Despite being replaced by the newer AirPods Pro (2nd generation), the original AirPods Pro are still some of the best wireless earbuds you will find. As Apple’s first pair of active noise-cancelling buds, the AirPods Pro gained immense popularity.
But are your AirPods Pro not working anymore? While some might say this is old news, there is a known manufacturing issue that causes AirPods Pro to suffer from Active Noise Cancellation issues or other sound issues. For example, one of our own employees couldn’t kick an annoying clicking noise from one of his AirPods Pro buds.
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Depending on when your AirPods Pro were manufactured, you may be eligible for a free – yes, free – replacement if these performance issues sound familiar to you. Here’s how Apple explains it AirPods Pro service program for sound issues (opens in new tab):
Apple has determined that a small percentage of AirPods Pro can experience sound issues. Affected units were manufactured prior to October 2020.
Now there is another catch. The service program only replaces AirPods Pro within three years of the original purchase date. This means that the offer should run until at least October 2023. (There’s a chance you may have purchased a pair of AirPods Pro after October 2020 that were manufactured in the other affected devices window.)
Here’s how to get a free AirPods Pro replacement
To get a free AirPods Pro replacement, you first need to find out if your earbuds are eligible. The replacement only applies to issues related to sound and active noise cancellation – charging issues or obvious damage are not covered. A lost earphone does not count either.
Unfortunately, you can’t verify your eligibility for the AirPods Pro Service program in your iPhone Settings or iCloud account. However, if you call an Apple support provider, they should be able to verify your eligibility based on your product serial number against the manufacturing window. You can find your AirPods Pro serial number in your settings or printed on the inside of the charging case.
Still, you’ll need to take your AirPods Pro to an Apple Store for a diagnostic test to confirm the sound issues. So we recommend you skip the call and head straight to the store with your broken AirPods to schedule a Genius Bar appointment. Someone from the Genius Bar will run a diagnostic test, which in our experience takes around 15 minutes.
If they find your AirPods Pro suffer from the manufacturing defect, they will send you a new pair of buds. The charging case isn’t replaced, so you might want to know how to clean an AirPods case if yours is looking a little grim.
What to do if your AirPods Pro aren’t eligible
If your broken AirPods Pro aren’t eligible for a replacement, you have options. First and foremost, check out the best AirPods deals now. Since it is an older model, the first generation AirPods Pro often get deep discounts.
Alternatively, you might want to compare the AirPods Pro 2 versus the AirPods Pro to decide if the newer pair have upgrades that appeal to you. After all, there are a few reasons why the AirPods Pro 2 beat all other wireless earbuds.
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