AirPods connection issues after iOS 18 Update


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[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 15

Posted on Sep 16, 2024 7:02 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 12, 2024 4:25 PM

So far, what seems to help is allowing extra seconds for the connection to take place. I will open the AirPod case, wait for the pic to appear and then wait for the pic to animate. Then I take the earbuds out of the case and again wait for the pic to change. Then, I place the earbuds in my ears and that usually works. If I try to go faster than that (like I used to be able to), then I only get to play music while all other Siri/AirPod functions are not available. If I wait like described, then I get full functionality most every time.

iPhone 12

iOS 18.1.1

AirPod Pro

114 replies

Dec 14, 2024 6:02 AM in response to ricardogargansolo

My airpods pro have an issue. I play COD mobile and when I play with my mike one just after 10 minutes after each game my mike stops working while the other person is audible to me. I have to reconnect my AirPods and the issue goes off for another 10 minutes, it's so annoying happened only after the st**** update. My calls and face times aren't an issue but happens now. Didn't happened before the update


[Edited by Moderator]

Jan 7, 2025 4:11 PM in response to ricardogargansolo

Can someone from Apple please explain what changed in IOS 18 with respect to bluetooth connections. The entire family each has their own AppleID. They have for over a decade. The moment IOS 18 came out it was like a snowball fight of AirPods joining everyone's devices. It is absolutely maddening! We have 6 people in our family and like 2 dozen various iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TVs. This is completely un-livable. Madness.


Again, WHAT CHANGED in IOS18. We never had this problem before.

Jan 25, 2025 10:37 PM in response to ricardogargansolo

I had high hopes for 18.2.1. Rampant disconnects today, had to give up. Totally unusable.


I’m concerned about upgrading any of my Apple stuff. I’m due for several refreshes and AirPods haven’t been my only issue, though they are by far the most problematic. I could maybe settle for a 3rd party solution assuming they can remain connected. Does anyone know if off brand Bluetooth ear buds are impacted?

Mar 12, 2025 9:59 AM in response to ricardogargansolo

Resetting my AirPod pros 2nd gen has yielded nothing. Resetting all iOS system settings improved performance quite a bit over the past couple of months, however the problem still occurs. And it is a pain in the rear to slowly restore all iOS settings.


I now carry a third party set of earbuds as a backup because the AirPod pros will become sporadically unusable from cutting in and out, pausing whatever is playing.

Mar 14, 2025 1:36 PM in response to ricardogargansolo

Since December when I updated my phone I have been noticing I have had connectivity issues with my headphones (AirPod 4.) I got these for Christmas.


Prior to getting the new headphones I noticed that I wasn't receiving calls/texts/vms. On December 2st I got a text from my MIL around 8am (According to her records) I didn't receive the text until I restarted my phone around 11:04am. Since then I am missing calls all the time, my husband cannot call me sometimes - I have to call out.

My voicemails I am getting show up an hour or two later.


Now onto the issue of the headphones....

I have full use for music, siri, and other apps but when it comes to phone calls I don't always have the ability to answer those calls connected to my headphones. It will show they are connected but no feedback. I have to disconnect the headphone and reconnect prior to getting feedback. Ive been to the apple store and they ran diags on the phone and head phones. I have received a new pair of the AirPods and still having issues.

Being as we have done so much since December I feel that there should've been a resolution or a replacement to the phone.


I am so beyond frustrated that I even was looking into dropping $800 to pay the stupid phone off and trading it in to see if its a phone issue since they don't seem to want to do anything other than "Let's try this for a day."


Currently, our new test is resetting the cellular data by turning it off for 10-15 seconds and now we wait. This is not a problem I can easily recreate as it is so random.



May 9, 2025 11:25 AM in response to ricardogargansolo

I too am extremely frustrated over this. After spending absurd buckeroons on a new iPhone now I can't use my headphones, Airpods or APpro2. C'mon Apple, this is a show stopper, and should have been fixed by now. And yes, I've tried every instruction on how to remedy it I can find, including If your AirPods or AirPods Pro won't connect - Apple Support; Connect your AirPods and AirPods Pro to your iPhone - Apple Support; https://www.reddit.com/search/?q=ios18+airpods+connect&cId=969baa40-1c83-456e-9ec3-0f504a5d9469&iId=eec6f959-ab78-498b-a234-0933efc26038; and far too many more.



May 24, 2025 11:14 AM in response to AlpineSkye1

Quick update: I’ve now completed the iOS 18.5 update, but unfortunately, forced restart still isn’t working on my iPhone 13 Pro Max.


So while there’s been a slight improvement in Bluetooth stability over the past month, I’m still running into issues—and now without the ability to reliably force a reboot, the one workaround that used to help is off the table. Ugh.


If anyone else has seen different results on 18.5, I’d be curious to hear.

May 26, 2025 4:41 PM in response to ricardogargansolo

Connecting to AirPods is still a problem after the iOS 18.5 update. I still have to reboot my phone to get it to connect to my AirPods after trying everything else that Apple recommends. What's the story, Apple? Is this the sound of your ecosystem crumbling? It's all supposed to work together. Sure, there have always been bumps in the road, but this one is too fundamental and has been around too long. Please, please FIX IT. Do whatever it takes. Delay some other new product release. Make this work or lose our trust.


I will not replace any further Apple devices until this is working properly, which is unfortunate because my iPad is old and overdue for replacement. But what parts of a new one will no longer work?

Jul 6, 2025 3:01 AM in response to ricardogargansolo

Airpods 2 - left air bud stops operating during phone calls after aprox 30 seconds..

Similar behaviour experienced when tested with 2 various Airpods-2 devises.

Both Airpods 2 devices works otherwise as expected, when listens to music or else media..


issues experienced on IOS 18.5

on both Airpods-2 devices, on various models/firmwares, A1523 version 6.8.8 as well on A2031 version 6F21.


To me this indicates something is fishy with the IOS 18.x release.

@Apple, pls resolve this in next update, conclude our purchased apple devices to work properly with yours released IOS/firmwares.


Sincerely, Hof

AirPods connection issues after iOS 18 Update

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