Bluetooth audio stuttering issues on my iPhone 16e

I am having the same issue when iPhone 16e is connected to any bluetooth device (tried three different ones including Beats headphones). This does not happen with any other iPhone I have and had.

With Apple support tried:

- playback of music & podcasts via Apple's app, as well as music from youtube via Safari

- using it in different locations

- forced reset

- factory reset

- flight mode (mobile connect & WiFi off, Bluethooth on)

- replacing the phone with another iPhone 16e

None of that fixed it.

Support was escalated from Germany to the US. The Engineers came back with "delay is expected behavior". I was never talking about delay, but the sound cutting out, stuttering if you will.

They told me they will NOT attempt to address this issue because there are not enough complaints about this (yet). Everyone in this thread with the same problem: please open tickets with Apple's help desk and be persistent to escalate it before it gets shut down.

my extended family bought 3 of the iPhone 16e models, two on launch day and one a week ago, to replace really older iPhones. I upgraded from an iPhone 11 Pro to the iPhone 16e, and noticed I would have stuttering and disconnections with my AirPods Pro 2 that I had purchased in December. I ended up getting the AirPods Pro 2 swapped with a new unit under AppleCare+ after two genius appointments thinking it was the AirPods Pro 2 that were faulty despite no hardware faults found in them; I had tried the AirPods Pro 2 with two iPhone 16e and had issues, and had tried Bose QC35 and had no issues. However when heading home with the new AirPods Pro 2 the stuttering and disconnects continued; multiple every few 5 minutes. I then tried the iPhone 16e with my Cardo Edge motorcycle headset and it to would have stuttering and disconnects.

in summary, two iPhone 16e (all that we tried with Bluetooth devices; one white; one black; they are in ESR Magnetic Cases) had issues with these Bluetooth devices:

AirPods Pro 2 original

AirPods Pro 2 replacement

Cardo Edge

and the one of those two iPhone 16e that I tried worked fine with a Bose QC35z

i had done factory reset and restore from iCloud on the two iPhone 16e, as well as the erase network settings, and disabling of AdGuard DNS's local vpn server, and using only a single or multiple Bluetooth connection/remembered-device, all had no effect all to no avail.

i phoned with Apple and they seemed unaware of any specific iPhone 16e issues however did acknowledge it was a new device and did acknowledge they are do have known issues with Bluetooth connectivity.

however I tried my AirPods Pro 2 replacement and my Cardo Edge with a family member's iPhone SE 2022 and no issues. And I didn't have any issues with my prior iPhone 11 Pro which I haven't used since all this upgrade drama began.

so maybe it is an issue with the iPhone 16e or maybe the iPhone 16 or other recent models in general (as per Apple's commentary). Maybe it affects new Bluetooth version devices, as my Bose QC35 are super old. But the AirPods Pro 2 and Cardo Edge are newer Bluetooth versions.

it happens regardless of which AirPod settings were toggled, it happens indoor and outdoor, it happens regardless of wifi and cellular, it happens regardless of battery and charging status

I'll be returning one of the iPhone 16e and giving the other to a family member who doesn't use Bluetooth headsets, and I'll take their iPhone SE 2022.

guess this is what happens when you get new devices, just wish it would have been more transparent so I wouldn't have needed to do all this debugging myself and have my time and money wasted.

hopefully it is just a software issue they can fix in a few months

here are some screenshots of the disconnect reconnect flow; obviously can't screenshot audio stuttering

most notable on apps like prologue (audiobooks), Endel (sound waves), safari (YouTube and rumble), but I don't notice it on normal phone calls; however audio quality is so awful on that one can't tell if the distortions are the Bluetooth issue or the call signal issue

no Apple Watch, when I'm out an about the stuttering will occur with only my iPhone 16e and the AirPods Pro 2

is everyone using magnetic cases? I wonder if that has an impact; will be something for future users to look into who aren't returning theirs

I totally feel you! I’ve had similar issues in the past with bluetooth, especially on ios 18. It's definitely annoying when the sound cuts out randomly. This seems to be a common issue with iOS updates—especially on newer devices like the 16e. It could be an iOS 18 bug, as Bluetooth connectivity tends to get glitchy after big updates, and sometimes it’s just a software problem, not a hardware one.

I’ve had moments where things like Bluetooth audio or even my apple pay wouldn’t work correctly after a system update, even though everything was fine before.

You can try to reset all settings （in settings）—this resets your preferences without wiping your data, which often helps clear out bugs related to connectivity. Repairing your iPhone with a computer can also help since it forces the system to re-sync properly with iOS. Works for me with my iphone14's Bluetooth & Apple Pay problems.

Also, check out these link :

If you can't connect a Bluetooth accessory to your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iTunes - Apple Support

Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with the Finder - Apple Support

If that doesn’t do the trick, it’s worth checking if there are any iOS patches coming soon. A lot of times, Apple pushes out minor fixes quickly after a new update rolls out.

Hang in there—hopefully, it’ll be sorted with a quick fix soon!

[Edited by Moderator]

rachel422 wrote:

Yes, 18.4.

Issue persists.

Since you just bought the device a day ago, I would recommend returning it, since Apple provides a 14 day return policy. For others that have the iPhone 16e, the stuttering problem was completely resolved with the iOS 18.4 update, so if you still have the problem then there may be something else going on there. You can try a Factory Reset by plugging it into a computer to completely reinstall the OS before returning and if you do not have a computer, it can be done at an Apple Store.

