Why Do My AirPods Sound Muffled? Here’s How To Fix This..

There is a solid reason why Apple AirPods have developed a solid fan-base ever since they were launched. They look super-stylish when worn, are very light-weight, sleek and portable. There are days when I feel grumpy right after waking up but the moment I put on my chique formals and wear my AirPods when I head out for the office, you can easily confuse me for the dashing Elon Musk! No, I am not boasting, Michelle, my girlfriend says that !   

I don’t know how but yes, I have fallen prey to the mindblowing sharp and the crystal-clear sound quality the AirPods offer and ever since I have switched over to the exclusive AirPods Pro after my recent raise, nothing in the world blocks the background sounds as the Noise Cancellation feature on the AirPods Pro  does. 

Nothing healthy to boast about but yes, I confess that I have been  sleeping with AirPods lately and although it sets up my mood for a deep, calm sleep but if I forget to remove them before finally dozing off, my baggy and swollen eyes greet my colleagues in the office. Also, my ears were oddly red and were hurting a lot because of wearing them at almost all times.  

Just the other day when I was bragging proudly about my AirPods Pro to Jennifer, my colleague, she complained that for a few days, her AirPods sound muffled and she wasn’t able to communicate clearly at all because of an annoying obstruction on her AirPods during the calls. 

It’s not like the AirPods behave orderly at all times. I personally have faced issue when my AirPods would just die fast and they would keep pausing abruptly. They would even be oddly quiet and it made it so difficult to find them.  Majority of the times it used to happen when I used to sleep with my AirPods regularly but ever since I began to keep them clean and back in the Charging Case safely, most of the issues were sorted. 

Jennifer knows she can depend on me for fixing up any techy-device issue in the world. I am very well known for literally breathing  and living Smart devices, so I set out immediately  to fix this issue of AirPod sound muffled and it was easier than fixing my complicated dead Apple Tv’s Screen. 

So, here I am today to share how I fixed the muffled sound on AirPods and if you ever feel  deserted with why do my AirPods sound muffled,  this article will be the right page for you to land on. I will not only be deliberating upon why the AirPod sound is muffled , but also I will offer the best solutions to fix this issue. 

So, head on with me straight into the article and unleash the best possible ways to nip this issue right into its bud. 

Why Do My AirPods Sound Muffled?

“There can be not one but many possible reasons for the sound to be muffled on your AirPods but the most common one among them is the ‘dirty speakers’ of the AirPods. The earwax, or the dirt must have accumulated on your AirPods causing you to hear them unclearly.”

Your AirPods sit directly inside your ear canal where earwax, dirt and moisture can accumulate over time if not cleaned regularly. This directly affects the sound quality of the AirPods. 

There are a few other responsible factors also which can make you wonder why do my AirPods sound muffled to others. The poor audio balance, the weak Bluetooth connectivity, poor support of Dolby Atmos and excessive usage also are equally a culprit for creating the annoying muffled sound on AirPods. 

Understand here the reasons for the muffled sound on your AirPods.You should also refer to this article if you own the AirPods Pro because I want you never worrying about why do my AirPods Pro sound muffled so that you are careful in future not to repeat these mistakes and prevent your AirPods  or the AirPods Pros from any sound-related obstruction. 

• Worn-out Technology
• Excessive Usage
• Accumulated Ear wax and dirt
• Exceeded Volume Limit 
• Using on Low Battery 

Comprehend the above mentioned issues in depth here so that you will be careful while handling your AirPods in times of regular usage, preventing any such issues to occur on your tiny fragile AirPods. 

1. Worn-Out Technology

It might be majorly possible that your AirPods have become quiet due to the obsolete and the bygone technology on your iOS over a period of usage and that’s why they are not anymore compatible with the latest applications. 

Apple keeps on updating software on it’s devices from time-to-time and they need to be launched regularly so that the devices, be it the AirPods at the moment or iPadOs, the iOS are in-sync with the recent developments. 

The reason why your AirPods have a muffled sound on them can possibly be because they are running on an iOS which is outdated, thus creating an obstructive sound. 

