As an owner of AirPods, I’ve become increasingly frustrated by the strange underwater-like sound that I hear when I’m listening to music. After doing some research, I’ve discovered not only why this is happening, but also a few solutions to help fix the problem. In this blog post, I’m going to share my own experience and the solutions I’ve found so that other AirPods owners can enjoy their music free from distortion.
Likely reasons why your AirPods mic sounds underwater are that it got wet, your AirPods are actually muted, the mic is broken, the mic is dirty or that your AirPods need to be reconnected to your device.
Likely reasons why your AirPods sound quality sounds underwater is that the AirPods are dirty, there is a poor connection with your device, or the AirPods are broken.
| Key Takeaways and Tips |
|---|
| Possible reasons for underwater-sounding AirPods mic: |
| – Moisture/water damage |
| – Mute switch on AirPods is on |
| – Dirty microphone grill |
| – Broken microphone |
| – Need to reconnect to device |
| Possible reasons for poor AirPods sound quality: |
| – Dirty AirPods |
| – Poor connection with device |
| – Broken AirPods |
| To fix underwater-sounding mic and poor sound quality: |
| – Check mute switch on AirPods |
| – Clean microphone grill |
| – Reset and reconnect AirPods to device |
| – Check for connection issues |
| – Contact Apple Store for repair or replacement if needed |
Table of Contents
Why does my AirPods mic sound underwater?
Below are likely reasons why you sound underwater when talking on your AirPods.
Your AirPods are muted on your phone
It could just be the case that you have muted your AirPods and it is actually the mic on your phone that is recording you. It would help to check that your AirPod’s mic is not actually muted.
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 reason 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
Read more: Why do my AirPods sound bad on Facetime?
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 still sounds underwater 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.
Water damage
AirPods are not waterproof and only AirPods gen 3 and AirPods pro are water resistant. The issue could be that your AirPods received water damage.
This would be more likely if your AirPods have started sounding underwater suddenly and if it happened after they got wet. In this case, your only hope is to take them to an Apple store and to see what they can do.
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.
Read more: Why do my AirPods make me sound like a robot?
How to get my AirPods mic to stop sounding underwater?
To get your AirPods mic to be clearer and 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
Why do my AirPods sound underwater?
If your AirPods sound quality sounds underwater, here are some likely causes and solutions:
Dirty AirPods
It could be the case that your AirPods speaker grill is dirty. It would help to try cleaning it as explained by Apple here.
Poor connection
The issue could be that your AirPods have a poor connection with the device you are using. It would help to see if your AirPods still sound underwater when you connect them with a different device.
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
They need updating
It could also be the case that your AirPods need updating. To update the AirPods, you just need to connect them with an Apple device.
You need to switch the mic to the internal mic
If the problem is only happening with FaceTime, 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.
Water damage
It could also be the case that the issue is due to water damage. This would be more likely if your AirPods did get wet recently.
Broken
If your AirPods sound underwater regardless of the device you are connected to and all of the above has not helped, the best option would be to go to an Apple store and see if they can fix or replace your AirPods.
