Apple Ends Service Programs for Sound Issues on Original AirPods Pro and iPhone 12 and 12 Pro

[MacRumors]

Apple has officially ended two service programs that covered sound issues on the original AirPods Pro and on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, removing them from its list of active service programs.

In both cases, devices were covered for three years from their original date of sale, so the vast majority of units were already out of coverage unless someone managed to purchase from very old stock.

The AirPods Pro service program covered crackling or static sounds or Active Noise Cancellation not working as expected on the first-generation models, with affected units having been manufactured prior to October 2020. Under the program, Apple replaced affected earbuds (left, right, or both) after the issue was confirmed through testing by Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

The service program for AirPods Pro was launched in October 2020 with two years of coverage, with coverage extended to three years in October 2021.

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro program covered a defective receiver module component that could fail, resulting in no sound being emitted when making or receiving calls. Affected units were manufactured between October 2020 and April 2021, and the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max were not included in the service program.

The iPhone service program was launched in August 2021 with two years of coverage, but coverage was extended to three years in August 2022.

Article Link: Apple Ends Service Programs for Sound Issues on Original AirPods Pro and iPhone 12 and 12 Pro

 

[NicosAccount]

if they cant fix it with a software update, theyll probably need a program like this for the iphone airs, most of them rattle even on 40-50% volume on facetime

 

[t0rqx]

These programs usually replace the components with the same faulty components. Just like the butterfly keyboard.

 

[Truckondo]

I remember using the service on my original AirPods Pro years ago. They replaced them in store after the test and they still work to this day. Gave them to my son when I got the USB-C AirPods Pro 2.

 

[titanium9]

Both my wife and I had AirPod Pro 2 and they had several seconds of static blasting on max volume every time you put them in your ear. I Googled the issue and tried the recommendation to turn off noise cancelation and it didn’t help at all. Apple knows the email of every person that bought AirPods at an Apple Store. I received no notification of any ‘secret’ coverage plan for this problem. Whatever the coverage plan was posted it wasn’t in a place Google could find.

Our response was to throw the AirPods in the trash and we will NEVER buy Apple AirPods again. I can only imagine how many thousands of other people have developed similar strong views if they had to develop a program to deal with it. We have both Sony and Bowers and Wilkins ear buds now. Both of those companies figured out how to not blast white noise at max volume for several seconds when you put them in your ear.

 

[doobydoooby]

Both my wife and I had AirPod Pro 2 and they had several seconds of static blasting on max volume every time you put them in your ear. I Googled the issue and tried the recommendation to turn off noise cancelation and it didn’t help at all. Apple knows the email of every person that bought AirPods at an Apple Store. I received no notification of any ‘secret’ coverage plan for this problem. Whatever the coverage plan was posted it wasn’t in a place Google could find.

Our response was to throw the AirPods in the trash and we will NEVER buy Apple AirPods again. I can only imagine how many thousands of other people have developed similar strong views if they had to develop a program to deal with it. We have both Sony and Bowers and Wilkins ear buds now. Both of those companies figured out how to not blast white noise at max volume for several seconds when you put them in your ear.

Agreed, my experience also sadly

 

[EBone12355]

I had the Gen 1 AirPod Pros replaced twice for the crackling issue. Even the third set still crackled. I finally just gave up on them and switched to AirPod 3s, which have worked perfectly.

 

[beltzak]

Very true. Never received any email regarding to covered plan even though I changed one of the AirPods Pro but within a year I got the other one cracking after warranty ended.

I guess that this is another awesome source of Apple’s income.
/s

 

[tomekwsrod]

Both my wife and I had AirPod Pro 2 and they had several seconds of static blasting on max volume every time you put them in your ear. I Googled the issue and tried the recommendation to turn off noise cancelation and it didn’t help at all. Apple knows the email of every person that bought AirPods at an Apple Store. I received no notification of any ‘secret’ coverage plan for this problem. Whatever the coverage plan was posted it wasn’t in a place Google could find.

Our response was to throw the AirPods in the trash and we will NEVER buy Apple AirPods again. I can only imagine how many thousands of other people have developed similar strong views if they had to develop a program to deal with it. We have both Sony and Bowers and Wilkins ear buds now. Both of those companies figured out how to not blast white noise at max volume for several seconds when you put them in your ear.

I have discovered the replacement program on my own, the technician in the iSpot confirmed the issue and after that the airpods were replaced with a new set, the new set soon developed the same issue.

 

[dannyyankou]

I definitely got my money’s worth from it. I think I got like 5 replacements from crackling issues, lol.

Never had that issue with AirPods Pro 2 though.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

My AirProPods were out of warranty and didn’t qualify for the service program for some reason. I hope I get something from the class action lawsuit. It was going to cost almost as much as a new set to repair them.

 

[spyguy10709]

yet the "Apple Ultracompact USB Power Adapter Exchange Program" from 2008 still lives on

 

[pdaholic]

I had a pair of gen 1 airpods replaced. The second set developed the popping sound. Apple refused to replace them. Never buy a gen 1 Apple product!

