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 3
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
iOS 26

Apple Continues to Prepare iOS 26.0.1 With Multiple Bug Fixes Expected

Sunday September 28, 2025 1:30 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The account initially said iOS 26.0.1 would have a build number of 23A350, but they now expect the update to have a build number of 23A355. This suggests that the software update will include more bug fixes or changes than initially...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pro Nears Mass Production, But Four Bigger Upgrades Expected Next Year

Sunday September 28, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next MacBook Pro models will enter mass production soon, according to the latest information shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said he continues to believe the new MacBook Pro models will be released at some point between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, meaning they should be available to order by March at the latest. Apple often...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Camera Issues on iPhone 17 Models

Monday September 29, 2025 10:12 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.0.1 and iPadOS 26.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out earlier this week. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 26.0.1 addresses a bug that could cause aberrations in...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
LG UltraFine 6K Display TB5

LG UltraFine 6K (32U990A) TB5 Display: Pre-Orders Open September 30

Monday September 29, 2025 6:21 am PDT by
Pre-orders for LG's new UltraFine evo 6K display (model 32U990A) with Thunderbolt 5 support will begin on September 30, according to a major U.S. retailer listing. LG first revealed the 32-inch display at CES 2025 in January, teasing its status as the first monitor to support Thunderbolt 5. At the time, LG only provided high-level specs, but left pricing, availability, and full technical...
iphone 17 ceramic shield

Regular iPhone 17's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Friday September 26, 2025 9:01 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the standard iPhone 17 model's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 27W to 28W with these Apple chargers:29W USB-C Power Adapter 30W USB-C Power Adapter 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent 1

Samsung Confirms Plan to Make Foldable Displays for Major American Company

Monday September 29, 2025 6:54 am PDT by
Samsung Display president Lee Cheong has confirmed plans to make foldable smartphone displays for a major American company, which is widely believed to be Apple. As reported in Chosun Biz, Cheong last week told journalists in Seoul that the company is accelerating preparations for mass production of OLED displays designed for foldable smartphones to be supplied to a "North American client."...
maxresdefault

Review: A Week With the iPhone 17 Pro

Friday September 26, 2025 12:51 pm PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 models have been out for a week now, so we thought we'd do a longer-term review of the flagship iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max now that we've been able to spend more time with them. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has a Silver iPhone 17 Pro and a Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max, and despite a lot of concern over...

Top Rated Comments

madcran Avatar
52 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
52 months ago
Good because they didn't fix it
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LoggerMN Avatar
52 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
52 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
52 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
52 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)