2. Excessive Usage

I know the very reason you have the AirPods is to involve them in your routine of attending calls, listening to podcasts, music etc but using the AirPods for a prolonged duration heats them up and that heat gets accumulated. This accumulated heat creates obstruction while you use them and leads to unproductivity on the AirPods.

It is also bad for the general health of the AirPods. If the AirPods are going to be used excessively in one go, not only will they be heated up, as I said but they will also begin to die very fast. You can also face terrible ear infections like Otitis Externa and Necrosis if your ears are not given a break and are not ventilated. If you wear your AirPods excessively for long durations, they will hurt your ears and the damages can be irreparable. 

This takes me to the next reason I will rant upon, the accumulation of ear wax and dirt in your ears which happens due to excessive usage of the AirPods.

3. Accumulated Ear Wax and Dirt

The third reason for the irritating muffled sound on your AirPods is that ear wax and dirt has accumulated over them. They are not clean and the AirPods speakers haven’t been able to breathe.

The third reason for the irritating muffled sound on your AirPods is that ear wax and dirt has accumulated over them. They are not clean and the AirPods speakers haven’t been able to breathe.

4. Exceeded Volume Limit

Reason number four for the muffled sound on your AirPods is listening to them on extremely high volumes. It is not only unhealthy for your AirPods but also for your ears.

When you listen to music or anything on your AirPods at an exceedingly high volume, the connection breaks. That’s the very reason why the feature of modifying Volume limit on the AirPods exists to prevent such issues from occurring but this setting needs to be manually set up on your device. 
Keeping very high volume while you listen on your AirPods can create lags in the audio and thus, resulting in muffled sound on them.

5. Using on Low Battery

The last one I could figure out as a potential reason for the muffled sound on your AirPods is when you use them on a low-battery for a long duration until they die out and don’t keep them charged.

I totally understand the hustling routines and how essential the AirPods are in most of the tasks ! Be it attending calls while eating, listening to an important podcast because you have to make a presentation for the next day and that breathing spell of five minutes when you wish to listen to soft music. All this is taxing for the AirPods and will keep them involved but they will eventually run out of life, isn’t it ! 

The AirPods when consistently used on low battery, begin to develop poor battery life and will begin to lose charge faster eventually. This in turn will affect the sound quality badly on them and thus, will leave them to sound muffled during usage.

About AirPods Pro Sound Muffled :

All the above causes of a muffled sound on the AirPods stands absolutely true for the AirPods Pro as well. There is no special factor causing muffled sounds on your AirPods Pro as all the above mentioned causes can cumulatively be called as the ‘basic ethics’ of using the AirPods, thus are applicable for all the AirPods, be it the standard one, the AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max.

No matter how high-end the AirPods Pro are, even they will begin to distort if such mishandling is conducted on them and you will only be left saddened wondering why do my AirPods Pro sound muffled. 

The AirPods Pro are different from the standard 2nd and 3rd Gen AirPods only in terms of the features it offers like better and clearer sound quality, the EQ ( Equalizer ) settings and the Noise Cancellation enhancements but they are bound to suffer from issues like muffled sound when such mal-practices on them are executed.
So, these are the prime causes of the AirPod sounds muffled or similarly, a muffled sound on the AirPods Pros. Most of them can be termed as ‘poor handling of the AirPods’ and such issues are bound to occur if the AirPods are abused these ways.

How To Fix When AirPod Sounds Muffled 6 Fixes You Must Try ( All AirPods’ Models )

Now, before I discuss more sound-related issues on AirPods like an issue with the microphone, take a quick look at some easy and do-able fixes to cure your AirPods and the AirPods Pro of the muffled sound. 

If you have been using the AirPods for a long time and they have stayed with you all through, I am sure you must be already familiar with these methods because the life of AirPods can only be maintained if they are handled properly, as it stands true for any device.

Fix -1: Clean your AirPods

“Cleaning the AirPods isn’t just wiping them off the minor layer of dust you see on their surface. In Fact, it’s quite detailed actually because if the AirPods are not cleaned thoroughly, the muffled sound on them won’t go away and the sound on them will keep decreasing.”

