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If one of your AirPods has gotten a nasty hum distortion, there are steps you can take to fix it before calling Apple.
You can start with the audio of the phone call with a little echo, or just somehow not quite right. Over time, it can be extended to mean that one of your AirPods, or AirPods Pro, is really unpleasant to use.
Depending on the music you are listening to through it, you may be able to forget that there is a problem. But at other times, and when you put the AirPod in before you start playing, it can sound like a rumbling buzz. It’s as if the noise cancellation, on the AirPods Pro, is somehow wrong.
Whatever it is, there are two steps you can take before contacting Apple. While none are guaranteed, they have worked for AppleInsider – and thankfully they’re quick to test too.
First step to correct AirPods distortion
Clean the affected AirPod. Be very careful as AirPods and AirPods Pro are easy to damage. Read AppleInsiderthe complete AirPods cleaning guide for more details.
In general, though, the job is to keep all liquids away from the AirPods and instead wipe them with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth. Remember that the AirPods Pro come with earbuds that you can exchange, so take them off before cleaning as much as the AirPod.
If you are lucky, this is all you need to do. It’s a good idea to clean them regularly anyway, but it may be enough to solve the distortion problem.
When it is not enough, you should try to reset the AirPods.
Second step to correct AirPods distortion
- Put the AirPods in their case and close the lid
- Wait 30 seconds
- Open the lid, but leave the AirPods in the case
- On your iPhone, go to Settings, Bluetooth
- Find your AirPods or AirPods Pro in the device list and tap the i icon for information on the right
- Choose Forget this device
- Confirm that this is what you want to do
- Close the AirPods case and wait 30 seconds
- Open the lid, again leaving the AirPods inside
- Press and hold the reset button on the back of the charging case
- Keep pressing until the front status light flashes amber
- Keep AirPods and their case close to your iPhone
- Follow the onscreen instructions to connect them
What you’re really doing is forcing the AirPods and your iPhone to start over with a new Bluetooth connection. It’s not entirely clear why a Bluetooth problem could add up over time, but occasionally it seems like Bluetooth is less technology, more alchemy.
If resetting this way doesn’t fix the distortion problem, you unfortunately have only one option left. You have to contact Apple support.
Apparently Apple has developed a tool to diagnose certain AirPods problems. Whether it is correct or not, Apple will probably first explain the possible solutions that you can do yourself first, and now you can tell them that you have tried them.
