How To Fix AirPods Max Noise Cancelation Not Working
Is the AirPods Max Noise Cancellation feature not working as expected? Does Active Noise cancelling only work for one ear cup? You’re not the only one experiencing this annoying bug! Apparently, the issue is triggered when the user switches between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes, by clicking the Noise Control button.
In some cases only one ear cup will switch for ANC while the other one remains stuck in Transparency mode leading to a poor AirPods Max listening experience!
How To Fix AirPods Max Noise Cancellation Bug
This software glitch will be most likely fixed by Apple in an upcoming software update. However until then a temporary fix is achieved by rebooting your over-ear headphones.
Trick: This is done by simultaneously pressing and holding the Noise Control button and the Digital Crown until the LED, available at the bottom of the right-hand ear cup, flashes amber. More details available here.
Tip: Before you reboot the AirPods Max connect them to a charger and make sure that they have some battery juice left.
Active Noise Cancelation Still Not Working?
If you rebooted the wireless over-ear headphones and Active Noise cancelling is still not working you can also attempt to reset them.
Important: Resetting your AirPods Max will cause them to return to factory settings. This means that you have to re-pair them with your compatible devices.
For a detailed step-by-step AirPods Max reset guide please read here.
Have you managed to fix the AirPods Max Noise Cancelation issue? Is the Noise Control button now switching both cups between ANC and Transparency mode? Use the comments section to share your feedback!
Related: How to connect AirPods Max to Android and any other non-Apple device!
You might also be interested in how to read the AirPods Max serial number!
Simple reboot worked perfectly and took only a few seconds. Thanks!
Thanks for confirming the fix. Glad that we could help out.
Still not working. I can hear everything what’s happening with Noise Cancellation on. Ik can even hear my own keyboard. I contacted Apple and they say it’s “perception”. But the first few days I didn’t hear any noise, now I can hear somebody sneeze downstairs …
I returned my Airpod Max, this is the fourth set I’m using but it just doesn’t work.
Thanks for the feedback Eduard. Apple recently released firmware 4E71 for most AirPods models. Have you tried ANC after the update?
Yes I have tried the new update, but it didn’t help :-(
I discovered that there is no difference between switching to “off” or “noise cancelling”, I can hear the same amount of background noise. I’m in my upstairs office at home at this moment and can hear people talking downstairs.
I have to cancel out the noise by putting on loud music, but I can do the same thing with a HomePod mini and that’s a lot cheaper than my beautiful Airpod Max. Yesterday I noticed some users on reddit having the same issue, but no one has a solution
Thanks for the follow up. Sorry to hear that you did not manage to fix it yet. Keep us posted please and let us know if you have a breakthrough.