When I call out ‘cleaning’ for the AirPods, I specifically mean cleaning all the three essential parts of the AirPods. They are : 

1. The AirPods, themselves
2. The Speaker Ports
3. The Charging Case

The AirPods are actually useless and dead if the speaker port or the Charging Case are non-functional. Similarly, to fix a muffled sound on the AirPods, the speaker port and the Charging Case will have to be cleaned thoroughly. Learn the cleaning process here in depth and you’ll see that the sound quality on your AirPods will improve significantly. 

1. Cleaning the AirPods

I recommend cleaning the AirPods deeply every month if used excessively. This will not only ensure a good battery health but also will keep your AirPods and ears in hygienic condition. Using dirty, unhygienic Airpods daily can develop deep ear infections in the longer run and hurt your ears. 

Rather, it should be a regular practice to keep them clean so that it does not feel burdensome to spare time separately for cleaning them. 

For cleaning the AirPods’ exteriors, grab a dry clean microfibre cloth that is lint-free. Gently wipe out the AirPods outer body, leaving no trace of dust particles on them. Hold them carefully while wiping them out as they are tiny and fragile and slip off easily. 

2. Cleaning the Speaker Ports

Now, it’s time to clean the most important part of your AirPods i.e the speaker ports. Cleaning the speaker ports will help you clean the crevices and the speakers will be free of any dust that must have built-up over a period of regular usage. 

But before you attempt to clean the speaker ports of your AirPods, grabbing the right tools is necessary because the indents are very small and difficult to get into. 

You’ll require the following tools to clean the crevices : 

• A Microfibre Cloth 
• A Q – Tip 
• Tooth Pick 
• Paper Towel 
• Spray Cleaner  ( like an optic cleaner for the DSLR Cameras ) 
• Rubbing Alcohol ( 90% or higher ; if you can’t get the screen cleaner )
• A small Air Pump ( optional ) 

Process  :

1. Begin by spraying the cleaner or the rubbing alcohol on one end of the Q-tip. This will help soften down the accumulated ear wax and dirt. This will also sanitize them.
2. Now, spread the cleaner on the grill of the speakers, using the Q-tip. Apply this cleaner on each part of the earbud that has this dark meshy grille. This is where the sound comes from so most of the dirt gets accumulated here. Be careful and do not apply pressure while applying the cleaner on these mesh grills as they are very delicate. 
3. On applying, the alcohol will begin to work and the dust and the ear wax will be softened by now and it will be easy to wipe them out.
   
4. Now, grab the toothpick to gently pick up the softened earwax and the dirt from all the crevices. You can also use a paper towel to gently remove all the build-up junk.
5. Now, for a thorough clean-up, wipe out again using the microfibre cloth. Spray this piece of cloth also with the cleaner to provide you extra capability for cleaning. 
6. You can also use compressed air or the air pump to suck out the dust particles, if left by chance. It’s optional and will only provide additional cleaning. 
7. Now, let the unit dry out completely before you begin to use it. Let the larger part of the speaker face downward while it rests for cleaning to ensure the drainage of any liquid if left out during the cleaning process.
8. On the second ear piece, repeat the same process.

So, that’s how you should clean the speaker ports of your AirPods in the best possible manner. If you clean like I explained  above, not even a single particle of dust will sustain on the speaker and they will be thoroughly sanitized and clean.

3. Cleaning the Charging Case

Along with the AirPods, the Charging Case also accumulated dust and lints from the pockets. Before you put back the clean AirPods back in the Charging Case, it is absolutely necessary to clean it as well so that no dust from the Case sticks once again onto the AirPods. 

How to Clean the Charging Case:

1. Once again, spray the cleaner on a fresh Q-tip and spread it gently anywhere on the Case where you see any resting dirt. Dampen the area especially where the AirPods touch on closing the lid.
   
2. Now, same as above, use a toothpick to collect the softened dirt and wipe out again using the microfibre cloth. 
   
3. Spray more cleaner on the cloth and wipe out the Case from outside.
4. At last, use the compressed air to suck out any remaining dust particles.

So, that’s how the AirPods are supposed to be cleaned thoroughly. Once you have cleaned them, try listening to music once again on them and see if the muffled sound has disappeared. 

