First day of use and out of nowhere I start getting a high pitched noise from my left AirPod. The sound comes when either changing listening modes, or adjusting it in my ear. Others have had this issue and even when getting a replacement pair it does it again. Software bug or warranty?
Thanks for the update. Based on my previous theory here High pitched noise on AirPods Pro 3 - Apple Community I can’t see how any firmware update will fix this. I think they are going to have to re-design the EarTips to prevent the condensation / moisture buildup. It would be interesting to try the AirPod Pro2 tips on the AirPod Pro 3’s but obviously they don’t fit…
Comparing the design of the 2 models, the black mesh surface of the Pro 3 is more convex than the Pro 2 and therefore sticks out further and I suspect is actually touching the white mesh surface in the eartip. Any moisture would therefore get stuck there between the two layers …
I have done many more 2hr + bike rides since my post linked above and every time this issue starts, if I remove the tips, wipe the black mesh on the AirPod, and dry inside my ear it fixes the problem for the next hour, then I just keep doing it every hour to the end…
Ok, I’ve had this since day one of release on the AirPods 3, and a replacement set was identical. It happened all the time (haven’t taken them on a flight)—weird background noises, worse when in full noise cancellation mode, awful high-pitched squeal when adjusting them in my ears, same in both left and right, no difference when switching tips. Today I updated to firmware 8B30 and it all seems to have been fixed as far as I can tell so far! I’ll be monitoring how it goes over the next couple of days, but so far so good!
Through further experimentation and other feedback on the Apple community I think I have figured out the common issue and HAVE A TEMPORARY FIX until Apple resolve this.
I have been experiencing the issue 2 hours+ into a bike ride. Another user mentioned moisture, and they experience it after a shower – that got me thinking. The new silicone/foam ear tips create an excellent insulated seal between the hot moist inner ear canal and the external dry / colder air. This is especially true for those on Plane flights where the airconditioned cabin is dry and generally colder than the temperature within in the ear. This temperature difference, moisture on one side and excellent seal with hydrophobic coatings is the perfect trap for condensation to form.
There are two layers of mesh together – one black on the AirPod and one white on the Air tip. My hypothesis is that water vapour is hitting this colder mesh surface and forming microscopic condensation which is trapped between the two mesh layers and interfering with the sensors that are driving the ANC systems.
I experimented on a 5-hour bike ride in the weekend. After 2 hours the noise started so I removed the air tip, wiped the black mesh part of the AirPod, with a microfibre cloth dried inside my ear with another cloth, waved them around in the air to dry out, put the ear tip back on and the issue went away! I followed this procedure every hour for the remainder of by bike ride and this fixed the problem! Not ideal but at least it is a temporary fix until Apple figures this out…
Others have also reported rotating the ear tip 180 degrees provide a fix – I think this is because in doing so they have released the moisture / dried the mesh which may have been minor at that stage – nothing to do with the rotation, but rather just the act of removing / drying and putting back on...
hi, I have the exact same issue with my airpod pro 2, latest firmware installed on OS26.2 ( iphone 16 pro max - only happens in left ear but is so loud that it becomes painful so no other option than taking them out (pfff) I hope this is a firmware issue that could easily be resolved for all impacted users
Hello, I wonder if the last firmware update to 8B30 (AirPods Pro 3) solved the problem (pitch noise, feedback) which we could hear during flights?
I have not tested during the light (it was during my three flights always a big problem, but with the former firmware).
It maybe that these are related but non-identical issues. My original set and the replacements squealed whenever I adjusted them, seemingly regardless of moisture or air pressure, and there was audible noise when the noise-cancelling was operating. The new firmware appears to have totally fixed the problem—honestly they're now significantly better than the second-gen ones in all settings.
Try pulling off the silicon ear bud, rotating it 180º, but it back on. Does that help? It helped another users for a similar noise problem.
Right after this recent update for our iPods I had to call Apple about another issue, so while on the call the tech checked… fix was not in this last update. Still a known issue they’re working on.
High pitched noise on AirPods Pro 3
