AirPods

Every issue, all time, most people first

1. AirPods often fail to connect to iPhone automatically, unexplainedUnreviewed

   25 people since 2017, in 10 different years · 6 this year

   20162026
   • Must manually find AirPods in Bluetooth settings on each device to change connection behavior2026-09-10
   • Original AirPods annoyed the commenter when used with Android phones2026-09-10
   • Playing on phone makes laptop start and AirPods connect to it, requiring manual reconnection2026-09-01
   Something wrong here?

2. Automatic device switching is unreliable, switching too little and too muchUnreviewed

   14 people since 2018, in 6 different years · 1 this year

   20162026
   • Refuse to connect, randomly disconnect, and play/pause routes to the wrong device2026-01-27
   • Connects to the wrong device, forcing the user to juggle Bluetooth connections2023-10-13
   • Connects incorrectly about 20% of the time and switches devices unprompted mid-call2022-03-31
   Something wrong here?

3. Earbuds randomly need reinserting, won't reconnect, and charge status is unclearUnreviewed

   12 people since 2018, in 4 different years · 2 this year

   20162026
   • Earbuds fail to connect in a rush, forcing user to restart devices and Bluetooth2026-06-19
   • One earbud often fails to connect without several tries and pairing is a pain2026-01-24
   • Only one earbud connects when inserted, often because the other never charged2022-09-09
   Something wrong here?

4. Switching between computers requires repeated pairing and unpairingUnreviewed

   11 people since 2017, in 6 different years · 1 this year

   20162026
   • Bluetooth pairing and switching between devices is unreliable, needing workarounds like disabling the mic2026-03-11
   • Connecting regular Bluetooth headphones takes many confusing steps on iPhone2023-06-27
   • Audio output often must be manually reselected on computer and phone after switching devices2021-04-20
   Something wrong here?

5. Audio lags too far behind, making music and video unnaturalUnreviewed

   9 people since 2019, in 8 different years · 2 this year

   20162026
   • Bluetooth randomly reconnects to Mac, launching apps or playing audio unexpectedly2026-03-14
   • Hearing aid mode gives too little volume and they forget Bluetooth connections2025-11-18
   • Audio lags behind taps, making a rhythm composer app unusable2024-09-26
   Something wrong here?

6. Audio switches to iPhone mid-call, so others can't hearUnreviewed

   7 people since 2021, in 4 different years · 1 this year

   20162026
   • Audio keeps switching to iPhone mid-call, so others can't hear and the user must reconnect manually2025-12-24
   • Takes 8-11 seconds to switch audio to the phone, so callers can't hear the user2023-03-07
   • Delay and failed attempts when switching audio from Mac to phone during calls2022-01-26
   Something wrong here?

7. No volume controls, and Siri often fails to wake for volume changesUnreviewed

   5 people since 2016, in 5 different years · none this year

   20162026
   • Can't configure buttons, so skipping tracks requires asking Siri2024-06-06
   • No volume controls; Siri often fails to wake, so changing volume takes many tries2022-01-26
   • Must say "Hey Siri" before every command, with no natural way to stay in a voice mode2021-02-17
   Something wrong here?

8. Mic activation switches to low-quality headset mode, degrading audioUnreviewed

   5 people since 2018, in 3 different years · none this year

   20162026
   • No macOS setting to disable AirPods mic, so user must manually switch to laptop mic before every call2022-09-08
   • Accidentally clicking VoiceOver in settings switches AirPods to low quality mono2020-10-14
   • Switching to low-quality headset mode when the microphone activates, degrading audio2018-12-28
   Something wrong here?

9. Must fiddle to get sound playing through AirPods on a MacBookUnreviewed

   5 people since 2018, in 2 different years · none this year

   20162026
   • Has to play a YouTube video to get AirPods connected on Mac before calls2022-09-07
   • Always has to fiddle to get sound playing through AirPods on a MacBook2022-05-01
   • Audio plays from the Apple Watch instead of AirPods during calls, so the user can't tell where sound is coming from2022-01-26
   Something wrong here?

10. Earbuds don't stay in ears, so the user gave them upUnreviewed

    4 people since 2016, in 3 different years · 1 this year

    20162026
    • Earbuds are essentially unusable with Android phones2025-11-16
    • Earbuds don't stay in the ears, so the user passed them up2020-04-12
    • Earbuds don't stay snug in the right ear, even with best-fitting tips2020-01-08
    Something wrong here?

11. Ear detection pauses or resumes playback wrongly when adjusting earbudsUnreviewed

    3 people since 2016, in 3 different years · none this year

    20162026
    • Ear detection sometimes pauses or resumes playback incorrectly when adjusting the earbuds2022-09-08
    • Noise cancelling and passthrough cause distracting audio asymmetry between ears, needing frequent cleaning2020-04-10
    • Milliseconds of delay between earbuds causes audio to be out of sync2016-12-22
    Something wrong here?

12. No shortcut to AirPods settings; must dig through Bluetooth menuUnreviewed

    3 people since 2022, in 3 different years · none this year

    20162026
    • No shortcut to AirPods settings on main settings page; must dig through Bluetooth menu2025-10-28
    • Hard to find the audio config; settings are hidden in Bluetooth menu2024-04-15
    • Selecting AirPods in Bluetooth menu doesn't make them play phone audio2022-01-26
    Something wrong here?

13. Can't tell what automatic switching does; switching still needs manual stepsUnreviewed

    3 people since 2019, in 3 different years · none this year

    20162026
    • Having to manually switch between Bluetooth and wired modes is annoying2025-09-25
    • Can't tell what the automatic switching feature does; switching still requires manual Bluetooth menu steps2022-01-26
    • Switching to another device requires opening the Bluetooth menu and manually connecting2019-10-28
    Something wrong here?

14. Can't make kids' iPads forget AirPods without forgetting on all devicesUnreviewed

    3 people since 2023, in 2 different years · none this year

    20162026
    • Can't register AirPods in Find My without an iOS device2024-08-24
    • Another device can pair with AirPods already tied to an iCloud account, and losing the Apple account locks the user out of their headphones2023-05-12
    • Can't make kids' iPads forget AirPods without forgetting them on all devices2023-03-07
    Something wrong here?

This list counts all time; the period switch above only changes the ranking. Each issue is a group of similar complaints raised by at least 3 people in 3 different months and threads. Each line under an issue is Claude Haiku's summary of one of its latest comments, not a quote; follow it to read the comment on Hacker News.