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DConroy

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 12, 2013
67
48
So i have Airpods and I love using them for listening to podcasts and music, but whenver there's a phone call, its only about a 30% chance that they'll actually work with the phone call. When this happens, the airpods fail to work as a microphone. I can hear, but not be heard.

The chance that they'll work is slightly higher when I initiate the call with the airpod already in and connected, but only slightly. I just tried to make a call with them in and connected, and the other person heard my first sentence, and then nothing...

Anyone experience this? if you did, were you able to resolve it?

BTW, its an Iphone X, but the same problem was present on the previous phone.
 
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MjWoNeR

macrumors 6502
Feb 16, 2010
325
215
Sweden
Mine were a bit weird with my iPhone 6 Plus but with the X they are flawless. Maybe you should ask for a replacement?
 

aristobrat

macrumors G5
Oct 14, 2005
12,292
1,403
but whenver there's a phone call, its only about a 30% chance that they'll actually work with the phone call. When this happens, the airpods fail to work as a microphone. I can hear, but not be heard.
I don't use them a lot for phone calls, but I've never had that issue with my AirPods + iPhone X (or previous iPhone 7). Hope you're able to get this sorted out!
 

Volusia

macrumors 6502
Jun 8, 2016
384
274
Central Florida
I don't use my AirPods a lot for calls, but occasionally people will tell me that I sound muffled. Usually, if I speak up some or stop moving around so much they hear me better. Using them with 8+
 

44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
42,494
I don't use them a lot for phone calls, but I've never had that issue with my AirPods + iPhone X (or previous iPhone 7). Hope you're able to get this sorted out!

After reading your Post, I realized I never use my Airpods for calls either. Maybe once. It's usually just for music during my workouts. But then again, I would rather not receive calls during my workouts.
 

Vermifuge

macrumors 68020
Mar 7, 2009
2,067
1,589
I use mine for phone calls several hours a day.

  1. On the iPhone 6 they often went robotic with a lot of garbled audio. However according to the other party I always sounded clear.
  2. Use them with my Mac for slack / teleconference every morning. The mic is so sensitive i normally mute myself so they cant hear my heavy breathing
  3. Calls on the iPhone X are flawless. Never drops never goes robotic. crystal clear audio.
Have you tried disabling the automatic mic selection and forcing it to left or right?
 

DConroy

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 12, 2013
67
48
I use mine for phone calls several hours a day.
Have you tried disabling the automatic mic selection and forcing it to left or right?

I'll try that. The only other thing I can add is that its almost as if it fails to send the audio/mic to the airpods and is still trying to use the phone. Ie, Working around the house listening to podcasts, and the wife calls. Its a coin flip if I answer the call without taking them out(either by answering on the phone or watch) if they will work. Sometimes I can hear the caller on the phone's speaker, and if I put phone to ear I can here, but probably still can't be heard.
 

Tmelon

macrumors 65816
Feb 26, 2011
1,150
619
I haven't tried them for calls yet on my iPhone X, but on my 7+ there was noticeable lag in the call and I was told that I sounded muffled.
 

MjWoNeR

macrumors 6502
Feb 16, 2010
325
215
Sweden
I use mine for phone calls several hours a day.

  1. On the iPhone 6 they often went robotic with a lot of garbled audio. However according to the other party I always sounded clear.


  1. Oh man this exactly the same issue I had with my 6 Plus. Audio would sometimes go robotic. Be it calls or music.
    This never happened again after I moved to the X. It must be something with the older hardware.
 

Olivia23

macrumors 6502a
Jul 26, 2008
796
243
around
I've noticed the same. I have the airpods and the iphone X. I was using them to make a phone call the other day and the lady kept asking me what was I saying because she could not hear me. I was talking in a normal voice in my house, so I went in another room with me phone so I could speak louder. She heard me then. I don't mumble.
 

JackieInCo

Suspended
Jul 18, 2013
5,178
1,601
Colorado
I tried to make two phone calls using my AirPods just now and my voice could not be recognized on either of the calls. I am using a 7+.

I did get it to work great on my 6S+

This is not good.
 

redheffer

macrumors newbie
Apr 29, 2012
4
0
I actually had this same exact issue for a good month straight before I was able to take them in for a Genius Bar appointment. Audio worked perfectly fine for music, podcasts, calls, but the mic would be intermittent and people wouldn’t be able to hear me. I would test it with Siri and voice notes and I would experience the same thing. My issues actually got worse with general connectivity after a while ie. AirPods not switching properly when only using one side.

They ended up replacing my pair at the store and I’ve been fine ever since. There’s a chance they may be out of stock as my replacements were the last pair they had. Go ahead and make an appointment with them!
 

Jsince80

macrumors newbie
Apr 24, 2015
10
0
Mine have been perfect so far. Call quality is excellent and that’s coming from a person who only speaks on Bluetooth headsets.
 

Ralfi

macrumors 601
Dec 22, 2016
4,373
3,101
Australia
Keep in mind that the impression of the person on the other end can be impacted by your/their carrier quality & reception at the time.
 
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