Fix -2: Ensure a stable Bluetooth Connection

If the muffled sound on your AirPods hasn’t disappeared even after the cleaning, the next remedy is to check if the bluetooth connection between your AirPods and the connecting device is stable or not. 

Range of a bluetooth connection is limited and is meant only for transmitting data on short distances. So, if you have been facing muffled sound when the AirPods are at a long distance from the device, then this is because of a weak bluetooth connection. 

For fixing the poor bluetooth connection which has been causing the broken and the distorted sounds, perform the following steps : 

1. Turn ‘Off’ the Bluetooth and Turn ‘On’ Again

There can be occasional hiccups on your bluetooth connection, as it happens sometimes on the Wi-fi connections. A simple restart should fix such an issue. Follow these steps to reset your Bluetooth connection :

1. Go to Settings on your iPhone and tap on ‘Bluetooth’.
   
2. Turn it ‘off’ entirely and wait for about 5 seconds. 
3. Now, tap again and turn the Bluetooth ‘on’.

2. Disable Nearby Bluetooth Devices

Now, after the bluetooth connection on your device has been reset, the next step is to remove any extra bluetooth device connected to your device. 

When too many devices are connected to one connection, it confuses the device which connection to send the audio to and you might end up receiving a compromised sound on your AirPods.

Disconnect all the other devices like the speakers, the printer or even the wireless headphones.

This remedy has worked most of the time to fix the sound-issues if ever caused by a weak and unstable bluetooth connection. Now, try playing an audio on your AirPods and see if the sound is clear.

Fix -3: Reset Your AirPods

Resetting the AirPods is always a great idea when the sound on them becomes wry. Not only it fixes the issues related to the sound but also, fixes the battery issues on the AirPods. 

Before you reset your AirPods, let me tell you that after the resetting, they will need to be paired up again with your device, be it the iPhone, Mac or the iPad.

Perform the following steps to reset your AirPods :

1. Firstly, press and hold the Set-Up button on the Airpods, which is at the backside of the AirPods. Wait for about 15 seconds till the indicator light first turns white. 
2. After this, the light will flash an amber color several times and will finally settle on white flash again.
   
3. Once the light flashes white, they are ready to be paired up again with your device. 
4. Now, to pair them up, go to Settings on your device and tap on ‘Bluetooth’.
5. Flip open the AirPods Case and hold it near your device.
   
6. Now, the screen on your device will show ‘Connect’. Tap on it and the AirPods will be connected to your device from a fresh start.

Now, play an audio and the cracked sound on your AirPods should possibly have been fixed. If not, try the next remedial method.

Fix -4: Check the iOS for Updates

If you still have been facing the issue on your AirPods, check for the software on your device, the iPhone or the iPad. Maybe the latest software hasn’t been installed and that has cracked the connection of your AirPods on the device. 

The most recent update on iOS is the iOS 13, released in September 2019. If you haven’t updated the software recently, enable the notification pop-up which prompts when a new update is launched and also, manually check for the update.

To perform this step on your iOS or the iPadOS, follow these steps : 

1. Open the Settings on your iPhone.
2. Now, click on ‘General’ and then tap on ‘About’.
   
3. The version number of your iOS is notified to the right of the Version entry in the ‘About’ section. 

This will show the latest version running on your device. If it’s an old one, update it. If the latest update is not possible on your device, then your device has lived its age and will need to be replaced.

Fix- 5: Check the Volume Limit

As I mentioned above, exceeding the Volume Limit on your AirPods is unhealthy for your ears and also hampers the performance of your AirPods. 

A warning notification is always prompted to ensure if you want to use Airpods at an exceedingly high volume, but you choose to overlook it, such cracked sounds are bound to occur. 

To modify the volume limit to an optimal level, follow these steps :

1. Click on ‘Settings’ and tap on  Music’.
2. Now, tap on the Volume Limiter and set up the volume limit to moderate.

This should balance the audio performance on your Airpods and the cracked sounds should turn clearly audible. 

Fix -6: Avoid using the AirPods on Low-Battery

If you have been using the AirPods on a low battery and unfortunately, this has become a habit, a lot more issues than muffled sounds are bound to occur. 

On regularly using them on low battery, the battery health of the AirPods begins to deteriorate and in longer run, they begin to die very fast even after fully charging them up.  

