AirPods Pro crackling or static sound: what to try

Crackling, fizzing or static in AirPods Pro can come from weak Bluetooth, an app, old firmware or a blocked mesh. These checks help you work out whether it is a quick fix or a fault in the earbud itself.

Start with the easy things: update your iPhone, keep it close with nothing in the way, and play something from a different app to see if the noise follows. Then let the AirPods take their latest firmware, reset them and gently clean the speaker mesh. If one earbud still crackles, especially in noisy places, during workouts or on calls, it is time to have Apple look at it.

• 1. Update your iPhone, iPad or Mac: Apple's first suggestion for crackling is to make sure the device the AirPods are paired with runs the newest software. On iPhone, open Settings > General > Software Update and install anything that is waiting. Newer system software also helps the AirPods pick up their own firmware.
• 2. Bring the phone closer and clear the path: Bluetooth audio breaks up more easily through walls, floors, pockets and bags. Keep the phone within a couple of metres, ideally on the same side of your body as the noisy earbud. Busy Wi-Fi spots, microwave ovens and wireless speakers can also cause interference, so step away from them while you test.
• 3. Test with a different app and a downloaded song: Play audio from another app to see whether the crackle is tied to one app. If you can, use a song or podcast saved on the phone rather than a stream, since streamed audio drops out more easily on a patchy connection. If the noise only shows up in one app, the problem is probably with that app, not the AirPods.
• 4. Let the AirPods install their latest firmware: Firmware updates install on their own while the AirPods charge near an iPhone, iPad or Mac that is on Wi-Fi. Put both earbuds in the case, close the lid, plug the case in and leave it next to your phone for at least 30 minutes. You can check the version afterwards under Settings > Bluetooth > the Info button > About.
• 5. Reset the AirPods Pro: Put the earbuds in the case, close the lid and wait 30 seconds. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the Info button and choose Forget This Device. On AirPods Pro (1st or 2nd generation), open the lid and hold the button on the back of the case for about 15 seconds until the light flashes amber, then white, and pair again. AirPods Pro 3 use a different reset with taps on the front of the case, so follow Apple's reset page for that model.
• 6. Gently clean the mesh and ear tips: Earwax, sweat or sunscreen on the speaker mesh can muddy the sound. Pull off the ear tips, rinse them with plain water and dry them fully. Wipe the earbud body with a dry, lint-free cloth, and for the mesh on AirPods Pro 2 and 3 follow Apple's cleaning page. Never push anything sharp into the mesh and never hold the earbuds under a running tap.
• 7. Check when the crackle happens: Listen in a quiet room, then while walking near traffic, and then on a phone call. On first-generation AirPods Pro, Apple linked crackling that gets worse in loud places, during exercise or on calls to a known fault. If your noise follows that pattern and none of the steps above helped, the earbud probably needs a hardware check.