Fixed: Why do my Airpods Make a High Pitched Noise

Why do Airpods Make a High Pitched Noise

A few months after the device was released, users started reporting high-pitched noises during audio playback through AirPods. The issue was first brought to light by MacRumors and other publications in spring 2017, but complaints about the sound have been present since fall 2016 when Apple originally released the AirPods.

So the whisteling sound that you might be hearing is due to  the Active Noise Cancellation option that is might be on. Airpods are making high-pithed noise maybe because there is no audio. The noise can also be like what tea kettle makes when water reaches the boiling temperature.

Recommendation to Fix Airpods

You should try to re-pair, reset, and try again. So start with Unpairing/”Forgetting” the Device. For that go to Settings > Bluetooth > Airpods > Forget this device. Once done, now start re-pairing it by connecting from available devices. You can find all devices when you look into the bluetooth option.

It’s hard to tell exactly which component is responsible for the sound (the tiny speaker in each AirPod, one of Apple’s custom-designed chips powering audio playback, or both), but it seems to be tied to the W1 chip that handles Bluetooth connectivity and battery management between iOS devices and the AirPods. On affected units, users will hear a faint high-pitched whine when the volume is at around 50 percent. Above or below that threshold, users don’t report any noticeable noise.

Apple has just released iOS 11.3 , which includes an official fix for the high-pitched that some users have experienced during audio playback on their AirPods . The issue had been present since the launch of AirPods in late 2016 and while some had experienced it, others were seemingly unaffected until recently.

Apple told iMore that it has “improved” the wireless chip’s firmware, which should resolve the issue for any user still affected by it. Affected users will need to place their affected AirPods in their charging case and open it up.

Then they’ll need to power on the AirPods by holding down on the setup button that appears in the center of the case’s front lid. A message in iOS will then say “Ear Detected,” which means a connection has been established between your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and your AirPods.

A new setting in the Sound menu will then allow you to turn off “Audio Sharing,” which is what’s preventing your AirPods from playing sound. You can access this menu by opening up the Settings app, choosing Bluetooth, and scrolling down to the “Advanced” section at the bottom where you’ll see a switch for Audio Sharing.

You should know that this isn’t a universal fix. If your audio apps, including podcasts and music streaming services, aren’t automatically resuming playback through the AirPods after disconnecting them from their charging case, you may still need to restart your iOS device before they will resume playing audio.

MacRumors reader Tony Long posted a video showing the process for using the workaround, which requires a bit of quick tapping and holding on the setup button after removing one AirPod from your ear. In our own testing with a new pair of AirPods that were affected by this issue, we haven’t noticed any really big changes in sound quality. The high-pitched whine is still there during audio playback, but it seems to be a bit noisier now and the sound of it is more muffled.

For some users who have experienced this issue the entire time they’ve had their AirPods, being able to turn off Audio Sharing may be a decent fix for them. If your high-pitched whine only began recently, however, you may still need to turn off Audio Sharing each time you’ll be using your AirPods to listen to audio. By the way, if your AirPods are making sounds that don’t seem normal during playback, including pops or cracking noises, it might be due to a hardware issue. And software updates won’t do anything about that either.

If you think there might be a hardware issue, check out Apple’s replacement program for your AirPods . You can replace them up to three times within two years of their purchase.A few months after the launch of the iPhone 7, which lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack , some users began complaining about low microphone volume during phone calls.

It’s unclear how many people are still experiencing this problem, but it seems to be related to the noise-canceling hardware on the device. Some users were able to fix it by unpairing and re-pairing their AirPods with their iPhone during a call, while others suggest turning off “Hey Siri” .

Apple has yet to officially acknowledge the problem. [Update: Apple says a fix is coming in an iOS update later this year.]In addition to everything above, iOS 11.3 also offers new Animoji on iPhone X, business chat in Messages (US only), health records in Health app (US only), more detailed battery info and power management features, ARKit 1.5 with shared experiences, updates for Accessibility, lots of bug fixes , and much more! We’ve got all the details about what’s included in iOS 11.3 here .