Airpods Pro 2 noise cancellation worse after firmware update 7A294

Exactly the same for me I was gifted these as a valentines gift 2025 to replace my old AirPods Pro 1s.

My girlfriend is now really upset that I am having this issue - going from great noise cancellation that I used to brag about to stating these are the worst apple product I have ever used, and for the first time even apple were awful to deal with is the support and appeared really uninterested and not wanting to be helpful which I thought was there whole USP!

So I have been told to send these back to the supplier she purchased them from and get a replacement, when asking if the new ones would be better I was told... "some of the products might be a manufacturing defect. Rest assured you will get the best functioning model".

I am not filled with confidence after reading this support page that for £220 the new ones are going to be any better. I am really appalled with the service and support I have got after years of using thousands of pounds worth of apple products

2 macs

3 ipads

too many iPhones to count

3 apple watches

2 Apple TVs

4 HomePods

@Apple I work in an open space environment I and purposely purchased the Apple Earpods Pro 2 to be isolated completely when working. Before I never had noise spills and I could focus even without music on. Now, ANC on and I can clearly catch convos happening 2 rows away from me. I need to focus on my tasks.

Kindly revert to ANC settings we had before.

So after my partner returned the 'faulty' headphones and I have been given a new pair... they work great!

don't know if there is a dodgy batch going around but I can now walk around the house with both my girlfriend and daughter talking at me I can't hear a thing!!!

Yeah this is very frustrating. I lost AirPods Pro 2 almost a year ago. I finally broke down and bought a new pair last week. I thought maybe I had gotten a returned or defective item until I found this thread. I still get some noice cancellation, but NOTHING like what they used to be. What are they doing over there at Apple?!

I’m curious as to why Apple will not address this issue. Likely because this was intentional on their end. Maybe because they want people to buy the AirPods 4 when they come out. Whatever the reason, it is unacceptable and I think this is the end of my relationship with Apple. I’ve been an Apple user since the first iPhone came out. I loved my AirPods Pro 2. The noise cancellation was incredible. Now I can hear a pin drop. Apple even replaced my AirPods and the new ones have the same issue. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but me thinks it’s time to switch to Sony.

I just ordered a pair of Bose quiet comfort ultra earbuds. They are on sale right now, so if you’re thinking about making the switch, now’s the time. I did a lot of research and Bose checked off every box for me. I’ll update and let you all know how the noise cancellation works!

I just bought these, and the Active Noise Cancellation feature is worse than any Apple earbud I've ever purchased: airpods pro, airpods pro 2, and Beats Fit Pro. They cost a hundred dollars more than the rest and they're objectively the worst. The ANC is so weak, it may as well not even exist. If this isa bug, it had better be fixed ASAP, or they're being returned.

I would rustle with my hand 1 feet away from ears and it would be completely silence... No I can hear everything, including apple keyboard, vacuum (which is static noice, should be easy to cancel).

It doesn't make any sense. I feel betrayed by the company.

Not only is it worse, I can’t shut it off. I use the AirPods for live streaming. Noise cancellation needs to be shut off when used for live streaming… now I sound live I’m using a 50¢ microphone.

The person who rubbered stamped this update should be fired.

We want the Active Noise Cancelling to work. We don't want it off. As it currently operates, it's just a second Transparency Mode with the volume turned down. That is unacceptable for a CAD $400 product (Powerbeats Pro 2). It doesn't "cancel" anything. It lets everything through, just like Transparency Mode.

Yeah it was so bad that I went to the apple store to get them checked out. Of course they said the airpods are fine. Its quite a stark difference at this point. I frequently check if I'm on "off" mode. I can hear regular level conversations around me completely.

Same here. When I got my Airpods Pro 2 ten months ago, the ANC was darn near perfect. Really had to listen close to hear outside noise. Subsequently, I got used to using transparency so I could hear my surroundings, and just recently tried ANC again to mow the lawn. Imagine my surprise when it didn't seem to be working, even after following all the suggested troubleshooting steps to make sure I was using it properly. After some more trying, I have discovered that it does work ever so slightly, but there is hardly any difference between ANC and Transparency. What the heck is up with that Apple?

After searching, and reading a ton of complaints about this, it is very apparent that this is a widespread problem and I'm not just an isolated case. Please fix this Apple! Good ANC is needed when in a crowded room, mowing the lawn, or anywhere that the ambient noise is loud. We paid a lot for our Airpods with good ANC Apple. FIX IT! There are other less expensive earbuds out there that have ANC that actually works. I love my Airpods, but this is really annoying and uncalled for.

I've been with Apple since 1993. I expect better, and sure as heck miss Steve Jobs, when quality and ease of use was the bottom line....not the $$$.

It’s so frustrating that it seems they’ll never give us a proper update. At this point, at least in my case, transparency is more effective than noise cancelling at noise cancelling. You can’t even go into the headphone settings and edit transparency mode in itself because you’re forced to change the range of sound in order to even access the settings. I’m very noise sensitive and thought airpods would be lovely to focus with, but the modes have gotten so miserable. The gradual downgrade in all apple products after purchase has made it near impossible to respect this company. I’m just so tired of fighting my devices ;-;

I've the same problem, after firmware update (if I'm not wrong it happened when they removed the "off" option). Before noise cancelation was great, now I'm not happy at all. Every time I hope that new firmware solve, but it never happens

I just tried to do a post bashing apple and how they are trying to rip us off and they removed it! See, speak truth to power and they try to silence you! Apple you can take a flying leap! Done with your over priced slave labor products!