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AirPods Pros making crackling static noises

I recently received my new AirPod Pro ear buds. First off let me say the noise cancellation is a transforming. That aside, the old problem of making a popping sound followed by a buzz seems to still plague these ear phones.


For reference, I left them in the charging case plugged in overnight. I had them in for about 2 hours at work and then they started I started noticing a faint popping/clicking noise that starts in the right then the left and is a single pop in each ear.  If they are in transparency mode, it pops then has a 1.5-2 second buzzing sound.  If it is in noise cancellation mode it merely pops.  It will do this in one ear, then repeat about 5-10 seconds later on the other ear.


I tried alternating between transparency mode and noise cancellation mode.  I tried playing music and pausing music. I placed them back into the case and took them out again.  I contacted Apple Support in order to work through this and am attempting to figure out what's going on.


I was able to get it to momentarily stop by placing them back in the charging case for about 30 seconds to a minute and then back into my ears. Has anyone seen this on the past models, or with the current ones, and know why it happens?



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Nov 5, 2019 12:08 PM

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Posted on Nov 26, 2019 9:44 PM

I have the same thicking/crackling sound, only in the right ear AirPod Pro. The problem occurs in transparency mode, in noice cancellation mode, but not when both modes are turned off. So, seems to be a sortware issue? I tried all the suggested steps above, but none seem to work. Apple, please help me. These things are too expensive to have bugs.

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309 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 26, 2019 9:44 PM in response to Bogdan_MSK

I have the same thicking/crackling sound, only in the right ear AirPod Pro. The problem occurs in transparency mode, in noice cancellation mode, but not when both modes are turned off. So, seems to be a sortware issue? I tried all the suggested steps above, but none seem to work. Apple, please help me. These things are too expensive to have bugs.

Jan 25, 2020 4:44 AM in response to DocOct

A particularly helpful Genius in the main DC Apple Store seems to have found a solution to the crackling issue. After describing the problem and litany of troubleshooting measures I had taken, he said "Hold on a sec, I think I can fix that." He came back with alcohol wipes and some gray fun-tak (aka adhesive putty). After wiping down the white plastic parts with alcohol, he very gently pressed a small amount of the fun-tak against each of the black microphone covers to pull out tiny pieces of debris. Apparently these microphones are ridiculously sensitive, so if anything gets in there it screws up the whole noise cancelling feedback loop.


I'm only 24 hours out from the repair, but all seems well so far. The main takeaway for me... don't put your AirPod pros into your pocket unsheathed. And generally don't expose them to any kind of dirt or dust.

Dec 1, 2019 5:59 PM in response to DocOct

  • I fixed this problem by resetting the airpods (by holding the button on the back for 15 seconds till the light goes amber) then unpairing them from all devices that i didn't want to connect to and then turned there bluetooth off. I think this problem occurs because numerous devices are trying to connect to them at once. Works fine now but may be different for you.

Jan 5, 2021 9:25 AM in response to DocOct

Hey there!


Sorry to head you’re having trouble with your AirPods Pro. If your AirPods Pro were manufactured before October 2020 you could be eligible for a free replacement at any Apple Authorized Retailer or from Apple themselves.


Here’s a direct quote from Apple:

“An affected AirPods Pro may exhibit one or more of the following behaviors:

  • Crackling or static sounds that increase in loud environments, with exercise or while talking on the phone
  • Active Noise Cancellation not working as expected, such as a loss of bass sound, or an increase in background sounds, such as street or airplane noise”


Below you’ll find Apple’s official response and details on how to claim your replacement.


Hope I helped!

Cheers.

Nov 8, 2019 12:58 AM in response to DocOct

I am having the same issue. I have done all of the things listed above to no avail. I did in addition remove the Silicone and blow on the inside and that kind of worked for a day or so, but then it started acting up again. After that i tried disconnecting and reconnecting again and it went away...but when I turned the volume up and it did the popping again. This leads me to believe it has something to do with the speaker on the inside. It seems songs with heavy base are worse.

May 6, 2020 12:39 PM in response to DocOct

Hello,


I see there are some issues with AirPods Pro making crackling or static like noises and in some cases it occurs when using Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode. I know it's important for AirPods Pro to work as expected; I'd like to help. Below are some resources that may help to troubleshoot this behavior:



These resources provide additional information about AirPods Pro that may be helpful as well:




Take Care.

Nov 11, 2019 4:29 PM in response to DocOct

So I just got a new AirPod pros and out the box the left earbud is clicking nonstop it will stop during music but when I pause it the clicking noise goes with my movement it’s the most annoying thing ever I’ve been through three AirPod pros all them had problems I don’t know what to do I’m going to exchange them again but their inventory is low everywhere I try to go

Dec 3, 2019 2:15 PM in response to DocOct

This is happening to me. I only had them less than a week. I did the reset thing multiple times and nothing helps. This is my 2nd pair. The right one on my first AirPods pro died for no reason. They couldn’t fix. I’m done with this. I’m returning this pair and I already ordered the AirPods 2nd Gen. I never had issues with those! 👍

Jan 30, 2020 8:11 AM in response to DocOct

Having the same problem as most of you here. They've been doing this for a week or so now. I got them in November of 2019. Here's what I'm noticing:

  • Happening in the left pod only.
  • Popping occurs when noise cancellation is on or when transparency mode is on.
  • Does not happen when microphones are turned off.
  • No noticeable debris on the microphones.


I hope this can be fixed with a firmware update.


AirPods Pros making crackling static noises

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