AirPods are known for their seamless connectivity, but sometimes they can disconnect during calls, leading to frustration. This article explores a potential cause and solution for this common issue. One user found that their AirPods would only disconnect during calls when the microphone was active, specifically when using apps like FaceTime, Zoom, or WebEx. Listening to music or watching shows presented no connectivity problems. This pointed towards a microphone issue rather than a hardware defect, especially since Apple diagnostics revealed no issues.
Microphone Settings: The Key to Stable Connections
The solution lies within the Bluetooth settings for your AirPods. Within these settings, you can choose which AirPod houses the active microphone: left, right, or “auto.” The default setting is “auto,” which allows the AirPods to automatically switch between microphones as needed. However, this automatic switching was the culprit behind the disconnections.
The user conducted a test call and manually set the microphone to the left AirPod. The connection remained stable throughout the call. Switching the microphone to the right AirPod immediately caused a disconnection. Repeating this process confirmed the pattern: manually selecting either the left or right AirPod consistently prevented disconnections, while leaving the setting on “auto” resulted in dropped calls.
Workaround: Manually Select Your Microphone
As a temporary solution, manually select either the left or right AirPod as your microphone source instead of using the “auto” setting. This simple change can eliminate the disconnection issue. While the root cause of the problem remains unclear, this workaround provides a reliable way to use your AirPods for calls without interruption.
Conclusion: A Temporary Solution While Apple Investigates
While a permanent fix from Apple is still pending, manually assigning the microphone to a specific AirPod offers a practical workaround for frequent disconnections during calls. This suggests the issue may reside in the automatic microphone switching functionality. This simple adjustment allows for uninterrupted calls until a software or firmware update addresses the underlying cause.
