AirPods Pro picking up background noise on call

I had the same problem, this did not happen with my previous AirPods, only the newer AirPod Pros.

I have found that if I reset my AirPods Pro it fixed the problem.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209463

I have/ had the same issue only a month after purchasing the Airpods, so I contacted Apple CS via phone, which was actually helpful.

TL;DR: It was only one of the Airpods that produced the issue, we figured out which one it was, changed the mic setting to the other as an ad-hoc solution and I will have them repaired/ exchanged as a long term solution.

If your Airpods are connected, go to settings-->bluetooth and click in the little (i) next to them. Under "microphone" you have the options "Automatically Switch Airpods" or to have the mic always on the left or the right one.

Go on a phone call with someone as a test call and go out to a noisy environment (train station, busy street, kindergarten...). Speak with them as e.g. cars pass and let them give you feedback on how well they could hear you and the ambient noise while you go through the different options (especially left and right).

For me, this lead to me knowing that only my right airpod produced the issue. I will bring it in to a certified retailer of Apple, they will conduct a "sound check" on it to confirm the issue and then repair or replace them.

Hope it works for you!

Well guys I got it FIXED. After someone else complained about the noise and had to literally sit down without the tv, radio on and sat quietly I decided to call apple support. They setup a Genius Bar aptmnt. Long story short they tested the AirPods and found a frequency issue on the right side air plug. This is something software won’t fix. So the support staff that was helping me replaced the AirPods with brand new ones, just the earbuds not the charging case. I made the first call to someone who has complained about all the noise and they didn’t hear nothing but me loud and clear. Mind you I was still in the mall with the music playing at a decent level where I would have annoyed them had this not been fixed. So if your having this issue, goto the apple store and have them test it out. Most likely your having the same issue as I did. No more :) I hope this helps a lot of you.

John

Hi there kreece_design,

It sounds like background noises are louder than expected for the person on the other end of the line when using your AirPods during phone calls. We're glad you're here, and we can help. Let's start by checking to see which noise-control mode you have selected, and adjust your settings from there to see if that makes a difference.

"AirPods Pro have three noise-control modes: Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and Off. You can switch between them, depending on how much of your surroundings you want to hear." Check out the link below to learn how to adjust these settings:

AirPods Pro Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode

Next, let's be sure you've tried the steps in our support article here:

If Active Noise Cancellation isn't working as expected on your AirPods Pro

We hope this helps. Cheers!

I got mine replaced a week ago from apple center. And it seems to amplify less background noise for now. The support tech said it is a hardware issue since the mic is farther away from the mouth. I dont seem to understand that such a brand can compromise on this issue for a long time, and no refund policy either. If hardware is an issue and cannot be replaced, why not go for a full refund policy or stop selling?

YESSSSS!!! For years, between the 1st GEN and now the latest air pods I have the same problem. Nobody wants to talk to me when I have the air pods in my ears because they pic up EVERY NOISE. This is frustrating I agree, especially given the price of these things.

Now, I did some more research and apparently if you download the latest IOS update (15.4) on your phone, this will update your air pods also to version 4C165. The 4C165 update is supposed to resolve the microphone background noise issue. WE SHALL SEE! I plan to test this out this evening. I hope this helps.

Long holding the right air pod pro and enabling noise control solved this issue for me. For some reason when sounds are allowed to pass through my air pods it amplifies it to the person on the other end of the call. Maybe it will work for some of you.

I have the same issue.

A few minutes ago I tried something that worked. But I'm still not sure what exactly has worked.

First of all. It doesn't always happen to me that other people hear me muffled. Sometimes it happens, and sometimes it doesn't. But in this case, if it was happening to me, the other person told me that they couldn't hear me. Here comes the interesting thing. While I was still talking on the phone I was trying things and I was asking him if he heard me better.

In bluetooth options - Airpods pro:

1.- Switched noise cancellation to off. My friend told me that he kept hearing me muffled.

2.- Then disable ear detection. Without any result.

3.- Then went to "Microphone" and switched "automatically switch airpods" to "always right Airpod". At this moment my friend begins to say: "now, now I hear you perfectly"

It is still early. I can't be sure this is a solution or which of the points is. I suspect it is point 3, "automatically switch airpods". I have to do more tests. Next time I will try only point 3. And if it works I will try to always leave it fixed on the right side to see if it stops happening.

If you want you can try the same things, and we can share results.

Bring down the menu from top right and change mic mode to voice isolation

Hey guys I have been following this thread because my AirPods pro has had that same calling issue ever since my purchase in August 2021. I tried to put forward my AirPods pro for replacement but they did a 3-hours test on my headphone and they said they were completely fine (but it is obviously not).

When I was hopeless after that visit to the Apple store, tet IOS 15 update dropped! In the headphone settings from the control centre, we can now switch to "voice isolation" along with "standard mode" and "wide spectrum". I tried to FaceTime with my friend who has always complained about how bad my AirPods pro sounded.

And guess what? It no longer picked up background noise! I tried typing with my loud keyboard and turned on the water tap while talking to my friend and he said he heard no noise of typing and running water. One thing I have not tested though is if it picks up others talking rather than me talking, but now I feel so relieved I have to share with you guys! I could not believe it is a software issue, and it took them so long to fix it.

Not true!

Richard.SA wrote:

I had the same problem, this did not happen with my previous AirPods, only the newer AirPod Pros.

I have found that if I reset my AirPods Pro it fixed the problem.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209463

Not true!

Just found this thread, thought I was the only one with this issue.

And nope, im on the 4C165 update and the issue is still present.

Switched the audio to right only and tested and the issue seems to be fixed for now, guess some fault with my left earphone's mic.

Wow - for the longest time I thought it was just me, but now a search online has led me here and I see I'm not the only one. My wife had this exact issue with the original AirPods, and now just recently she got a brand new set of AirPod Pros -- with the same irritating amplification of any background noises in her vicinity. It is literally unbearable for the person on the other end when she is talking while trying to do simple tasks like organizing papers, moving items around her desk, or even preparing a snack from the kitchen... and I tell her I need advanced warning (or she needs to mute herself) whenever punching any keys on the microwave!!

It has nothing to do with Active Noise Cancellation or Transparency Mode settings -- ANC is a feature the benefits the wearer of the AirPods. This has to do with the ridiculously amplified gain on the AirPod mic that makes it so "hot" it causes every little background noise to be transmitted multiple times louder to the person(s) on the other end... definitely much more sensitive than the built-in microphone on the iPhone itself. We have tried looking around for a solution, hoping to find a setting to adjust the mic sensitivity or decrease the mic input volume or something like that, but so far nothing...

I agree with the others - it would be so nice if the Apple engineers could figure this one out.

I had this same problem, finally I made contact with customer support online, they arranged a collection of the airpods for a repair job. They have now been fixed. I would advise anyone experiencing the same issue to contact the support and push for the repair job. Hope this helps.

So interesting! I ‘tried’ your comment earlier this week … and it didn’t seem to help. However, this time I followed the exact steps to reset. I wasn’t patient before … and didn’t wait for them to turn the amber color. Once I followed Apple’s exact steps to reset them it actually worked. Tested it with my husband. It’s not perfect … but it’s wayyyy better … my AirPods Pro are no longer amplifying the background noise as bad for the person I’m talking to. Just for extra info - I have an iPhone 12Pro … and my AirPods Pro firmware version is 4C165.