As an AirPods Pro user, I was frustrated with the weak noise-canceling capabilities of my AirPods Pro. After doing some research and testing, I’m here to share how I solved the problem and other solutions I discovered.
In this blog post, I’ll explain the causes of the weak noise-canceling, share tips on how to improve it, and discuss the potential solutions that are available. Hopefully, by the end of this post, you’ll have a better understanding of how to get the best out of your AirPods Pro.
The most common cause for weak noise canceling, in AirPod Pros, is using ear tips that are too small. However, even with the correct sized ear-tips, the noise-canceling, in AirPod Pros, will not block out all background noise.
| Quick Tips for Better Noise-Canceling on AirPods Pro: |
|---|
| 1. Use ear tips that fit properly. |
| 2. AirPods Pro 2 have better noise canceling than AirPods Pro 1. |
| 3. Try larger ear tips or memory foam ear tips and make sure noise canceling is activated. |
| 4. Use the ear tip fit test on an iOS device to ensure the correct size is being used. |
| 5. If noise canceling still doesn’t work, it might be due to faulty AirPods. |
| 6. Inward-facing microphones are used to listen for internal sounds and counter it with anti-noise. |
Table of Contents
Why do my AirPods Pro have weak Noise-Canceling?
If your AirPod Pros do not block out background noise when you use them in noise-canceling mode, it would be likely that it is because you are using ear tips that are the wrong size. If the ear tips are not big enough, the noise-canceling mode will not be able to block out background noise. You can check if your eartips are the right size by doing the eartip fit test by clicking the “i” next to your AirPods in the Bluetooth settings on your iPhone then scroll down to see “Ear tip fit test”
The first thing to try would be larger ear tips. You can buy them directly from Apple or you can get them from third-parties.
It is important to note that the noise-canceling mode does not cancel all background noise even when it is working exactly how it should be.
If your AirPods are blocking out some background noise, it could be the case that your AirPods are actually working the way that they are meant to be working.
If you want to be able to block out all background noise, you would have to try alternative earphones such as the Sony WF1000-xm4 earphones.
Alternatively, it might be the case that noise-canceling is not activated or your AirPods are not charged. To check that noise cancelling is activated go click the “i” next to your AirPods in the Bluetooth settings on your iPhone
If the noise-canceling still does not work, it might be the case that you have faulty AirPods and your best option would be to take them into an Apple Store.
Read more: Why do my AirPods pickup background noise?
How to improve AirPods Pro noise canceling?
To improve the noise-canceling on your AirPods Pro, it would help to try using larger ear tips. You can buy them directly from Apple or you can buy alternatives from third parties.
It would also help to try a different type of ear tip. The ear tips that come with AirPods are silicone ear tips. However, you can also buy ear tips that are made from memory foam.
You might find that memory foam ear tips work better for you and it would be worthwhile for you to try them.
It would also help to make sure that your noise canceling is activated.
You can do this by clicking on your AirPods in the Bluetooth settings on your iPhone or iPad or you can click on the AirPods icon on the Mac’s menu bar.
If your AirPods still are not blocking out any noise, you may want to consider taking them to an Apple store.
However, if your AirPods do block out some noise, it would be likely that they are working the way that they are supposed to and you would need to use different earphones if you want better noise canceling such as from the Sony WF-1000Xm4 earphones.
Read more: Why are my AirPods working separately?
How to know if noise-canceling is working on AirPods Pro?
To turn on noise-canceling, you just need to hold down on the stem of the AirPods for a few seconds until you hear a beep sound. When the noise canceling turn on, you should hear a lot less of the sounds going on around you.
To make sure that it is working properly, try turning on some ambient noise on your computer or another phone, then activate noise-canceling mode.
If you do not hear a lot less of the ambient noise when the noise-canceling turns on, it might be the case that your AirPods are faulty or you are not using a large enough ear tip and it would help to try some larger ear tips.
To tell if you have the correct fit, you can do the fit test using an iOS device.
You can also purchase larger ear tips directly from Apple or you can buy some memory foam ear tips on Amazon.
As mentioned earlier, you can also look on your Mac, iPhone or iPad to see if the noise canceling mode is activated.
If it is activated and you are not getting much noise canceling, the best option would be to try changing the ear tips.
The good news is that these angled tips are easy to change. You simply snap them into place rather than mashing them down over the stem as you have to do with other ear tip covers.
While Android phones don’t have the fit test feature, you can determine that just as well on your own
DIY Fit Test
You can just eyeball the ear tips to see which is small, large, and medium, but if you’re not sure, just unroll the edge of each and you will see S, M, and L.
Start with the medium one and insert it in your ear canal so you have a comfortable and secure fit.
If it doesn’t sit right, try adjusting it with a slight twist, If it still doesn’t sit right, it may be too small. Try large. If medium feels uncomfortable try small.
How does noise-canceling work on AirPods Pro?
Active noise cancellation (ANC) and its toggle partner transparency mode are two of the features that make the Airpod Pro superior to its predecessor the AirPod.
When in noise cancellation mode an outward-facing microphone detects sounds in the outside world and constantly adjusts in order to electronically counteract them.
According to Apple, this process can involve dynamic adjustments occurring at the rate of 200 per second.
Meanwhile, an inward-facing microphone listens for internal sounds so the AirPod Pro can counter it with anti-noise
