AirPod Pro Ear Tip Fit test not working...Not the only one

Ok, I think I finally figured something out tonight. Like so many others, fit test worked great (both ears) each time... I could use medium (most comfortable) or large. Then, after a certain amount of time, one ear would fail every time no matter what tip I used. Like many here, I blamed it on an initial “stickiness” to the tips that eventually goes away. Why do I think this? Because I’m embarrassed to say I’m on my fourth pair of AirPods Pros. Same thing with each of the first three pairs, then today on day 16 of ownership of my fourth pair... the right started failing every time. Read some of the answers here and realized I wasn’t looking at the black grills that rest against my skin... so tonight I cleaned them, sucked on them vacuum-style as one person noted and then tried. The green “Good Seal” is back... and consistently. Makes sense to me now (finally, after four pairs)... my skin, dirt, oil and all... touch that part. Cleaning it, so far, seems to have been the trick.

Finally discovered the mesh-like grill in the ear tip itself. Lots of gunk in there. Cleaned it out and fit test works.

Had the same problem, changed ear tips, cleaned, did a hard reset. None helped. Went to Apple store and they replaced the failed earbud. 

. meanwhile (after a little more than 2 weeks) the other inward micro is also defective: step sound is transferred and the "pass"test fails ... After the second exchange airpods, I assume that it is a design-related error prone, which is common and only not noticeable to those who are accustomed to inEars step sound, Doing little / no sport with the APpro (then the bone-conduction transmission is even more detectible/annoying).

As already described, this can be verified by the "Pass"test, which always indicates a `defective seal` in the case of defective (inwardly directed) microphones that "pick up" for this test . Many people think that it is due to the silicone plugs, but in many cases it will be a hardware defect ...

The more that you try and give Apple feedback, the sooner they will tackle this constructional flaw.

At first I tried blowing on it... no luck. Then sucked vacuum-like and then cleaned it with one of those alcohol lens cleaner wipes... that combat did the trick

PS... on a run right now and just stopped to check. Green good seal on both. I really think, after four pairs, this is the trick

Ear tip test for me got passes on both ears straight away and multiple times with both medium and large tips on first couple days. Since then, the left consistently fails the test when I check despite the left bud being just as sealed as the right one with identical sound as the right whether ANC/transparency/off selected. Medium and large tips have same result; Left fails the tip test every time. Tried un-pairing from iPhone, resetting the pods the setting up again, but no different.

My thoughts are a glitch in the code for the ear tip test that goes wrong after a few days and a future release will solve.

Contacted Apple Support yesterday who had agreed they have seen reports of this already. They got me to send them a full set of logs from iPhone for analysis then will get back to me.

But very happy with product generally and no problem with function or sound quality.

…maybe the Apple Engineers have an answer for you – the seal test only is an indicator that something is wrong/defect. The problem is how I described and there are a lot of this experiences in the macrumors-forum of an hardware issue:

The "fit"/seal-test is a good indicator if the inward-facing microphone is working (they are working-out if its sealed). If they are not working = fit-test always failed… (ergo: failing the fit-test suddenly = indicator of problems with this micros).

But the more important "active" function of this micros:

"An inward-facing microphone listens inside your ear for unwanted sound, which is also eliminated with anti-noise"

So don`t expect this inward anti-noise (most obvious the noise of bone-conduction if you walk or working-out) functioning if the APpro are failing the "fit"/seal-test. The (outward) ANC is not affected…

After exchanging the APpro the second time because: first passing seal-test then after more than one week failing first than both AP I found out:

The bone-conduction is less on the new ones. When I walked to the Apple-Store with the "old" ones I could hear the footfall(sound) like with common inEars. On the way back from the Store with the "new" ones the footfalls where not noticable!

It seams that the internal technic/micros that are responsible to avoid bone-conduction

->An inward-facing microphone listens inside your ear for unwanted sound, which is also eliminated with anti-noise.

-> and also the inner adaptation to the geometry of your ear and the fit of the ear tips

tend to fail after some time.

The seal-test may be only an indicator of the truely (hardware)defect.

See the whole discussion here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/airpod-pro-ear-tip-fit-test-not-working-not-the-only-one.2208392/page-5?post=28016056#post-28016056

I had a pair within the first day or two, and after some dicey attempts with the Left ear, the seal started to work. Then a couple days later the left failed every single time.

I took them back and bought another pair a week later. Right out of the gate, I was given the Green "Good Seal" message. This lasted for about a week and a half.

Now every single time, regardless if the phone has been restarted, firmware being current, disconnecting and re-pairing the devices, or irrespective of tip size (S, M, L), I get a failure in both ears.

Additionally when the tip test finishes, I can hear a little "pop" in each ear, which I don't hear when the message is given for a good seal.

They're sending a set of new tips, but I've already verified with the two other untouched set of tips (not even 2 weeks old) that this isn't the issue.

Engineering says it's a "false-positive", but there are numerous people in other forums pointing to it being some kind of hardware defect.

so i was in the apple store yesterday as well heard a few people say the same thing....the store people said it was a software issue and to await the next update? frustrating that a high ticket item is having such issues still....not sure how to approach and or what next steps to resolve would be

glad people are speaking out - not unhappy with the pro's but curious how a full functioning product would be better experience

thank you

How did you do the cleaning of the grill?

I couldn't get a pass on ear tip test and clearly they were not functioning properly to lock out noise. Tried all three tip sizes to no avail. Insult to injury Genius Bar person was abrupt and rude, saying that in spite of test failure, "the product was working" (Durell at the Atlanta Lenox Apple store Genius Bar) I could hear through them but also could hear all nearby background noise. I got a refund, even though it was past the two week limit for returns.

Product needs improvement on fit and, therefore, on performance. From other comments, it may be a hardware problem. What a disappointment.

Not only did I notice, I have the same exact issues you describe. Issues with inward mic, while chewing for example, not to mention phoning.

tip test started to fail on the left, no matter the tip.

i will give it one shot tomorrow at the store but I’ve had nothing but issues with these since I bought them.

My AirPod Pro Ear Tip Fit test doesn’t work either - is it supposed to make a sound? Did you exchange for ones which do work?