 

[Dmoney77]

I used to have the 1st gen AirPods Pro with the same issue. Got it replaced during the time, and months later, the same rattling and cracking issue popped up. I’ve upgraded to AirPods Pro 3s since launch, and I love them.

 

[pdaholic]

Wasn't there a class action lawsuit forming for the 1st gen airpods?

 

[GMShadow]

Both my wife and I had AirPod Pro 2 and they had several seconds of static blasting on max volume every time you put them in your ear. I Googled the issue and tried the recommendation to turn off noise cancelation and it didn’t help at all. Apple knows the email of every person that bought AirPods at an Apple Store. I received no notification of any ‘secret’ coverage plan for this problem. Whatever the coverage plan was posted it wasn’t in a place Google could find.

Our response was to throw the AirPods in the trash and we will NEVER buy Apple AirPods again. I can only imagine how many thousands of other people have developed similar strong views if they had to develop a program to deal with it. We have both Sony and Bowers and Wilkins ear buds now. Both of those companies figured out how to not blast white noise at max volume for several seconds when you put them in your ear.

This has nothing to do with the article…

 

[racerhomie]

yet the "Apple Ultracompact USB Power Adapter Exchange Program" from 2008 still lives on

I believe that's a safety risk and mandated. Plus Apple doesn't want fires

 

[iJeffmac]

I bought the AirPod Pro when it first came out and had the static issue in one earpiece just out of warranty and the agent replaced them both, which was good. Now one earpiece has static again for a few seconds on inserting them but they still work fine once the static has stopped. I doubted I'd qualify for another warranty fix and bought the latest gen3 which are a much better fit and sound over the gen1 - this was always my gripe with them and I tried various 3rd party foam tips to get a better fit. I gave the gen1 away and they are apparently working fine with no static, so maybe the re-pairing onto a different phone helped.

 

[AndreasBenedikt]

My first-generation APPs have been replaced three times over the years (both or one earbud) free of charge. Even in the middle of the pandemic, when I was writing my master's thesis and relied on noise cancellation, both earbuds were replaced on the same day. Each replacement took only a few minutes, and I still use them today. Every penny has paid off, and since I won't replace them until they break, I'm kind of hoping they'll finally die soon

 

[Okasian]

I’ve logged into my MacRumours account for the first time in several years to post my experience on this.

I had this issue around 2022. “They” (Apple Authorised.. bla bla bla) replaced the buds. Completely faulty. They did not replace the case. I brought a £30 third-party case from Amazon, essentially having a new pair of AirPods Pro.

They’ve only recently started (Late 2025) to get to a point where I feel like the battery isn’t holding an adequate amount of charge.

Since then, two Apple die-hard friends of mine got the EarFun Pro, and so did I, about £50. Cheap. Chinese. (Always skeptical)

ANC much better. Night and day. Highly likely not as good as the new AirPods Pro 3, but £50 is 4x less than £220. Would not recommend buying AirPods again. Short life-span relative to price. Disposable. Vote with your wallet etc.

Logging out.

 

[b0fh]

Apple has officially ended two service programs that covered sound issues on the original AirPods Pro and on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, removing them from its list of active service programs.

My gen 1 Pros have a weird issue. If I use both, people say it's too soft a lot of the time. But if I remove one and put it back in the case, and use only one (either), people can hear me speaking without issues.

It's annoying. And now my battery is at the place where the moment the low power sounds, the ear bud dies

Hopefully, there's going to be a good Black Friday sale for air pods pro 3

 

[Srom89]

Apple has officially ended two service programs that covered sound issues on the original AirPods Pro and on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, removing them from its list of active service programs.

In both cases, devices were covered for three years from their original date of sale, so the vast majority of units were already out of coverage unless someone managed to purchase from very old stock.

The AirPods Pro service program covered crackling or static sounds or Active Noise Cancellation not working as expected on the first-generation models, with affected units having been manufactured prior to October 2020. Under the program, Apple replaced affected earbuds (left, right, or both) after the issue was confirmed through testing by Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

The service program for AirPods Pro was launched in October 2020 with two years of coverage, with coverage extended to three years in October 2021.

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro program covered a defective receiver module component that could fail, resulting in no sound being emitted when making or receiving calls. Affected units were manufactured between October 2020 and April 2021, and the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max were not included in the service program.

The iPhone service program was launched in August 2021 with two years of coverage, but coverage was extended to three years in August 2022.

Article Link: Apple Ends Service Programs for Sound Issues on Original AirPods Pro and iPhone 12 and 12 Pro

Omg wish I’d known about this, one of mine has this fault but I assumed it was because I’d dropped it once or twice 😭

 

[svish]

Good to know. Not sure whether it was a widespread issue or not. Anyway I had no issues with my 12 Pro Max.

 

[TimBUK]

Omg wish I’d known about this, one of mine has this fault but I assumed it was because I’d dropped it once or twice 😭

Me too - I had assumed the same 😭😭😭

 

[Jeeve Stubbs]

I think it makes little sense that Apple discontinues some of its technical support for iPhones 12 while the new iOS 26 is compatible with iPhones 11 and 12 (and Apple even keeps doing security updates to iOS 18 for iPhones XR and XS). Support for older devices should be more homogeneous.