It’s natural to be frustrated with Airpods when they randomly cut out during a streaming session or important phone call. Constant audio interruptions can disrupt your workflow, damage customer relationships, and cause audio compression.
Today, we look at what causes sound interruptions in Airpods and examine possible solutions to stop AirPods from cutting out.
Whether working in a quiet office or attending a virtual meeting, AirPods keep cutting out can significantly reduce the quality of your sound experience. Let’s investigate why AirPods tend to cut out—and how we can eliminate this pesky problem.
Reasons why AirPods keep disconnecting and glitching
The AirPod disconnect issue—encountered since the 2016 release of AirPods with iOS 10.1—can be an exasperation, especially when on phone calls or streaming music. Subsequent software updates (iOS 11.2.6, iOS 12.1) could not entirely remove the problem.
Furthermore, Apple support forums have been filled with questions about the issue, showcasing its persisting nature.
When using AirPods, users may experience problems like calls being cut to the other end or the headphones suddenly being turned off while playing music.
Some of the other symptoms of the AirPods disconnect issue include:
- Poor call quality, with AirPods turning off in the middle of a call
- Connectivity issues with multiple devices in a shared environment
- AirPods not turning on when connected to a charging device
- Noticeable delays in audio transmission
The main causes to which are:
- Interference: Issues with Wifi networks and other radio frequency signals can interfere with the AirPods and cause disconnects.
- Weak Bluetooth connection: The AirPods use Bluetooth to communicate with a user’s device, so a weak Bluetooth connection can be problematic.
- Automatic Ear Detection: The sensor inside the AirPods is designed to pause music or video whenever sensors detect that the AirPods have been removed from the user’s ears. When the AirPods are clogged with dirt or moisture, the sensors may not function as intended.
- Faulty hardware: There is always a chance that the AirPods are no longer functioning as they should due to faulty or failing hardware components.
Troubleshooting Tips to Fix Your AirPods Music Interruption
If your AirPods inexplicably stop playing music, there are a few things you need to check on your iPhone:
- Disable Automatic Ear Detection—erratic movement with AirPods can lead to auto-detection malfunction. To mitigate this, go to Settings, then Bluetooth, click the “i” alongside the AirPods and deactivate the auto-detection.
- Check the AirPods firmware version—without current updates, AirPods can experience problems with playback and lag.
- Check the Bluetooth connection—the iPhone may be inadvertently connected to external speakers, leading to audio interruption. Ensure all other devices are disconnected and restart the Bluetooth to prevent this.
- Monitor the battery level—AirPods can shut off without warning as power levels deplete.
In addition, be mindful of your surrounding technological environment. Your AirPods may cease playback if:
- Other network devices are connected.
- Too many AirPods are present nearby.
To ensure your AirPods keep playing music smoothly, keep an eye on your battery status, ensure you have the latest iOS version installed and make sure you only have a few connected devices utilizing Bluetooth technology.
Resetting your network settings results in a stable Bluetooth connection, ensuring your AirPods remain connected.
Disable automatic ear detection
Automatic ear detection is a machine learning feature that detects when AirPods are taken in and out of a user’s ear, instantly playing or pausing audio.
In theory, automatic ear detection is an extremely useful feature; however, it has been blamed for random disconnections, leading many to disable it.
I’ll show you how to disable the automatic ear detection and automatic switching between device features in AirPods in order to address the issue of random disconnections.
Disabling these features may increase AirPods connection stability, improve sound quality, and stop your AirPods from audio cutting all the time. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad
- Tap Bluetooth
- Tap the info icon (i) on the AirPods entry
- Turn off Automatically switch AirPods
- Go to “Connect to This iPhone” and switch from “Automatically” to “When Last Connected to This iPhone.”
How to fix the sensor on AirPods
The AirPods and AirPods Pro are designed with advanced sensors that detect when the user is wearing them and when they have been removed.
Automatic Ear Detection is useful for conserving battery life and preventing accidental misuse of the output audio.
Still, difficulties with the sensors arise due to various reasons, such as moisture or dirt. But with a few easy techniques, you can fix the sensor on AirPods or AirPods Pro.
Improve the Bluetooth connection
An unstable Bluetooth connection can lead to audio and other issues in wireless headphones. The good news is that some simple methods can be used to rectify this issue—from reducing the number of nearby devices to resetting the network settings on your devices.