So, refrain from using your AirPods on low battery, especially when the battery level is less than 20 %. 

It will take an effort to connect them for charging but will save you from damaging them and then, eventually replacing them in the longer run.   

Keep them amply charged up and then, use them to listen to your favorite audios. I am sure, you will never have to face muffled sound issues on your AirPods. 

So, this is all about the fixes which you must try on your AirPods or the AirPods Pro to resolve the issue when the sound turns up muffled and cracked. 

What To Do When AirPods Sound Muffled On Calls

By now, you must have learnt to fix when the AirPods sound muffled when you play a song or an audio on them but there are times you must have wondered about why the AirPods sound muffled when I talk and you deal with AirPods sound muffled on calls. 

If this has ever burnt your heart, the most possible reason is a poor network connection. When the sound is muffled over the calls, it means the person on the other side isn’t able to hear you clearly or you can’t hear the other side.

To fix the network connection, check the connection settings on your device.

1. Tap on Settings on your iPhone and tap on General.
   
2. On scrolling to the bottom, you’ll see an option ‘Reset’.
   
3. When you click on ‘Reset’, click on the option ‘Reset Network Settings’.

When you click to reset the network settings, the network connection on your device will be reset and you’ll have to set up the internet connection once again on your device. 

Now to establish a fresh network connection on your iPhone, follow these steps :

1. Click on Settings in your Iphone and tap on Wi-fi.
2. Turn Wi-fi ‘on’ and click on your saved wireless network connection.
   
3. If the wireless connection set up at your place isn’t read automatically, click on ‘Scan for network’.
4. Once your wi-fi network prompts up, click on it and enter the password.
   
5. Now, tap on ‘Connect’.

Finally, the internet connection settings have been set up from the very basic step and all the possible lags must have been removed which caused the audio to muffle on your AirPods. 

Now, your AirPods won’t sound muffled on calls and will deliver clearer sound when you talk to others. 

How To Fix AirPods MicroPhone Muffled

All this while when you have been dealing with muffled and cracked sound on the AirPods while listening to an audio, did you ever feel that your AirPods sound like underwater and your voice cuts abruptly in between the calls ? 

It doesn’t matter if you own the AirPods ( 2nd or the 3rd Gen) or the special AirPods Pro, it can be very frustrating to face such an odd situation, especially when it’s a business call you just can’t mess up with. 

This is likely to occur when there is a problem with the crystal- clear sound quality on the microphone of your AirPods or the AirPods Pro. It hurts a bit more when you deal with the AirPods Pro Microphone muffled because when anyone buys the AirPods Pro, they feel they have an exceptional device but they all are devices after all, aren’t they ! 

Such issues can erupt on any device but there are solutions too, so don’t you worry at all!

What to do When the AirPods Microphone Muffled:

1. A Battery Check

One prime reason for the microphone of your AirPods to cut out is the low battery level. If you are using your AirPods on a significantly low battery, the sound quality will directly be affected.

If your others are not able to hear you clearly on phone or if your voice just cuts in between during the calls, it’s because the AirPods are on low power and are not able to use the microphone efficiently. 

You can check the level of battery on your AirPods easily. Just keep them back in the Case and open the lid. Now, hold the Case close to your device and the status of charging will appear on the screen. 

Let it charge fully before you pick it up again to use. As I advised above, refrain from using the AirPods when the battery levels are less than 20%. 

2. Try Using One Microphone at a Time

If you have been facing this weird issue that your voice cuts down in the middle of a conversation and you are not clearly audible to the other person, changing the default microphone setting may help. 

The AirPods select the microphone automatically and save it as a default selection. Now, disable automatic selection between the microphones so that the AirPods stop switching between the microphones and you can use one microphone at a time. 

How to use one mic at a time : 

1. Open the Settings on your iPhone and tap on Bluetooth. 
2. Next to the name of the AirPods, you’ll see the icon ‘i’. Tap on it. 
3. At the bottom, you’ll see the microphone option.
   
4. Tap on either “ Always Left” or “Always Right“.
5. Now, try speaking to someone using your selected microphone, either left or right.
6. If the sound quality hasn’t improved, now switch to the other microphone.

