (@bethy.mp3) didn’t offer much detail about when she bought them or what led up to the incident. But in a recent clip, she films herself with what appears to be a paper towel stuffed in her ear to catch blood.
The text overlay lays out the rest: “My AirPod expl0d3d in my ear. I cannot hear anything except constant buzzing/ringing. My ear is bl33ding. That sums up my day tbh. And it’s only 9 am.”
Skeptical commenters quickly piled in, questioning whether she might have been using knockoff earbuds. Bethy pushed back, saying there was nothing fake about the product.
“They were genuine Apple headphones,” she wrote, adding that “any wireless headphone has a battery in it, so it can just happen to anyone. I am still in the process of getting tests/treating my ear.”
Her video has since racked up more than 20.9 million views.
Can AirPods Explode?
AirPods exploding is extremely rare, but it can happen, and Bethy is not the first Apple customer to have claimed to experience this. They run on tiny lithium-ion batteries, which can fail under the wrong conditions.
You rarely see it, yet the possibility is real enough that Apple has shared “safety and handling information” for how to wear and handle AirPods.
Most cases trace back to some damage. If the battery is crushed or otherwise damaged, it can short out and overheat. Extreme heat can trigger the same thing, whether that’s leaving your AirPods to bake in a hot car or using them somewhere electronics just aren’t built for. And it’s possible, too, that the battery was just a dud from the start.
There’s not a ton of information online telling Apple customers what to do should this happen to them, but if your AirPod does explode inside your ear while you’re wearing it, the best course of action is to safely pull it out of your ear immediately. If it’s smoking or sparking, set it down on something that won’t burn and step back. Don’t try to pick it up again. In the meantime, seek medical care and contact Apple support to report what happened.
While some instances of exploding headphones may be unavailable, it’s still best to follow certain safety precautions, such as using Apple-certified or well-reviewed chargers and cables, keeping your headphones out of extreme heat, and storing them somewhere they won’t get crushed or pierced.
Viewers Refuse To Give Up Their AirPods
While people reacting to Bethy’s clip sympathized with what happened, many insisted it still wouldn’t stop them from wearing their AirPods.
“I will pretend this information does not concern my AirPods,” one commenter quipped.
“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t see this and continue using my AirPods peacefully,” another chimed in.
“I don’t claim no negative energy,” a third joked.
Some, however, said the incident was enough to put them off AirPods entirely.
“I don’t think I’ll be using AirPods again bc what?” said one.
“I took off my AirPods slowly,” another confessed.
“Now suddenly I feel like I don’t need AirPods,” a third admitted.
A few even wondered aloud whether a “fire” song Bethy was listening to triggered the spark.
“Song must’ve been fire,” one user quipped.
“The question is what song were you listening to?” another asked.
And others said the video sparked a brand-new anxiety they didn’t know they could have.
“New fear unlocked,” one wrote.
“Ok, wait, new fear unlocked,” a second commenter echoed.
BroBible has reached out to Bethy via a TikTok direct message and to Apple through email.