AirPod Pro Microphone Call Quality

I called Apple support few days ago and they change my AirPods Pro for a new ones.

At the beggining I’ve spoken well with it but one day after they has updated to the last firmware and the call background noise returns.

I have test using voice memos app and it’s incredible the difference to a worse sound.

I hope an update soon,

I have been struggling the same. Here is my thought on this. AirPods Pro are not having beam microphone which AirPods. In AirPods pro the microphone is located in such a way to listen background noise ( for active noise cancelling) and same microphone is used for our voice when we are in a call. This cannot be changed by software update ever, as it can not distinguish between background noise vs our voice. Period.

I hope that’s not true...I’m still hoping apple will at some stage look at this forum and work on a software fix.They have knowingly (repeatedly) given us headphones that can’t be used to speak.

[Edited by Moderator]

Same issue. My sister called me today with while using her airpods pro and I could hardly understand her. Then the same happened when my daughter called using her airpods pro. Their voices were muffled and it sounded like they had their phones in their pockets. In both cases we had to end the call because we could not communicate. So disappointing.

@Apple fix this, pronto!!!!!!!

I have tried everything suggested in this thread and I still get complaints of background noise. This is unacceptable. I don't have time to monkey around with returning them for it not to improve. It's bad enough that I have to listen to household noise while I am trying to work. My boss certainly doesn't want to hear it.

Finally I got my Airpods replaced,

the problem was in the microphone (they claimed that everything was fine in the beginning and checked them several times I refused to collect them from the reseller and finally they admitted that the Lt Airpod was faulty) , it has nothing to do with the firmware.

What can be done about this? Apple don’t seem to acknowledge the problem. Support just swap them for another pair which have the same problem.

I’m so annoyed that the much cheaper, standard AirPods don’t seem to have this issue, but the more expensive Pros do.

I just got my replacement pair Sunday. We’ll see how long they last. Frankly, I’m unimpressed with both the AirPods and the AirPod Pros. One AirPod stopped working in less than a year and the mic broke completely on the Pros in 3 months. The wired ones are a better quality when you factor in longevity. Apple is getting shamelessly sloppy. They can blame it on COVID but I’m less than convinced.

It’s a shame that this is happening. I don’t live in the USA or a country where there is Apple and apple support.

im having the exact same issue where microphone quality is AWFUL!

I think it’s safe to say that we all expect more from Apple.

Now I don’t know how to solve this problem. Even if they did compensate me for it, I wouldn’t be able to get the AirPods Pro fixed.

There’s definitely an issue with my AirPod Pros. If I’m indoors in a quiet location they work great for calls. If I’m outside walking people I talk to frequently say I sound like I’m far away and they can’t hear me. I figured out the wind is what is causing that as if I wear a hat that covers the AirPod Pros people can hear me just find. It doesn’t have to be that windy. A slight wind is enough to cause this problem.

It’s been doing this since I got them late last year. I may have to call Apple to get these replaced.

Air pods and more so Airpods pro are great at reducing ambient sound and wind noise, however sometimes they reduce the wind noise so much that the voice disappears also, this is worse on the Airpod pros that the standard ones. This can be changed in "Accessibility" not under the air pods settings.

Try -

Settings - Accessibility - Audio visual - Phone noise cancellation - Off

Or on older ios

Settings - General - Accessibility - Phone noise cancellation - Off

Same issue here and I’ve had them less than a week. Every other function is absolutely amazing, it’s just impossible to talk on the phone with them. I’ve tried every suggestion in this thread to no avail. They’re sending out a box for me to send them in for repair. We shall see what happens.

This might have actually done it. Turned it off a couple of days ago and so far nobody has complained about birds in the trees tweeting or me picking up a carrier bag. Will test it stood by a busy road soon.

we has it taken a year and no one at Apple support suggesting this? Thank you.

Hello,

Yes I have this problem as well. I live in Toronto and walk everyday and sometimes like to talk on the phone with people. I would say that "NO", these headphones do not have background noise cancellation for callers.

It's a problem I've taken to the Apple store and they are absolutely clueless about them. I have 2 friends and 2 family members with the same headphone and they report the same issue.

Also, I have had my AirPods replaced now a couple times for warranty issues and this problem still persists.

So either, Apple didn't include a caller noise cancellation feature (which would be odd since this has been on phones and headphones for several years now), or it's some firmware issue that will only be fixed if enough people complain about it.

Same for me they are muffled and if I speak loudly for a moment I can get them to switch the microphone somehow to a more clear one. It may be a software issue where it doesn't correctly switch to or initialize the microphones on the AirPods Pro. Brand new nothing but issues can't actually use them for what they were intended for, amazing this isn't going to develop into a class-action lawsuit by now. Selling a product that doesn't do what it's advertised to do is a big problem.