If it still doesn’t work, find out the status of the charge left on that AirPod and use the mic after charging it up fully.

3. Clean the Microphone and the Speakers

I have elucidated the process of cleaning the speaker ports of the AirPods, to the core in the beginning. It’s a necessity and must be done regularly. Otherwise, the sticky dirt and the ear wax will never let you hear or let you be heard clearly and you’ll keep dealing with AirPods Microphone muffled issues. 

Spray the cleaner solution and then , gently pick away all the dirt and debris from the microphone by using a toothpick. Now, wipe out using a microfiber cloth that is dry and lint-free. 

( For more details on the process of cleaning each part of the Airpods, refer to the first part of this article ) 

4. Check for any Water Damage

While fixing the issues related to the mic on the AirPods, you also must check if any liquid intervened the delicate AirPods.

If your voice sounds unclear, heavy and muffled on the mic, some liquid or water must have gone in the inner part of the AirPods, making the Airpods sound like underwater.  You must have worn them during swimming or sauna and the steam has blocked the meshy grille of the speaker ports, muffling the sound now. 

1. Dry out your AirPods totally for one full day at least before picking them up again for use. 
2. If you subscribed to Apple Care +, you can get your damaged AirPods repaired for free of cost.

5. Reset your AirPods

When you ‘forget’ and ‘re-pair’ the AirPods, most of the mic issues can be resolved if occurring due to a weak bluetooth connection.

All the custom settings like the configurations on the buttons etc on your AirPods will be wiped out and the mic problems such as distortion, static and cutting off voice in between can be fixed.

1. Keep your AirPods back in the Charging case and close the lid. 
2. Now, wait for 30 seconds to open the lid and now, keep it open. 
3. Now, open Settings on your iPhone and tap on Bluetooth. 
4. Click on ‘i’ next to your AirPods name.
5. Click on ‘Forget this device’.
6. Now, press the reset button on the Case’s backside till the light flashes amber to white.
7. Now, bring your AirPods closer to your device and pair them again.

6. Update the Firmware

Whenever new updates on the firmware are launched by Apple, they need to be installed on the AirPods so as to avoid any such mic issues.

For checking the version of firmware on your device, tap on ‘Bluetooth’ in the ‘Settings’ and click on ‘i’ next to the AirPods ane. You’ll see the version of AirPods there. If it’s an outdated version, launch the new updates if any are pending.

7. Update the iOS on your Device

To guard your device against the latest bugs, keep updating the OS ( Operating System) on your iDevice. At times, updating the OS can directly affect issues dealing with the mic and the bluetooth connection on the AirPods.

To update the OS on your iDevice : 

1. Click on Settings and tap on General.
2. Now, click on Software Update. 
3. If you see any pending updates, install it. 

8. Contact Apple for Support 

If after all the above fixes, the Airpods microphone isn’t still  working properly, I advise you to contact Apple Support now. You can get to the team either via using the ‘Instant Chat Feature’ or a ‘Phone Call.’

Infact, you can also find the ASP ( Authorized Service Provider ) for Apple in your nearby areas and get your AirPods repaired. 

Apple has acknowledged the issues of crackled and distorted sounds on some models of its AirPods and if your AirPods were manufactured before October 2020, you can get them replaced for free at any Apple ASP free of cost. 

What to do When the AirPods Pro Microphone Muffled:

If you own the AirPods Pro, the issue with the mic can be tackled without any fuss. Please first try all the methods which I mentioned above for fixing the Microphone issues on the standard AirPods. 

Therfater, I came across these two exclusive fixes for the AirPods Pro and they have been known to resolve the mic issue on the AirPods Pro most definitely. 

So, to fix your AirPods Pro Microphone muffled issues, try these two fixes as well , after trying each of the above mentioned methods.

1. Disable Noise Cancellation ( AirPods Pro )

Try disabling the Noise Cancellation Mode for resolving the issue with your ArPods Pro microphone. 
If the issue with your microphone is that when you are on a call, people can hear the background noises louder than your voice, then the issue with the microphone can be fixed by disabling the noise cancellation feature.

