Woman puts in her brand new AirPods, only for one to turn into a tiny grenades that leaves her bloody

A woman’s brand-new AirPod literally exploded in her ear, causing bleeding and a persistent, loud ringing. This absolutely terrifying incident went viral when TikTok user Bethy (@bethy.mp3) shared the shocking results of the electronic failure. Bethy posted a short clip showing herself with a paper towel stuffed into her ear canal, attempting to soak up the blood. The text overlay provided the grim details, stating, “My AirPod expl0d3d in my ear. I cannot hear anything except constant buzzing/ringing.”

She noted that the explosion happened early in the day, summing up the event by saying, “My ear is bl33ding. That sums up my day tbh. And it’s only 9 am.” That is a seriously rough way to start your morning. As you might expect, the video racked up more than 20.9 million views incredibly quickly. This whole story sounds almost too wild to believe, which is exactly why skeptical commenters immediately flooded the comments section.

They were questioning whether she was using cheap, knockoff earbuds. Bethy quickly pushed back, confirming that the product was 100% genuine Apple hardware. She pointed out that “any wireless headphone has a battery in it, so it can just happen to anyone.” This is awful for Bethy, and it’s a terrifying reminder that even top-tier tech carries inherent risks, and aren’t just hearing aids.

Bethy is currently in the process of getting medical tests and treatment for her damaged ear

The reason this can happen, though it is extremely rare, comes down to the tiny lithium-ion batteries powering the devices. When these batteries fail under the wrong conditions, they can short out, overheat, and combust. Apple is aware of this possibility, which is why they share specific safety and handling information for their AirPods.

Most of these isolated incidents happen because of some form of damage to the battery. If the battery is crushed or pierced, it can easily short out. Extreme heat is another major trigger. For example, leaving your AirPods to bake in a hot car during the summer can definitely cause problems. It’s also entirely possible that the battery was simply a factory dud right from the start.

If this nightmare scenario happens to you while you’re wearing your AirPods, you need to act fast. The best course of action is to safely pull the AirPod out of your ear immediately. If you see smoke or sparks, set the device down on a surface that won’t burn, like concrete or tile, and step back. Do not attempt to pick it up again. After you’ve secured the area, you must seek medical care right away and then contact Apple support to report the incident.

To help prevent this, you should always follow certain safety precautions. Make sure you are using only Apple-certified or well-reviewed chargers and cables. Crucially, you need to keep your headphones away from extreme heat and store them somewhere they won’t get crushed or pierced. That’s not to say this is Bethany’s fault at all.

You would be surprised by how often technology just explodes because of the manufacturer, but sometimes it is due to the user. Bethy is still recovering, and we wish her well.