Big Sur Audio and AirPod Issues

[Cscottrun]

Is anyone else experience audio issues? A few things I have noticed (and that have been extremely frustrating) are:

1. The volume icon/control disappears from the task bar every few days. No matter how many times I check the "show volume in menu bar" option in sound preferences, the box will become unchecked in a few days and the volume icon will disappear.

2. It's a process to connect my AirPods now. It takes clicking the headphone icon in bluetooth multiple times for my AirPods to actually connect (if they connect at all).

3. If I have my headphones connected to my MacBook Air on Big Sur, and then pick up my iPhone 12 Pro and play something with audio on my iPhone, sometimes (but not all the time) my headphones will automatically switch to my iPhone even when I don't intend on using my phone with headphones and even while playing something with audio, like a YouTube video, on my Mac.

Anyone else experiencing these problems and/or have a fix for any of them?

 

[colki]

> The volume icon/control disappears from the task bar every few days. No matter how many times I check the "show volume in menu bar" option in sound preferences, the box will become unchecked in a few days and the volume icon will disappear.

Yes! This is happening to me too! It's so annoying! Did you ever figure out what's causing it?

For what it's worth, I use the audio menu bar a lot. It's the primary way I interact with the volume (I don't really use Touch Bar for volume). I also regularly shift between MacBook audio, AirPods, Beats headphones, and Bose for audio output. I'm not sure whether heavy use plays a role in what makes it randomly disappear.

15 inch 2018 MacBook Pro

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I'm not sure about #2 and #3. I've always had small issues connecting AirPods where it might take a try or two, but never had it not connect at all. I also use Bose's feature where audio hands off freely between multiple paired devices so I'm accustomed to what you're describing in #3. These things aren't getting in my way though so I can't say I'm experiencing the exact same thing as you for sure.

 

[Oracularman]

A

Is anyone else experience audio issues? A few things I have noticed (and that have been extremely frustrating) are:

1. The volume icon/control disappears from the task bar every few days. No matter how many times I check the "show volume in menu bar" option in sound preferences, the box will become unchecked in a few days and the volume icon will disappear.

2. It's a process to connect my AirPods now. It takes clicking the headphone icon in bluetooth multiple times for my AirPods to actually connect (if they connect at all).

3. If I have my headphones connected to my MacBook Air on Big Sur, and then pick up my iPhone 12 Pro and play something with audio on my iPhone, sometimes (but not all the time) my headphones will automatically switch to my iPhone even when I don't intend on using my phone with headphones and even while playing something with audio, like a YouTube video, on my Mac.

Anyone else experiencing these problems and/or have a fix for any of them?

#3 Click the option(Mac) or I on iphone and turn off automatic ear detection and connect to this iPhone: when last connected.