When addressing an issue with AirPods cutting out, it is necessary to understand the cause. Once identified, users can ensure better connectivity by:
- Reducing nearby devices connected to your smartphone or Wi-Fi Router can reduce Bluetooth interference and improve the Bluetooth connection of your AirPods.
- Resetting the network settings is another quick fix to the AirPods cutting-out issue.
- Keeping the AirPods away from 2.4GHz frequency signals, magnetic fields, and objects that interfere with the wireless connection, including keeping them within range limits.
To fix weak Bluetooth transmission and audio cutouts in AirPods, reduce the number of other devices that are applying interference to the connection—including any other Apple devices that are connected to the same network. Disconnect any Bluetooth devices that are not being used during the session, and double-check that any identical Apple devices have been disconnected.
If an unstable connection is the cause of your AirPods cutting out all the time, try resetting your network settings to help improve the connection.
How to reset your AirPods
Resetting your AirPods’ Bluetooth connection is a quick fix to regular disconnections. To do this, you can either toggle the Bluetooth off and on in the Settings menu or swipe down and turn it off (grey) and then on (blue) from the home screen. If this does not help, it’s time to reset the AirPods. The necessary steps to achieving a successful reset include:
- Place the AirPods into the case for about 1 to 2 minutes
- Going to Settings > Bluetooth, or to Settings > your AirPods
- If the AirPods appear connected, select More Info for the “Forget This Device” option
- After 1-2 minutes, open the case and hold down the button until it flashes white
- Reconnect the AirPods to your device
Avoid temperature extremes and magnetic fields
It’s important to avoid exposing Bluetooth headphones to extreme temperatures or situating them near a source of strong magnetic fields. Radio waves or microwave ovens can create a weak Bluetooth connection, just like exposure to high levels of electromagnetic radiation.
Lastly, for a stable Bluetooth connection, update your AirPods firmware with the latest version from Apple regularly to ensure optimal performance.
Contact Apple Support
If you are still having issues with your AirPods, then consider searching for Apple Support for help. When looking for help, you should have the following information ready: Model number, Serial number, Version, and notes on what happened, when it started, and how you proceeded.
FAQ about AirPods cutting out
Why do AirPods cut out randomly
AirPods cut out randomly due to a variety of causes, but mainly due to clogged earpieces. Dust, dirt, and debris inside the earpiece trigger a signal in the “Automatic Ear Detection” sensor. To keep your AirPods from disconnecting randomly, disable Automatic Ear Detection and Automatic Switching.
Are my AirPods glitching, and why?
Your AirPods likely don’t have a hardware fault—such as a damaged internal component or wiring—or a problem with the audio source. Instead, the most common reports about AirPods’ glitching’ usually relate to issues with Bluetooth connectivity, sound quality, software bugs, and pairing with multiple devices.
To fix AirPods from glitching, update the AirPods firmware, update the iPhone iOS version, and reset the AirPods and the network settings. Apply all these in sequence slowly and check if the glitches have disappeared. Also, do what we suggested to improve the Bluetooth connection.
How to keep my AirPods from cutting out and pausing?
AirPods commonly cut out and pause due to a variety of technical problems. Solutions to solve this issue involve:
- Keeping iPhone and AirPods close together
- Turning off/on Bluetooth on iPhone
- Disabling Automatic Ear Detection and Automatic Switching
- Avoiding wireless interference
- Updating AirPods firmware and iOS
- Resetting AirPods and iPhone Network Settings.
Conclusion
Apple has fantastic wireless headphones with amazing sound quality, but users often experience issues where their AirPods cutout and disconnect.
There are several reasons why this occurs — from the quality of your audio output device to the physical condition of your AirPods.
Suppose your AirPods or AirPods Pro are cutting out. In that case, you should check three things to fix the issue: clean the device of any dirt or debris, ensure that it is sufficiently charged & the Bluetooth connection is good, and disable the Automatic Ear Detection feature on your true wireless earbuds.
By taking these steps, you can ensure that your AirPods remain connected and functioning properly.
In conclusion, if you keep experiencing issues with your AirPods, follow these steps:
- Reset your AirPods.
- Reconnect them to your device.
- Turn off automatic ear detection.
- Ensure AirPods have the latest firmware update.
- Disconnect nearby Bluetooth devices.
- Reset network settings.
- Seek help from Apple Support.
