How to Clean Powerbeats Pro 2 and Their Charging Case

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Stop charging and remove both earbuds

Disconnect the case from its cable and remove the Powerbeats Pro 2. Stop playback and let sweat dry before working around any contact or sensor. Never clean while charging. Keep water and alcohol away from speaker mesh, microphone openings, the heart-rate sensor window, buttons, case wells, and USB-C port except where Apple's instructions specifically allow limited contact cleaning.

Step 2: Wipe sweat from the ear hooks and bodies

Use a soft dry lint-free cloth across the flexible ear hooks, exterior shells, buttons, and seams. Support an ear hook rather than pulling it straight. For dried sweat on an exterior non-opening, use only the minimally damp method Apple permits and immediately wipe dry. Do not bend the hook backward, use abrasive powder, or spray cleaner directly onto an earbud.

Step 3: Remove and clean the ear tips

Grip each silicone tip at its firm base and pull it straight off without tearing the thin skirt. Remove loose wax with a dry cloth. If following Apple's separate ear-tip washing instructions, rinse the detached tips with water only, without soap or household cleaner, then wipe and air-dry completely. Never reinstall or wear a damp tip.

Step 4: Clean speaker and microphone areas dry

Hold the speaker mesh facing downward and use a soft dry brush with gentle outward strokes. Treat microphone openings the same way. Do not insert a pin, swab shaft, or putty into a hole, and do not use compressed air. Earwax or debris can affect active noise cancellation and Transparency performance, but forcing contamination through a mesh can damage an acoustic membrane.

Step 5: Wipe the heart-rate sensor

Locate the optical heart-rate sensor identified in the Powerbeats Pro 2 guide and wipe its surface with a clean soft dry cloth. Remove skin oil without scratching or polishing the window. Apple notes that good skin contact matters for heart-rate readings, so also verify that the correct dry ear-tip size and ear-hook position allow the sensor to contact the intended area.

Step 6: Clean earbud charging contacts

Apple permits a cotton swab slightly dampened with warm water on the Powerbeats charging contacts. Use very little moisture and touch only the metal contact surface. If necessary, Apple also permits a slight amount of 70 percent isopropyl alcohol for these contacts. Use a fresh dry swab afterward and allow complete evaporation before placing the earbud in its case.

Step 7: Clean case pins and wells

With the case unplugged, use a lint-free cloth slightly dampened with warm water on the charging pins as Apple's instructions describe; 70 percent isopropyl alcohol may be used if necessary. Do not press sideways on spring pins or let liquid pool in a well. Wipe the rest of the case with a soft dry cloth and keep the port dry.

Step 8: Dry before reassembly

Leave earbuds, tips, and the open unplugged case in moving room air until no moisture remains. Do not use a hair dryer, radiator, direct sun, rice, or compressed air. Reattach each tip evenly, confirm the hooks are not twisted, and wait for any contact alcohol to evaporate completely before charging.

Step 9: Verify fit, heart rate, and charging

Seat both dry earbuds in the case and confirm each charging indicator. Then wear them, check the ear-tip seal and ear-hook placement, and test both channels, microphones, noise control, and heart-rate readings during a supported workout. A missing reading can come from fit, cold conditions, or contamination; do not repeatedly scrub the sensor if it is already clean.