As an AirPods owner, I was frustrated when my AirPods started to sound bad during FaceTime calls. After doing some research, I discovered that there were several potential solutions to the problem. In this blog post, I’m going to share how I solved the issue and provide other potential solutions that I found during my research. Hopefully, this will help other AirPods owners who are struggling with the same issue.
If the sound quality of your AirPods is bad on FaceTime, it could be due to needing to switch to the internal mic, your AirPods need to be reconnected to your device, or because there is actually a bad cellular or wifi connection causing the FaceTime audio quality to be bad.
If your mic sounds bad on FaceTime, it could be because your mic is dirty, the active mic is broken, or because the mic is actually muted on FaceTime and your phone’s mic is actually what is being used.
| Key Takeaways and Tips |
|---|
| 1. If AirPods sound bad on FaceTime, switch to the internal mic |
| 2. Reconnect your AirPods to your device |
| 3. Ensure a good cellular or wifi connection |
| 4. Clean your AirPods’ mic grill |
| 5. Update your AirPods software |
| 6. If the mic sounds bad on FaceTime, clean it or replace it |
| 7. Make sure that the active mic is not muted on FaceTime |
| 8. Check if the phone’s mic is being used instead of AirPods |
Table of Contents
Why do my AirPods sound bad on Facetime?
Below are likely reasons why your AirPods sound bad on FaceTime and what you can do about them.
You need to switch the mic to the internal mic
Some users have found that for some reason when the AirPod’s mic is enabled on FaceTime, it results in the sound quality being bad.
To fix this, you need to switch to the internal mic on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
The reason for this is that when you are using the AirPod’s mic on FaceTime, the audio codec changes in both directions which is why you need to switch to the internal mic.
A poor wifi or cellular connection
It might also be the case that either you or the person you are talking to has a bad wifi/cellular connection. This would be more likely if there is also a bad video quality.
Read more: Why can’t people hear me on my AirPods?
You need to reconnect your AirPods
It could also be the case that you need to reconnect your AirPods and it would help to try reconnecting them to your iPhone.
To reset and reconnect your AirPods, do the following:
- Forget the AirPods on the device you are using
- Put your AirPods in the case
- Press the button on the case for 15 seconds
- Wait 30 seconds
- Open the lid and hold the button on the case
- Reconnect your AirPods to your device
Dirty AirPods
It might also be the case that your AirPods speaker grill is dirty and it would help to try cleaning your AirPods. It would be more likely that they are dirty if it is not only FaceTime where there is an issue.
Read more: Why do my AirPods sound underwater?
How to get my AirPods to sound better on FaceTime?
To get your AirPods to sound better on FaceTime, try switching to the internal mic, reconnecting your AirPods to your device and making sure that your Wifi or cellular connection is good.
Why do my AirPods mic sound bad on FaceTime?
If it is your mic that sounds bad on FaceTime, below are a number of possible causes.
Your AirPods are muted on your phone
It could just be the case that you have muted your AirPods on FaceTime or on your phone.
It would help to make sure that it is actually your mic that is being used when you are on FaceTime.
Broken AirPods
It could be the case that the mic on one of your AirPods is broken. However, only one mic is actually used at a time to record your voice. So, you could try using the other mic to see if it is due to a hardware fault.
To fix this try the following:
- Go to settings
- Go to Bluetooth
- Click the “i” next to your AirPods
- Click “Microphone”
- Change it from “Always left” or “Always right”
Dirty
It could be the case that your AirPods mic is dirty. The problem is that metal filings can easily get into the filing grill which can make it harder for the mic to hear your voice. To fix this do the following:
- Get some Blu-Tack
- Firmly press it into the microphone grill several times
Your AirPods need to be reset
Another possible cause is that your AirPods need to be reset and reconnected with the device you are using.
To reset and reconnect your AirPods, do the following:
- Forget the AirPods on the device you are using
- Put your AirPods in the case
- Press the button on the case for 15 seconds
- Wait 30 seconds
- Open the lid and hold the button on the case
- Reconnect your AirPods to your device
A connection issue
It is also possible that there is an issue with the connection that your AirPods have with your device. It would help to try connecting your AirPods to a different device and to see if the mic is still quiet when using that device.
It would also help to disconnect your AirPods from all the other devices that they have a connection with in case their connection has been interfering with your AirPods.
A software issue
AirPods do receive software updates. It might be the case that your AirPods need to be updated. They do update automatically when you connect them to an Apple device.
How to get my AirPods mic to sound better on FaceTime?
To get your AirPods to sound better on FaceTime, it would help to try the following:
To get your AirPods mic to be louder try the following:
- Change the mic that is being used as explained in the “Broken” section above
- Reconnect your AirPods to your device
- Clean your AirPod’s mic grill using the Blu-tack method as explained above
Pros of using AirPods on FaceTime
- Voice quality is generally good
- AirPods are comfortable to wear
- Easy to connect
- Good battery life
Cons of using AirPods on FaceTime
- Can be expensive
- Can have poor sound quality if not set up correctly
- Can be easy to lose or misplace