Some Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra Users Experiencing Microphone Issues

A growing number of user reports online suggest the microphone on some new Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra models can become persistently unresponsive after an unspecified amount of time, causing apps that rely on the mic to throw up errors and stop working.

measurement suspended apple watch bug

Photo shared by MacRumors forum member 2259 depicting the issue

Users have taken to the MacRumors forums and the Apple Support Community forums to relate the issue, which results in the following error notification from the Noise app, and also prevents system functions including Siri, Dictation, and Handwashing detection from working:

Measurement Suspended
The Noise app cannot check sound levels when Apple Watch is in Water Lock or while the microphone or speaker is in use.

Based on reports, the issue can be temporarily resolved by restarting the Apple Watch until the bug eventually manifests itself again, suggesting the problem is software-related rather than a hardware defect.

Updating affected Ultra watches to the latest post-release version of watchOS 9 doesn't fix the issue, which Apple is apparently aware of. The company has been replacing new models under warranty, presumably until it patches the bug in a forthcoming software update. We'll update this article if we learn more.

(Thanks, Henrik and Anthony!)

Related Forum: Apple Watch

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Top Rated Comments

David1964 Avatar
36 months ago
Problem after problem after problem ?‍♂️
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Eldaerenth Faexidor Avatar
36 months ago

Microphones, and quality sound in general, have never been a thing for Apple. For each sound engineer there are probably five accountants watching over them, forbidding and admonishing absolutely anything and everything they want to do to improve the sound.

Quality microphones are EXPENSIVE, and Apple excels at “the cheapest possible component that is just barely good enough” sold with the finest marketing, and with a higher than previously considered possible price.

Sound engineering is probably the saddest job at Apple.
Lol. The OG HomePod is the most sophisticated piece of engineering feat Apple has ever created. The beamforming mics on those things are absolutely bonkers. They’re so good that they’re able to pick up sound from the other side of my house and I have a pretty big house (just for reference). The speakers on the iPhone 14 Pro are crystal clear and have an incredibly wide soundstage. The APP2’s are very pleasant to listen to without developing any ear fatigue. Apple’s sound engineering is close to stellar and I’m not an Apple fanboy.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JonathanParker Avatar
36 months ago
Here we go again
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FridgeToaster Avatar
36 months ago
I've got the exactly same issue on my Series 7.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
36 months ago

I've got the exactly same issue on my Series 7.
I randomly have had that issue on Series 6 as well. Not even on the latest OS
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aries81 Avatar
36 months ago
In before “this would not have happened if Steve Jobs was still around”
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)