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Airpods not working for phone calls

When my Airpods are connected to the iPhone and I make/receive a call, I'm getting no audio, despite the fact that the Airpods are clearly selected as the audio output.


If I switch to iPhone sound, I get the audio through the iPhone earpiece. If I instead end the call, all other audio resumes in the Airpods.


Is this a known problem/limitation of the Airpods? Have I missed something while setting them up?

iPhone 7, iOS 10.0.2

Posted on May 2, 2017 10:48 AM

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Posted on Feb 4, 2018 3:37 PM

I got my AirPods a month ago and have been frustrated this whole time that they would not work for phone calls. They worked beautifully for Music but when I made or received a call, the caller could not hear me and I could hear them. I tried everything on the internet. I decided to double check if my Fitbit was in anyway interfering with my AirPods ability to make phone calls. Turns out that when I turned off “all day syncing“ on the Fitbit App and I unpaired my AirPods and then paired them again....they have worked seamlessly for both music and phone calls. I think if you have any other Bluetooth devices on your iPhone or a Fitbit like me..these could cause interference with making a phone call. Check those blue tooth connections and disable them if needed.

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Feb 4, 2018 3:37 PM in response to m0thr4

I got my AirPods a month ago and have been frustrated this whole time that they would not work for phone calls. They worked beautifully for Music but when I made or received a call, the caller could not hear me and I could hear them. I tried everything on the internet. I decided to double check if my Fitbit was in anyway interfering with my AirPods ability to make phone calls. Turns out that when I turned off “all day syncing“ on the Fitbit App and I unpaired my AirPods and then paired them again....they have worked seamlessly for both music and phone calls. I think if you have any other Bluetooth devices on your iPhone or a Fitbit like me..these could cause interference with making a phone call. Check those blue tooth connections and disable them if needed.

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Sep 27, 2017 9:55 AM in response to m0thr4

This is exactly what I was experiencing after I upgraded to iOS 11 (same behavior in 11.0.1) on my iPhone 7. I don't think it has anything to do with the iOS, however.


Try this: In bluetooth settings on your phone, find your Airpods and "forget device". Then, with your Airpods in the case, open the lid and hold the button on the case for about 10-15 seconds until the status light flashes amber (not white) a couple times. Close the lid & then go back to bluetooth settings. Hold the button on the case until the Airpods show up in "other devices" at the bottom. Pair the Airpods and try your phone calls again. Worked for me.

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Nov 27, 2017 2:34 PM in response to Seth1904

Solved. I have also raised a support call with Tile. They claim it’s because the iPhone can only work with 8 active Bluetooth devices at a time. I have 7 Tiles permanently connected, leaving my AirPods to fight with my Apple Watch for priority.


First World problems, eh?

In the meantime, I just leave Bluetooth disabled in the Tile app, until I need it.

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May 24, 2018 8:27 AM in response to m0thr4

Hey guys,


After finding this thread, i looked through my bluetooth connections and found that my Snapchat Spectacles V2 were connected while not in use. Simply killing the Snapchat app immediately fixed the issue. I suspected fitbit, but turning off "all-day sync"didn't solve it. For anybody who runs into this problem I would try disconnecting any new or recently added bluetooth accessories to identify which one is causing the issue.

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Dec 18, 2017 8:17 AM in response to jas123456

If you have Tiles - Find Your Keys, Wallet & Phone with Tile’s App and Bluetooth Tracker Device | Tile (tracking chip devices) you have a Tile app. It connects to Tiles through Bluetooth. The phone has a limited number of simultaneous Bluetooth connections, so if you have a lot of tiles it uses up the available connections. Airpods use separate connections for music and Siri/Phone. If there aren't enough connections available then music can work but there is no available connection for phone calls or Siri. But you can have other things that use up Bluetooth connections, not just Tiles. Go to Settings/Bluetooth and count the number of devices that show as "Connected". If it is more than 6 there won't be enough connections left.


Note that this may be only one of the causes of these symptoms. What is reported in this thread is a symptom, not a problem. There could be more than one problem that causes the symptom. Others could be interference from other Bluetooth-using devices using up the available channels. Another could be interference from RADAR if you live near an airport. And, you could have defective AirPods.

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May 4, 2018 2:45 AM in response to m0thr4

I was having the same issue - no phone audio on the AirPods but music etc. fine.


Disabled Bluetooth in Tile and the AirPods worked again.


Switch Bluetooth back on in Tile and the AirPods are also working again. I have four tiles, an Apple Watch and the AirPods connected at once.

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Feb 23, 2018 5:41 PM in response to jalbano2002

The Fitbit troubleshooting site had something that said all day syncing could interfere with Bluetooth headphones. I’m now having issues with my callers have trouble hearing me going from clear to muffled and then back to clear. Makes me upset because the wired headphones cost $29 and work better.

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Jun 20, 2018 10:39 AM in response to m0thr4

For me, it was the Tile app as well. Note that they seem to have added an option for mitigating the problem rather than simply shutting off Bluetooth for the app:

  1. Open the Tile app
  2. Touch the gear icon in the top right
  3. Scroll down to the OPTIONS section and select Connectivity
  4. Turn on Limit Bluetooth Connections


After doing this, I was able to make and receive calls on my AirPods normally.

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Aug 3, 2018 11:10 AM in response to billin

FWIW, I had this problem. Didn't have the Tile app. Checking Bluetooth, I had 6 devices connected: AirPods, Apple Watch, and 4 sensors (random names) from my Tesla Model 3 in the garage. Didn't exceed the stated 8.


I was able to fix simply by turning Bluetooth off, then on again.

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Airpods not working for phone calls

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