Q: FaceTime making strange clicking sound since OS X 10.10

Hi, I've noticed the "crackling noise" nearly a year ago. It happens not only with Facetime but even with no program running at all.

I have the headphones output connected to a HiFi amp to listen to iTunes etc.

You can eliminate the noise for some time when unplugging and re-plugging the headphones connection. But it will return always

after some time. The noise is random and to me it sounds like a static discharge. Like, if there's a charge building up and then

reaching a certain voltage level, is suddenly released.

By the way, I'm not even running 10.10 as my main system, but still 10.6.8. I'm running 10.6.8 on 2 Mac Minis (2009 & 2013) and

on a MacPro. The noise is audible on all of them. I have 10.10 installed on a Mini and crackling's there as well. Tried out everything from Snow Leopard to Mavericks and Yosemite to no avail.

It's driving me crazy, because it didn't happen until about a year ago. Never ever on any Mac!

So what's the cause? Apple is dragging it's feet and I've not encountered any comment by Apple referring to the problem! At least they could acknowledge that there's a problem!

I'm also doing some recording with my Mac's and it's annoying to hear that crackling during quiet passages. And afterwards trying to remove them.

Let's us all praise the almighty Apple for their tremendous customer service!

User 1 =  MacBook Pro 15" (Late 2008), 8 GB RAM, 500 GB HD, Yosemite 10.10.1, iPhone 5s, 16 GB, iOS 8.1.2.

User 2 =  MacBook Pro 13" (Early 2011), 8 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD, Yosemite 10.10.1, iPhone 5, 16 GB, iOS 8.1.2.

All 4 devices connected to same WiFi network using Apple Airport Extreme base station and Airport Express (as network extender) on cable internet conection.

User 1 = MacBook Pro 15" (FaceTime works) + iPhone 5s (FaceTime works) using same Apple ID #1.

User 2 = MacBook Pro 13" (FaceTime CLICKS) + iPhone 5 (FaceTime works) using same Apple ID #2.

FaceTime on both computers and both iPhones working fine prior to 10.10.  FaceTime on the 13" (Early 2011) has the "FaceTime strange clicking sound" running Yosemite 10.10, while FaceTime on the 15" (Late 2008) works fine.  This was puzzling since everything else was working fine (tested by recording audio in Quicktime Player on 13" and it had no audio clicking).  Rebooted the 13", checked everything, sound input sources, read all the other "fixes" on this discussion to no avail.

After much thought and testing different combinations of hardware, software, settings, etc..., I remembered that the MacBook Pro 13" (Early 2011) has almost enough hardware to support Handoff in Yosemite 10.10.  However it has Bluetooth 2.1, while Handoff requires Bluetooth 4.0.  What was one of the new features in OS 10.10 that didn't exist in 10.9 or earlier when FaceTime worked fine?  Handoff!!!

The solution that has fixed the FaceTime audio clicking for the user with the MacBook Pro 13" and iPhone 5 using the same Apple ID, is turning off Handoff on their iPhone 5.  In iOS 8.1.2 Handoff is located under Settings / General / Handoff & Suggested Apps / Handoff - slide to OFF.

In this case I suspect there is a conflict between the iPhone 5 trying to use Handoff with the MacBook Pro 13" (Early 2011) when they are joined to the same WiFi network and using the same Apple ID.  Even though the MacBook Pro 13" (Early 2011) is not supposed to be compatible with Handoff, I believe it was attempting to interact with the iPhone 5 when both were on the same WiFi network and sharing the same Apple ID #2, and this was the cause of the problem.

What is interesting, is the iPhone 5s with Handoff turned on was not causing issues with the MacBook Pro 13" or 15" all on the same WiFi network.  The 15" uses the same Apple ID #1 as the iPhone 5s (Apple ID #1) but is too old (Late 2008), and the 13" is using a different (Apple ID #2).  So it doesn't appear to be problem with all Handoff traffic on the network.  It was the combination of the 13" MacBook Pro (Early 2011) using Apple ID #2 + iPhone 5 using Apple ID #2 with Handoff turned on + same WiFi network that caused the FaceTime clicking issue for this 13" MacBook Pro (Early 2011) user.