I spoke with a senior tech yesterday. They are aware of the issue actively working on the fix also updating to 18.4 fixes it.

Fixed it!

Still on iOS 18.3.2

1. Connected iPhone to MacBook Aire and restored iPhone in Finder
2. Thereafter, I restored Backup from iCloud (also in finder: it prompted me and I clicked my way through)

No stuttering anymore!

In my opinion, the flaw is in porting the softwares and settings over from the old iPhone.

By the way, it never stuttered when streaming to my desktop DAC/amp combo using Airplay.

Please try it and report your results here.

[Edited by Moderator]

My wife and I returned ours for the same problem and got 16s. The only model having this problem is the 16e. Our new iPhone 16 works perfectly but, but cost us the difference I.e., $200 ea. I believe it’s a problem with their new C-1 cellular modem. This is the only model with their new in-house modem and the only model with the problem. I’ve heard that IOS 18.4 will fix the issue but, they haven’t released it. Got tired of waiting. I will never buy any just released model from Apple again.

I think mine might have something to do with my iWatch4. I usually dont carry watch with me so the first day i got the 16e while traveling and commute to work, no issue with bluetooth headset. I am using same headset last night at home where my iWatch4 is connected while at home, Music will stopped every minute or few, i see headset, iWatch and Tesla key all disconnected for few seconds, on the bluetooth screen. I restarted my iWatch today, it has been much more stable. I am going to test it more and if problem return, I’ll turnoff iWatch and monitor this.

I did more searching on this and may have come across a possible solution. Not 100% sure, but so far it seems to be working.

It seems this issue is stemming from apps installed on the device that utilize Bluetooth. To make the glitching/skipping stop, try going into Settings > Privacy & Security > Bluetooth, and then turn off all of the apps listed.

Some posts online have suggested it could be a weight scale app like Fitdays, or Amazon Alexa

I just found this possible solution today and so far it seems to be working. I'll post back again if this solution does not hold.

The first two minutes of this video describes the problem :

https://youtu.be/Sz7uo2YU3_4?si=S0oWYkOtdkLywGi3

The video states that the audio stutter issue arises if multiple Bluetooth devices are connected. That's why users with bluetooth watches or Oura rings are experiencing the audio stutter. Also, Beta testers are reporting that the issue is resolved in iOS 18.4, which should come out in April.

While that's not great, if iOS 18.4 resolves the issue, then it's hardly a disaster. Apple may actually be suffering more than users. If Apple doesn't acknowledge the bug, which they may not for marketing reasons, then Apple will be obliged to replace a user's 16e iPhone. That won't fix the problem, but absent a bug admission from Apple, that's about all Apple can do. So multiple iPhone 16e phones may go to landfills on Apple's dime because of this until April when iOS 18.4 comes out.

The balance for Apple will be deciding which will damage marketing more : The admission of a bug, or word slowly getting around while confused users replace the iPhone 16e because of this.

I think the best bet is to wait the few weeks for iOS 18.4 - it isn't a huge deal breaker for me, so long as 18.4 does fix it. It is surprising that testing didn't show this, though.

I’m having the same problems too on my 16e but I’ve noticed it only happens when I have more than 1 Bluetooth device connected. I have used my Bluetooth headphones on this phone and they worked just fine until I connected my Fitbit watch along with it. I don’t know if it’s some type of interference that’s causing the stutter but when I have the headphones connected by themselves, the stutter disappears.

Hi Jürgen. The issue was occurring also when playing spotify on my Bose bluetooth speaker. The idea of returning the phone seems like a hassle, and I decided to try an extreme experiment as a last resort before returning it. I transferred everything back to my old phone and erased the 16e completely. Then I repeated the process of transferring everything from my old phone to the 16e. It updated automatically to 18.4 during the transfer. This times, I am not experiencing the stuttering and skipping – so far. I have only tested about 20 minutes on each device (car and home speaker). I am hoping this is the end of my troubles. Thanks for your input!

So I've been having this issue since I got my airpods a weeks ago. Didn't happen before with my skullcandy Dimes. Apple Support couldn't do anything and said wait for a fix. My car bluetooth would stutter also. Interestingly enough, today I left the house and did not take my AirPods with me. The stuttering didn't happen. "It's fixed!" I thought. Went home and tried the airpods and immediately starts skipping audio again. Then I had a thought. Maybe it's just the phone (iphone 16e) being near the airpods physically. So I put my airpods away, forgot them on my device and tested my Dimes again. No skipping, no stuttering. I may be onto something or maybe not but I think it has something to do with being in physical proximity of the airpods. Until they find a fix I'm returning my airpods and just going to use my Dimes.

[Edited by Moderator]

The issue does not occur when streaming internet radio to my headphones! It occurs with the Music app. I have not tested YouTube over Safari yet.

What did NOT work:

1. Updating to iOS 18.3.2
2. Forced Restart
3. Network Reset
4. Disconnecting and forgetting all other BT devices, the reconnecting only one
5. Switched off new Brother printer (to eliminate BT interference)
6. Settings->Privacy and Security->turned off all other BT devices

These dropouts are like packet errors on DACs connected per USB to a computer, which, in that case, are timing errors. The phone is likely running into some bandwidth errors.

The IOS 18.4 update solved the stuttering issue. At least for me. I’m no longer experiencing the problem and i kept the 16e. In fact, sound quality has improved as well!