AirPods Pro 3 users hear static and hiss in ANC and Transparency

Owners of AirPods Pro 3 have begun noticing unusual sounds in Apple’s earbuds. With active noise cancellation turned on, some users report static interference or a faint hiss, even when no music or video is playing.

The issue doesn’t present the same way for everyone: some describe it as white noise or static, others liken it to rainfall or the ocean. In certain cases it resembles a quiet fan, despite there being no obvious source of sound in the room.

According to forum posts, the noise can appear in Adaptive Noise Control and Transparency modes. The intensity varies widely: playing audio helps some users, while others say it makes no difference. For a few, the background is so strong that low-volume tracks become hard to hear.

Not every pair is affected. Some AirPods Pro 3 owners report no extraneous sounds at all. One user said they contacted Apple and received a replacement, yet others note that the problem persists even with new units—an inconsistency that complicates any quick fix.

At this point it’s unclear whether the fault lies with hardware or software. If it’s software, Apple could address it with an update. If it’s hardware, a swap may be required, with no guarantee the next pair will be free of noise.

For now, the only reliable workaround is to disable ANC and Transparency mode in settings. It’s an awkward trade-off, since these features are core to a premium pair of earbuds, and the experience feels unpredictable from one owner to the next.