Are you an AirPods Pro owner? Do yours crackle and hiss? If you answered yes to both of those questions be aware that Apple has recently extended the support window for the product. This means that you may be able to get yours replaced for free.
As with most of the products that Apple makes AirPods are cool. They're also pricey and they've had more than their share of development issues.
Given the challenges surrounding the tech Apple announced a service program and pledged to cover any crackling/hissing issues users encountered through October of 2020. In light of the ongoing issues Apple has quietly extended this program for an additional year.
The company did this without any fanfare and no formal announcement. In fact as far as anyone can tell the policy change was first spotted by Reddit users.
If you hear crackling or static sounds on your AirPods, if those sounds increase in loud environments, or if your Active Noise Cancellation feature isn't working as advertised your gear is probably eligible for replacement.
There are three different avenues you can pursue:
- Contact Apple Support
- Find the Apple Authorized Service Provider closest to you
- Make an appointment with a technician at an Apple Retail Store.
Whatever route you take the technician you ultimately work with will confirm the issue. Assuming you qualify for the program the affected units will be replaced free of charge.
Kudos to Apple for responding quickly to the issues surrounding AirPods Pro and for extending the repair program. We were less impressed with the fact that the program was extended without Apple making a prominent announcement about it.
Here's hoping that there are no further issues with the AirPod Pro. If it turns out that there are any problems let us hope that Apple will be more vocal about the programs designed to resolve those issues.
