Apple Quietly Extends AirPods Pro Repair Program That Addresses Crackling/Static

Back in October of 2020, Apple introduced a service program to address AirPods Pro issues that could cause them to experience static, crackling sounds, or problems with Active Noise Cancellation. At the time, Apple said the program would cover the ‌AirPods Pro‌ for two years after the retail sale of the unit.

AirPods PRo isolated
Apple has now extended the program, quietly updating the accompanying support document back at the beginning of October. As noted on Reddit, the "Additional Information" section of the page now notes that the program will cover affected ‌AirPods Pro‌ for three years after the first retail sale of the unit, up from the initial two years.

Customers who purchased AirPods at launch in 2019 will now be covered until October 2022 should this issue pop up, and those who bought in 2020 before the repaired version in October 2020 came out can get repairs until 2023.

Faulty ‌AirPods Pro‌ that are in need of repair exhibit the following problems:

  • 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 Pro‌ experiencing issues can bring 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 the AirPods or the AirPods Max.

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

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro's alleged design via Front Page Tech Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive a New Perk

Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month. In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

iOS 19 Coming in June With These New Features

Thursday March 20, 2025 2:04 pm PDT by
While the first iOS 19 beta is still more than two months away, there are already plenty of rumors about the upcoming software update. Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors so far. visionOS-Like Design In January, the YouTube channel Front Page Tech revealed a redesigned Camera app that is allegedly planned for iOS 19. According to Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser, the Camera app...
iOS 18

Top 5 New Features Coming in iOS 18.4

Friday March 21, 2025 3:26 pm PDT by
We're not getting new Siri Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.4 as expected, but the upcoming update does have quite a few new additions that will be worth upgrading for. We've rounded up the five best features to look forward to, and if you're not running the beta, you can expect to get access to these in early April. Priority Notifications If you have an iPhone or iPad that supports...
Generic iOS 18

Apple Seeds iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 Release Candidate With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music and More

Monday March 24, 2025 10:07 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the fourth betas. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. With iOS 18.4, Apple is adding the Priority Notifications...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 18, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent Search

Foldable iPhone Expected to Launch Next Year, Costing Around $2,000

Monday March 24, 2025 3:43 am PDT by
Apple will launch its long-rumored foldable iPhone next year with a ~$2,000 premium price tag attached, expects well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. Gurman's comments on Apple's launch plans for its first foldable device appeared in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter. Earlier this month, the reporter said Apple's foldable iPhone could be arriving "as early as 2026,"...
airpods max 2024 colors

Don't Buy Into Apple's Hype About AirPods Max Gaining Lossless Audio

Monday March 24, 2025 4:24 pm PDT by
Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4. For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3, and Apple's own Advanced Audio Codec...

Top Rated Comments

madcran Avatar
45 months ago
I just had both of my AirPods Pro replaced after failing Apple's audio tests. At first, I thought I was crazy and it was just the noises the AirPods make going in and out of my ears, but soon realized the noise occurred by just moving my head around.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
45 months ago
Good because they didn't fix it
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LoggerMN Avatar
45 months ago

Can someone please explain the in store diagnostic test? Is there a piece of test equipment involved or does an employee attempt to hear themselves? I have a very faint crackling noise in one bud that is present when running. Thanks!
They take your earbuds and disappear into the back room. They come out 15 min later and say they're going to replace them. I have no idea what they did, but that's how it went for me. This is the 2nd time mine have been replaced for this.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ZZ9pluralZalpha Avatar
45 months ago
I recently had my launch-week pair replaced because of this, but mine would only start exhibiting the symptoms after about 45 minutes of (usually during exercise) music use, and thus passed the retail stores' diagnostics tests twice. Both times, the staff told me to contact phone support instead, because the mail-in exchange process uses a different test; when I finally heeded their advice, I got the replacement pair within a few days. So if your AirPod Pros only start crackling after some minutes, skip the in-person appointment and just call in!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KaliYoni Avatar
45 months ago
Oh, it's the AirPods??? I've been listening to Lou Reed, Sonic Youth, and Neil Young...
;-)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
visualseed Avatar
45 months ago

No local Apple Store here and the Apple rep said I would have to put a $100 hold on my card for the left ear bud and as bad as carriers were last year I didn't want to risk it getting lost and get charged , the Apple guy said hey if you got a Best Buy they can send them and then you won't have to put the $100 hold on your card

I had both mine replace. Made an appt at Best Buy, a day before my appt the right started crackling. Best Buy Geek Squad put them in some device to test and sent them off and a few days later got a call to come pick up my replacements.
If you do it over the phone they will give you the choice of waiting for a shipping box that you can send back to them with the AirPods and they will then send you back a replacement or pay a deposit (hold on card) and they will send you the replacement with a return box that you can send the bad one back in. I did mine this way and it was 3 day-turn around for the whole process including the release on my card. They used FedEx as the carrier and it seems to be express overnight (morning delivery) both ways and the hold on my card was released within moments of them receiving my package.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)