1. Go to Bluetooth In the Settings. 
2. Now, tap on ‘i’ next to the AirPods Pro’s name.
3. Now, turn ‘off’ Noise Cancellation. 

Now, the sound quality of your microphone should improve significantly.

2. Switch to Transparency Mode During Calls ( AirPods Pro )

Choosing the Transparency Mode over the ANC ( Active Noise Cancellation ) might be your last resort in fixing the mic issues on your AirPods Pro. 

When you switch to the transparency mode, it allows more noise, say voices from the inside to be heard rather than the outside background noise. So, it can help you fix the muffled sound on your AirPods Pro’s mic. 

“To switch to this Transparency mode on the AirPods Pro, squeeze one the stem of the AirPods Pro and hold it till you hear a tone.”

A Small Note :

If you ask me to highlight one reason for the muffled sound of your AirPods or the AirPods Pro, it majorly points towards the accumulated dirt on the AirPods’ speaker grills. 

Not forgetting, the factors pertaining to the connection of the iDevice are equally responsible like the bluetooth connection, the noise cancellation and the stability of an internet connection. 

So, after understanding the reason why the AirPods sound muffled, try each one of the solutions given above to fix the audibility-issues on your AirPods or the AirPods Pro. There is no chance for the solutions for not working out and they will fix the distorted and crackling sounds on all models of the AirPods.

FAQs

Q1. Why do my AirPods sound distorted?

Answer – To prevent your AirPods from sounding distorted, ensure that the latest software is running on your iOS or iPadOs. Also, the internet connectivity should be stable and within range. There should not be any interference between the wireless signals of your AirPods. Also, I suggest that you try listening to the audio from a different app and check if this resolves the issue of distortion. 

Q2. Why don’t my AirPods sound clear?

Answer – Most commonly, the sound on the AirPods doesn’t come clearly when they are dirty. Be it the earwax, the dust, the moisture, any dirt etc, they can muffle the sound you hear from your AirPods. If you have been dealing with muffled sound on your AirPods lately, clean them thoroughly using a cotton swa dipped in distilled water or use alcohol cleaning wipes. It should be your habit on a regular basis to keep your AirPods clean to prevent any such issue in future. 

Q3. Can AirPods be worn during shower?

Answer – The premium AirPods Pro and the AirPods ( 3rd Gen) have not been designed, in the first place, for water sports, swimming or showering etc. Especially, the MagSafe Charging Case and the AirPods Pro’s Wireless Charging Case are not water or sweat resistant. So, it is advisable not to wear them during showering or swimming if you want them to live longer. 

Q4. Can my AirPods be stolen?

Answer – If your AirPods are misplaced or lost, you can trace them back using the ‘Find My’ app. The AirPods do not possess any important information of the owner like the iPhone or the iPad does, so, at least the risk of losing critical information isn’t there but yes, it can be a huge dent in the pocket if the AirPods are lost. So, it’s better to take necessary precautions and keep them safe while not wearing them.  

Q5. Is it possible for the AirPods to get wet? 

Answer – The AirPods ( 2nd and the 3rd Gen) should never be exposed to water or moisture since they are not water resistant at all. This stands true for the Charging Case as well. If unfortunately the AirPods are wet or soaked in moisture, they’ll accumulate dust on them like never before, leaving you to face issues like poor battery issues , muffled sound and unusually quiet AirPods. 

The Concluding Words :

The better you handle your device, the longer they stay with you! And it stands true for each single device, present at the service of the human kind. 

Be it the AirPods, the AirPods Pros, the Smart TVs, the Macs etc. Most of the time, the users are ecstatic before they can hands on the expensive devices. They will go out of the way to get hold of them but once they have it, it’s not as precious as it was in the showroom. That’s the reason why AirPods are lost very easily these days and found either under the couch or the car’s deck. 

They are bound to frown and misbehave then, won’t they! So, to avoid issues like a muffled sound, at the moment, poor battery life, the intermittent pausing on the AirPods, etc, take extra care of the tiny buds and make it a regular regime to keep them clean and well-connected. 

If you ever face any other issue with your AirPods or any other model of theirs, the Airpods Pro or the AirPods Max. do let me know. Happy to help always! Take care and have fun!