How to fix choppy audio on MacBook Pro with Bluetooth devices?

Same issue. I can't believe the amount of $$$ for a device that can't handle 3 bluetooth devices at one time.

TLDR of my (temporary?) fix (May 2024): Reset your Mac's Bluetooth module.**

To do this, launch Terminal with a Spotlight search (Command + Space), then run the following command: 

sudo pkill bluetoothd

You then hit the Return/Enter key and Terminal will prompt you to enter your account password for logging into your Mac. After entering the password and again hitting the Return/Enter key, your Mac should reset its Bluetooth module and reboot your Mac.

**Your Mac will most likely reboot and disconnect all Bluetooth devices from your Mac upon running this command in Terminal. So you want to make sure you have a wired mouse and keyboard connect to your Mac before running this command in Terminal.

Or, optionally, you can disable your Mac's log-in password so that it boots directly into macOS without needing a password. You can re-enable your password after trying this fix.

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My longwinded explanation of why I believe this issue is not related to number of Bluetooth devices, or anything on the hardware side:

Whether you experience Bluetooth lag on your Mac seems completely random. It can happen from the day you get your Mac, years into using it, or never ever. Therefore, I believe it's a bug in macOS. Not fixing it after years of complaints has to be some lack of competency or lack of funding for Apple's macOS development team.

I believe this as I've had flawless Bluetooth for my various AirPods and Logitech accessories ever since I got my 8/256 M1 Mac mini in late 2020. Even auto-switching for AirPods between my Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Watch has worked 9/10 throughout the years, which I'm very happy about.

Neither Wifi routers, electrical wiring, house walls, or anything else has ever interfered with my AirPods or bluetooth on my Mac in these 3-ish years of owning an M1 Mac and AirPods. No choppiness ever, no matter how my devices where used or placed, or the number of devices connected.

But now, in late April 2024, I'm experiencing the same issues as everyone in here is describing: Constant choppy audio on my AirPods, that has the audio cutting out or distorting every couple of seconds. This is accompanied by choppy scrolling on my MX Master S3 wireless mouse. Auto-switching between Apple devices still works. But every input from any Bluetooth on my Mac is now suddenly choppy and distorted. All input lags at the exact same 2-3 second intervals, perpetually.

Whenever I switch away from my Mac to my iPhone or another Apple device, the choppy bluetooth is resolved momentarily. It then returns shortly again when I switch over to my M1 Mac mini.

Switching off Bluetooth and using only wired headphones, keyboard, and mice kills the lagging input.

The Bluetooth lag issue has plagued me for 2-3 days in total, trying out every fix under the sun. Only the one I explained at the top of my response worked. However, it didn't fix the issue immediately which leads me to question if the issue was actually solved by resetting my Mac's Bluetooth module or if it just randomly fixed itself.

I don't know if I can like to pages outside of this discussions board without the post getting taken down. But there's a website called "makeuseof" that has a post with more fixes to try out with the title "How to Fix Logitech Mouse Lag on M1 and M2 Macs".

I read in another forum, that this happens if there are more than two devices connected via bluetooth. Sure enough I also have mouse, keyboard and speaker connected. Switching the mouse to usb "fixed" the problem. @Apple: Please look into this issue. Happened to me after upgrading to 13.1 on m1 max.

just to clarify: 3 bluetooth devices make the sound choppy, 2 bluetooth devices and it works.

FIXED!

Bluetooth will prioritize processing the data of the first device connected. To solve this, turn off each of your other devices, you can see all your connected devices in your bluetooth settings. I had a keyboard and mouse connected, so here are the steps I took.

1. Connect bluetooth headset, oops it sounds choppy!
2. Checked connected bluetooth devices, there is my keyboard, mouse and headset.
3. Turn off the power on the keyboard and mouse.
4. Wow, choppiness is gone!
5. Turn on keyboard and mouse and choppiness is still gone because the headset was connected first.

Hope this works for you, Cheers!

How can we escalate this? Still unsolved with Ventura 13.2.1

I'm seeing the same here. I have a 2020 M1 MacBook Pro (Sonoma 14.3) with a bluetooth keyboard and Apple Trackpad.

When I connect a Bluetooth speaker (Anker Soundcore 3), the speaker stutters.

If I turn off either the keyboard or trackpad, the stuttering immediately stops.

If I turn the device back on, the stuttering returns within seconds of the device re-establishing the Bluetooth connection.

I could understand if this were a problem with five or more devices, but a setup with keyboard, mouse/trackpad, and speaker or headphones seems so basic as to be standard.

I'm seeing what jtstreamer experienced in that it's tied to the number of bluetooth devices. Unfortunately for me, it's limited to bluetooth connection.

Apple Keyboard & Apple Mouse + bluetooth headset (oddly, for all but 1 of my headsets) - stuttering.

Turn off Keyboard - still stutters.

Turn off Mouse also - no stutters.

Turn back on Mouse - instant stutters.

This is not an "extreme" configuration, so hopefully they fix it soon. I'm on Ventura.

+1

still suffering with this every day.

I even bought a new mouse with a USB-C dongle to minimize the pain but this is still a ridiculous problem.

I found a solution that might work for you. If your headphones are connected to two devices at the same time, e.g., iMac and iPhone, disconnecting and completely removing them from one device will significantly improve the audio quality. I was able to reduce the stuttering of my Bose QuietComfort 45 from once every 3 minutes to once every hour by using them exclusively with my iMac. I removed them from my iPhone's list of Bluetooth devices and also deleted the Bose app to prevent it from reconnecting.

Right now I have five Bluetooth devices connected to my iMac, including the Bose headphones, so, at least in my case, having multiple devices connected to the machine wasn't the culprit.

I also don't have interference issues because I only started experiencing severe stuttering after upgrading to macOS Ventura (13.3.1a) from Big Sur and the arrangement of the Wifi router, USB hubs, and all Bluetooth devices in my study remain the same throughout this stuttering ordeal.

For your information, I tried the following recommendations to no avail:

• Delete the Bluetooth preference, i.e., com.apple.Bluetooth.plist.
• Factory reset the bluetooth settings using sudo pkill bluetoothd.
• Remove and re-add the Bose headphones.
• Disable AirPlay Receiver

I also experience stuttering with AirPods Pro, but I'm reluctant to use AirPods exclusively on one device. If you don't have any other Bluetooth ear/headphones and are tired of your AirPods stuttering, you might want to try the above suggestion too.

Let me know if this helps!

This still occurs on my M2 Max and presumably the M3.

The only solution was to not use bluetooth keyboards and mice. I switched to the USB receivers for both my devices and the problem is resolved.

It's crazy that this is still a consistent problem.

+1

Did someone find a solution to this problem? I cannot find anywhere in forums, it's sad that it takes so much time for Apple to fix the problem.

I confirm, absolutely the same. The sound should only be on the second device, with three devices it stutters.

Just updated from Monterey where I never had this issue, to Sonoma, and this is happening EVERY day, happens with Airpods Pro with No other bluetooth devices connected, happens with wired headphones no other bluetooth devices connected. I have powered off, restarted, checked for updates, and nothing is fixing this issue.

Yes @Apple this is an issue a lot of us are facing. I have a keyboard, trackpad, and AirPods connected and randomly everything thats bluetooth including the pointer and audio will stutter. Please investigate. Using 16" M1 Pro on 13.2.1

I also have this issue, it's so frustrating. They changed my motherboard thinking it was something off with the hardware and the problem still persist, this might be my last macbook...