AirPods Max connectivity issue & no audio with firmware 6A325 and iOS/iPadOS 17.4.1

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AirPods Max connectivity issue & no audio with firmware 6A325 and iOS/iPadOS 17.4.1

Is anyone else having connectivity issues with their AirPods Max after the latest updates? Mine stopped working lately, either no audio or bluetooth won't connect to iPhone, iPad or MBP. I've had to constantly go through endless cycles of Forgetting the Device and doing a factory reset on the headphones to make it work again. It'll connect and then after going to sleep, I have to repeat the process. Also restarted all devices to be sure but doesn't resolve the connectivity/audio issue permanently. Also since discovering the issue this week, I've noticed that the charge indicator is dropping rapidly while on low power mode in the SmartCase (e.g. by 50% in a few hours) which means the device is constantly trying to connect to something in the background. Definitely a bug somewhere, All these issues only started happening with the latest OS update. I'm reverting to my Bose 700 for now until this issue gets fixed by Apple.

iPhone 15 Pro

Posted on May 8, 2024 5:39 PM

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Answer 1

k1wi Author

Level 1

12 points

May 9, 2024 9:16 AM in response to k1wi

Also I'm seeing constant cycling of notifications between my iOS and MBP saying "AirPods Max is now connected" even when the headphones is stored in the SmartCase, which is probably contributing to the significant drop in battery life as it's not doing into low power mode. Definitely proves to be an issue with the latest firmware and it's driving me bonkers. Any way of reporting this to Apple as I know this forum isn't monitored? For the record, my standard AirPods Gen2 aren't affected. Only the big Apple cans.

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Answer 2

May 9, 2024 5:03 PM in response to k1wi

I have had AP Max since they were released. They have worked perfectly in all that time. Going to sleep, connecting 99% of the time when I want, battery life has been excellent. No issues.

My son has a pair also which are a couple of years old and they have also been generally excellent.

Enter the 6A325 firmware update…

Now they won’t connect without a reset. Now they don’t go to sleep and keep going flat. I take them out of their case after waking in the morning and they won’t connect…again without a reset. Constant battery drain, no sleeping in the case, no connectivity.

My son said his now refuse to connect and he can’t listen to anything with them anymore. If I wasn’t constantly resetting them, they wouldn’t work for me either.

What has Apple done??

When’s it going to get fixed??

This is extremely disappointing for a premium device to be bricked so badly. If they were simply left alone and not updated, there would have been zero issues with them. But Apple forces them to update and you have no control of if/when they get updated. Then they are useless.

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Answer 3

May 12, 2024 11:51 PM in response to k1wi

It would be incredibly disappointing and short sighted of Apple to not monitor their own support forum. Tragically short sighted in fact.

I charged my APM and inside 24 hours in the case (morning to morning), it went to 45% battery. It was 19% by the same afternoon. My battery would last days and days of use prior to this. Naturally I had to reset them to get them work after this.

I certainly hope my battery isn’t ruined before Apple decides to release a firmware update that fixes my two APMs.

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Answer 4

k1wi Author

Level 1

12 points

May 19, 2024 10:27 PM in response to k1wi

After 2 weeks of constant resetting of my AirPods Max, forgetting the device, letting it drain fully, recharging it to 100%, and total silence from Apple Support on the matter, I finally discovered a solution that works.

Tools you'll need - a SIM ejector tool or paperclip. Removing the ear cups from the headband and physically reconnecting them worked for me and my AirPods Max is back to normal. There's plenty of YouTube vides that show you how to remove the headband.

Why it worked? I suspect is the latest firmware updated may have screwed up my APM and resetting with the buttons is merely a software reboot. By disconnecting the earcups from the headband, you actually disconnect the battery on one side to the other logic board. Reattaching them seems to force a hardware reboot and resync. Just need to pair them again with your iPhone/iPad and you're good to go.

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Answer 5

k1wi Author

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12 points

May 9, 2024 9:36 AM in response to k1wi

I've figured out the bug report. I've tried logging the issue using the Apple Feedback Assistant website. Others with the same issue could try it as well.

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Answer 6

k1wi Author

Level 1

12 points

May 13, 2024 8:18 PM in response to WhyIsItNowBroken

Suggest reporting it using the Apple Feedback Assistant. That way if we all report it, maybe Apple will fix it.

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