Why does iPhone Bluetooth keep cutting out?

OMG, I LOVE YOU!!! Stupid Alexa app, this totally fixed it for me. Thank you!!

LOL I made Tesla take apart my car and test everything with the Bluetooth module. I just tried it on my wife’s Tesla, and when it also kept cutting out on her car, and because it doesn’t do it with her iPhone or our kid’s iPad, it made me curious and search up the answer on Google. It definitely is an iPhone issue, and more specifically, the Alexa app. I almost considered swapping car manufacturers because of this. My bad.

Go to your iPhone Settings > Alexa > then turn off Bluetooth.

Possible solution: I think this issue started for me a few months ago when I bought 2 HomePods and 2 HomePod minis to listen to music and link to my AppleTV. I tried all of the solutions here and in other threads from Apple support. I thought about the timing of when the issue started and decided to try turning off all of the settings in AirPlay & Handoff in General settings. Since doing so, haven’t had the intermittent crackeling on my Bose or other Bluetooth devices connected to my iPhone 14 Pro Max. I can still manually select AirPlay speakers I have including the HomePods.

After going through and disabling all app access and only using core services I still had the issue. There was a recent update to ios 17.4.1 and that seems to have resolved my issue. I hope it helps others as well.

I think I found the solution to this issue. I haven't had any problems since making this change.

Try going into Settings > Privacy & Security > Bluetooth

Turn off all of the apps and then restart your device. I did this and everything has been working fine ever since. I haven't gone through the apps to see which one is causing the problem.

I had to shut off every single app in the Settings > Privacy & Security > Bluetooth to make audio stop glitching and skipping. I'm not sure which app is causing the problem, so I just shut them all off and it hasn't been an issue for 3 months now.

I took this Bluetooth detective work a step further, and went to Settings > Privacy & Security > Bluetooth and turned off ALL Bluetooth access to apps that don't need any Bluetooth access (Compass Homes really?)

So far, after 1 hour no dropouts!

My issue was like: Music plays and suddenly one of the ears becomes silent then milliseconds later the second, then screeching, silence, and then one at a time or sometimes both start to play, from low volume to the level that was set.

I first though it was because it was in my pocket and my body blocks the signal but it also happened when I was using the phone directly in front of my face, in perfectly clean, unobstructed line of view. Removing the case (apple made case, the rubber one) also did not help. But going into settings>Privacy>Bluetooth and turning off access to the apps that I know won’t need it for the purposes I use them for - this definitely helped in my case.

if you have the similar experience, maybe it will help yours.

good luck!

It's probably because of the vocal shortcuts or live speech being turned on, as the phone gives you a second to talk or command it. That might be the reason for the stutter. If you turn it off, it should be fine. That's what happened to me, and it's fixed now.!

Thank you. I checked and bluetooth was on for homepods etc and I don’t even have those. I turned it all off and my phone is now working in my car with bluetooth.

I’m curious as well.

My issue actually started on my iPhone 11 Pro Max about three years ago.

My Bluetooth audio would just sputter and/or go out completely for a few seconds at a time. This occurs randomly. I might have 15 minutes uninterrupted and then have 15 minutes of continuous interruption.

I was so hopeful when I upgraded to the iPhone 13 Pro Max when it came out. But, it carried over.

I started to realize that it happened any time I used Bluetooth. It goes both ways.. I would be talking on the phone and people kept telling me that I was cutting out but I didn’t have troubles on my end. Then my audio started cutting out a few seconds later.

This problem has completely rendered my ability to rely on Bluetooth with my phone. I can’t even switch phone calls over to my Mac and use my Mac to talk.. same problem.

I have AirPods 1 and 2, AirPods Pro 1 and 2, And AirPods Max. It’s the same story on everyone one of them with my iPhone.

However, they all work flawlessly with my Mac and three different Apple TVs.

The fact that this problem persisted from iPhone 11 to 13 has me holding out on upgrading. I’ve decided to wait until the iPhone 16.

I sincerely hope someone figures this out!!

I recently switched from Samsung/Android to a 15 Pro, mainly because I bought a MacBook Pro, not because of any issues with Android or Samsungs One UI.

There is a list of complaints I could make of what is IOS … it has fallen relatively far behind late Android but the abysmal Bluetooth connection is certainly rearing its ugly head.

Whereas I could walk away from my phone for ten or more (even obstructed) meters with my beloved ‘Samsung Buds Live’ (BT IEM’s) and a Galaxy S23 … I now can barely walk 3 meters into the kitchen without signal drop. Worse even, I tend to have one in ear when cycling/training with my phone in my back pocket. It doesn’t matter if I have the cycle computer switched on or off, the signal will drop after a short while.

I first thought Apple may be deliberately stunting the Bluetooth performance of non-Apple products … for obvious reasons, perhaps they do but I can see others have similar issues here.

What on earth are you doing Apple?!

Of course, the usual YouTube influencers/shills never mention this or an other myriad of shortcomings.

Apple, please get your act together. Thank you.

I have had this issue for months. My phone is 15 Pro Max and it stays up to date. I have bluetooth earbuds that are Apple and Bose and it makes no difference. I had read about it being caused by the Renpho app so I turned off bluetooth for it. Then it's started again worse than ever and I have no idea what's causing it. Alexa's bluetooth was already turned off so that one didn't make a difference for me. It happens at home and it happens when I'm walking -- on many different apps with audio. I am an Apple fan but for what these phones cost they certainly should work correctly! Such a frustrating problem!!!

I have this exact same problem on my iPhone 14 Pro Max. The Bluetooth cuts out like you described with every single Bluetooth device I use. It's consistent with everything I connected it to. I first noticed it in my car and I thought it was something wrong with my Bluetooth set up, but when it did the same thing in my friends car and then on my headphones and a speaker, I realized it's the phone. The really annoying part is that it doesn't fairly frequently so it's not like you can just accept it. It basically ruins any musical experience.

I’m having this same problem with my brand new Ipad Pro 11 (M4) whenever I use more than 1 bluetooth device. And considering that the new Apple Pencil Pro is one there is just no way around it if one wants to say draw and listen to music at the same time.

How is this still not fixed or even officially addressed?