Apple Launches AirPods Pro Service Program for Crackling/Static Problems and ANC Issues

Apple today announced the launch of a new service program for AirPods Pro sound issues, which is designed to address ‌AirPods Pro‌ units experiencing static or crackling sounds or problems with Active Noise Cancellation.

AirPods PRo isolated
Faulty AirPods exhibit the following problems, according to Apple:

  • Crackling or static sounds that increase in loud environments, with exercise or while talking on the phone
  • Active Noise Cancellation not working as expected, such as a loss of bass sound, or an increase in background sounds, such as street or airplane noise

Affected AirPods were manufactured before October 2020, and those who have AirPods experiencing issues can take them to Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for service free of charge. Apple says that the ‌AirPods Pro‌ will be examined prior to service to verify that they're eligible for the program. ‌AirPods Pro‌ earbuds demonstrating the issue (left, right, or both) will be replaced.

The program applies only to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ and not other AirPods models. It covers ‌AirPods Pro‌ for two years after the first retail sale of the unit.

‌AirPods Pro‌ users have been complaining about issues with crackling/popping sounds during movement and problems with Active Noise Cancellation for months now. Affected users see the crackling or popping sound appear over time, and it appears to occur when something causes the earbud to move or vibrate.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...

Top Rated Comments

Bustermd Avatar
54 months ago
“Manufactured before October 2020”

So... all of them?
Score: 64 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gjdarbo Avatar
54 months ago
I literally just called Apple about an hour ago about this issue and they told me they couldn't find any related issues related to the crackling noise. Lol
Score: 57 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LeeW Avatar
54 months ago
It's not an Apple product if it doesn't have a repair program.
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bustermd Avatar
54 months ago

Before October 2020 does not include any manufactured after October 31, 2020. So no, not all of them.

Let me know if I can answer any other questions to which the answer should be obvious.
Seeing as today is October 30, 2020, my question is how could any be in existence that were manufactured after October 31, 2020? Or is it a reverse entropy situation like in that Tenet movie?

The point, which you missed obviously, is that Apple has essentially acknowledged that every one made up until very recently has been faulty. This is a big deal for headphones that cost as much as Air Pods Pro. Good for Apple for acknowledging the problem though. Better late than never. But seeing as I got mine replaced a couple months ago with zero argument I figure they knew it was an issue long ago.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brar.arsh Avatar
54 months ago

It's not an Apple product if it doesn't have a repair program.
Am not sure if that is a positive or negative comment.
According to me Apple does care for their customers more than 99% percent of the companies out there.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
canyonblue737 Avatar
54 months ago

Glad I just payed apple $90+ dollars to replace one of mine that had this exact issue smh
talk to them, in this situation they refund you.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)