FaceTime making strange clicking sound since OS X 10.10

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011)

Running 10.10.1 iPhone running 8.1.1

Same issues here.

FaceTime from macbook = broken (same popping issues)

Continuity phone calling out from macbook = broken (same popping issues)

Temporary fixes with pram, with playing iTunes music and then making the "call"...all work to varying degrees but not good and not permanent.

Apple PLEASE FIX THIS ASAP. Such an important feature for me. Ugh!!!

This may be "old" news however looks like a reason that apple may not be responding to some of these issues is because it looks like a bunch of the rigs effected on this thread don't have the newer bluetooth tech (mine included.) All of the handoff and continuity features "require" it. Of course, this doesn't explain why FaceTime wouldn't work.

Just thought i'd throw this in for good measure.

My theory - posted much earlier in this or another thread - is that Apple forcibly crippled Continuity when it was working on machines it shouldn't have.

Under Yosemite betas prior to public beta 5 or so, I was successfully able to receive calls on my early-2011 MacBook Pro - with or without Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled. It ran over my home network; Wi-Fi was enabled on my iPhone 5s.

Then, some time after that, the clicking started, and has remained since.

And now affects FaceTime.

As I posted previously I have no other apple devices other than my Macbook Pro - I had the crackling sound and no sound when using FaceTime for about a week. Visited the Apple store twice - no one was aware of this issue - called Apple support - ditto.

Without doing anything else my FaceTime problem was cleared up - no problem making FaceTime calls for at least a week now.

I did experience a problem with YouTube videos after that - no picture - no sound. Videos on other websites worked fine. Again, all of a sudden after about 2 days of no YouTube - that problem was no more!

I didn't do anything but unplug and restart my router a few times - I doubt that the router was the problem.

Same issue, on MBP Late 2011 with Yosemite 10.10.1

When I try to call on my MBP using APP contacts and my iPhone I had a lot of noise, I can't ear nothing except a sounds like "POP, POP, POP" that still sounds a few seconds after I hang out the call.

I Hope Aplle fix it

Thanks!!!

Adding in mine as well.

I've experienced this problem for a while now when making calls from my late 2008 MBP to iPhones, and vice versa. It existed before Yosemite. The issue is on and off, no idea what effects it as I've tried unplugging everything and making calls, plugging things back in and making calls, but no fix. Just loud pops and cackles on my side, and a loud screeching on the other side. I only ever call two people, but both have iPhones, and both report the same sound on their side.

I did read in this thread someone suggested turning on music in iTunes, turning the volume low, then making the call, and that did work. But that definitely shouldn't be the fix forever. Apple needs to address this.

Same issue here in Germany..me and an friend of mine also have the troubles with this issue. Both MacBooks Pro early 2011 are having this clicking and popping sounds after upgrading to Yosemite 10.10.0 - Version 10.10.1 didn´t fix this. So Facetime or phone calls over the MBP do not work for me anymore.
I´ve read someone recommended to adjust the audio port but no idea...

Apple needs to provide a fix..please soon :-)

I have a 2013 Mac Pro running 10.10.1 and was having this same problem, but only with the iPhone handoff using FaceTime, not FaceTime video chat itself. It started a few weeks after the Yosemite upgrade. I tried most of what was posted here: kill core audio, pram reset, disconnect and reconnect wifi, and checking the audio input and output. Nothing seemed to work.

Probable Fix:

I was using the iPhone handoff with my Mac with only WiFi enabled and there was plenty of static and popping. I enabled Bluetooth on my iPhone and Mac in addition to my WiFi being enabled and suddenly the clicking, static and popping stopped. I do need to emphasize that I'm running a Mac Pro, so I'm not sure if this will help on a Macbook Pro, but it's definitely worth a shot because that noise was utterly annoying.

I hope this can help.

I have found the temporary "solution" until Apple diagnoses the root cause and creates a fix. After spending some time with an Apple support tech who did a remote log-in session to my early 2011 MacBook Pro 15" so he could see what was going on, we determined the issue causing the audio problem is caused by SLEEP mode. Whenever you leave your MBP on and close the clam shell (lid) or let it go into sleep mode when open, when you re-awaken it and then launch FaceTime and initiate an audio or video call the audio "popping and clicking" issue occurs. I have reset the PRAM, I have changed Wifi, I have switched from the internal Bluetooth 2.1 adapter to an external Bluetooth 4.0 dongle via Bluetooth Explorer app, I have killed the core audio process, re-loaded a fresh copy of OS X 10.10.1, reset the SMC, started iTunes and then played a song, and used both BT headphones and plug-in jack headphones. Most of these "fix" the issue until it returns again when the MBP exits SLEEP mode. It also explains why re-boots fix the issue.