By turning off Handoff on the iPhone 5, we are able to use FaceTime on the MacBook Pro 13" (Early 2011) without any problems and they both share the same Apple ID #2.  We were not using the Handoff feature anyways (since we didn't have 2 compatible devices on the same Apple ID) so we don't miss it.  Everything appears to be working good again with all 4 devices joined to the same WiFi network.

If you have a MacBook Pro 13" with the FaceTime audio clicking with Yosemite 10.10, make sure to turn Handoff OFF on ALL of your iOS devices using the SAME Apple ID on the SAME WiFi network (i.e all your iPhone's, iPad's, etc...) and then restart your MacBook Pro and check to see if FaceTime works.

Hopefully someone else finds this information useful.

I am having this same problem. Has Apple found a solution yet?

Three months since you filed your comment and the problem still remains- the crackling staticky sounding noise has just started up on my face time on the MacBook Pro. Any new news from Apple on this?

It's an error of the ambient noise reduction. Here's what seems to work for me.

Set "Use audio port for sound Input"

Turn off ambient noise cancellation.

Don't worry, when you plug in any kind of modern headphone your music will play fine because the computer knows it has mic and speakers. I have restarted FaceTime and made calls several times while pulling out and plugging in my headphones over and over again without issue. Hope this works for everyone.

So, after I installed 10.10.2 the issue got worse. I cannot use Skype or iTunes without a loud "pop" noise in my MacBook Pro whereas before it was limited only to FaceTime.

Reset PRAM and SMC, issue goes away temporarily but comes back if the computer has been slept and woken.

Under Windows 8.1 (via Boot Camp), no such issue exists, and I'm able to use Skype, iTunes, Google Hangouts, etc., without a problem. (Sadly, no FaceTime, though)

For the forseeable future, it seems I will be running Windows full-time now on my MacBook Pro. In my experience over the last few weeks dealing with AppleCare, I do not believe Apple has any interest in fixing this problem.

Thanks for the heads up for 10.10.2 Oso Grande.

I just wanna know if all the 2011 MacBook Pro users are having the same problem?

Apple should fix this problem soon or I am gonna have to install 10.9 from scratch.

Also, anyone having luck with 10.10.2?

Unfortunately, this did not work with my early 2011 MBP - turning off handoff on iPhone/iPad or turning off ambient noise suppression.   I just think the code is written expecting 4.0 BT hardware and the 2.1 BT hardware causes issues when using the headphone jack and/or letting the computer go to sleep or close the lid.   Apple needs to find the area in the code and fix it to recognize 2.1 BT hardware and "turnoff" Handoff in the code in my opinion.

I have the exact sam issue.  Mine just started after the last update with is 10.10.2.  I also have a late model Macbook pro 2011 with 8GB Ram and 1TB SSD.  Everything else works great, but this just started after the most recent update. 

I just turned off "Handoff" on my iPhone 6 to see if that helps until Apple FIXES THIS OBVIOUS ISSUE!!!!!!!!!

You're welcome to tell them but it's dubious whether they will read it or act upon it.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

I'm having the same problem.

My mid 2009 Mac book Pro, does the same thing after 1010.2 Yosemite. The only way to temporarily fix the problem is to restart my MacBook pro. I hope Apple fixes the problem so it's really annoying.

Hey, I had the same issue until I turn off Bluetooth then it disappeared. My Facetime works fine now.

Unfortunately, I've had BT off and on, the issue remains regardless.

Update.

After several tries for clarification, I've reached a virtual dead-end with AppleCare on this issue. The last response I was given is unchanged: my options are to "buy a newer Mac or wait for a possible software update" (emphasis mine). I have repeatedly pushed for clarification on "if" a software update would be provided since "possible" is not a definite answer, no concrete answer has been provided. I provided a small video in my last correspondence with Apple's senior advisor, demonstrating the issue in 10.10.2, how the computer loses audio altogether, and I was given a link to Apple's feedback page as a response.

I caution anyone else seeking resolution with AppleCare for this issue not to get your hopes up. My impression is they do not appear to care much about the problem considering how cavalier the answers have been from AppleCare.

Last week, I e-mailed Apple's CEO petitioning for help with this problem, and never received a response. In the meantime, I have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau to petition for a resolution from Apple.

In the meantime, I am running Windows 8.1 (via Boot Camp) without any audio problems--Skype, iTunes, etc., all run fine, even after sleeping/waking the computer.