I can consistently make it NOT happen by keeping my MBP out of sleep mode when plugged in and never closing the lid when it is on. I do a full shut-down and boot-up each morning when I want to use it and have set the ENERGY SAVER mode under SYSTEM PREFERENCES to "Never Sleep" when my MBP is using the Power Adapter. I can make the problem consistently re-appear by putting the ENERGY SAVER settings back to default and let the MBP go into sleep mode or closing the lid for 15 seconds or more then opening it. The Apple tech set up a Test administrator account to see if the issue was with my account settings. Sure enough, the minute we put the MBP into sleep mode the issue came back. He has documented all this and forwarded it to Apple development engineering. It is obviously a bug in the Yosemite software and why it seems to happen with more frequency for owners of 2011 MBPs is beyond me. My late 2014 MacBook Air doesn't seem to exhibit this problem but I don't use it daily like my 2011 MBP.

Not the "fix" we are all looking for but I am pretty confident it at least defines the root cause scenario and how to avoid it until there is a fix from Apple :-)

Having similar issues.

I've been using FaceTime on my MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011) on a daily basis since Yosemite Beta, and this issue suddenly started happening just tonight. Coincidence or not, today it was the first time in weeks (maybe since Yosemite) that I actually closed the lid and took it for a walk.

Also, it is specific to FaceTime; no issue on Hangouts or Skype. I can however hear the other person, and she won't hear the clicking sound.

Well I spoke too soon. It appears it may not only be SLEEP mode causing these issues but also the headphone jack. When I use FaceTime with headphones and then try to use FaceTime without them (after unplugging them), the **** crackling/popping noises return. I reset the computer to fix the issue, which it does, but then when I try using Bluetooth headphones they don't work (regardless of setting speaker output to them in System Preferences). I then tried Bluetooth after using plugged in headphones and they then work but the speaker crackling returns. So the options are plugged in headphones or BT headphones and audio issues with FaceTime when they are unplugged or no audio issues without headphones but you can't use plugged-in or BT headphones.

There must be some issue with the switchover on the sound card in software. I hope Apple reads these forums and can address this as Yosemite is doing something funky via Continuity with the sound card in 2011 MBPros.

Yeah I was going to say something about your comment on it being Sleep that causes the problem... When I facetimed a family member the other day and had this issue, I told them i'd call them back and I rebooted the Mac... sure enough the problem was still there after I'd rebooted... and there was no Sleeping after the reboot, so I don't think that's the only cause.

The bottom line is with a lot of experimentation, I believe the issue is with the Bluetooth/wireless cards in 2011 MBPs. Continuity is expecting BT 4.0 and current BT/Wifi cards. Even though Handoff and instant hotspot rely on BT 4.0 and phone calls and SMS use wifi only, the Yosemite code has an issue handling FaceTime and the wifi continuity features with older hardware. Apple either needs to find the root cause and patch the software so pre-BT 4.0 MBPros can still use FaceTime and phone calls with no issues or we all need to upgrade to current hardware.

The Coreadudio process is messed up for non-BT 4.0 hardware. I have traced all the issues to this process. Whether SLEEP mode affects it or not, plugging in headphones, using BT headphones, or the internal speakers all have issues when you mix and match these devices and try to use them on the same machine. FaceTime, the SOUND process in SYSTEM PREFERENCES, and the coreaudio process all get borked requiring a re-boot of the system. I have even had issues with BT and Google Hangouts. Apple needs to either get this straightened out or just come clean and make a firm stand that to use ALL continuity features without issue you need BT 4.0 hardware. Period.

FaceTime audio issue is caused by the headphone jack. Whenever this is used and then you try to use either internal speakers or BT headphones, the audio issues occur.

Can we get a poll from the users on this post experiencing issues with FaceTime having popping and clicking noises when you try to make a call either with FaceTime or via Continuity with your iPhone:

How many of you were using the headphone jack prior to the issue occurring and then had it happen after the headphones were removed? I have tested it many times and everything works fine until I use the headphone jack and then the popping and cracking audio issues return. I have to do a complete re-boot to restore the FaceTime audio to normal.

Prior to 10.10 I never used the audio jack or BT. After the upgrade is when the popping/crackling started every time I tried using FaceTime or Google Hangout. Interestingly Skype continues to work fine.

Based on a suggestion I read, I plugged in external speakers (and headphones) and the sound clears up. If I unplug the popping/crackling comes back until I plug the speakers back in. It's a pain, but I video chat a lot and this is a fix around that works for me.

I've updated to 10.10.1 and the issue still exists.