Why and how is audio shift back in 2025?

Probably the last update:

The issue remains and there is no chance of fixing it it seems.

After a lengthy chat with Apple support we did the following:

• Rename the AirPods
• Rename the iPhone
• remove the AirPods from Find My
• reset the AirPods as described in Apple's documentation
• force restart the iPhone
• connect the AirPods

I hope the helps somebody else, because it didn't help me.

The issue remains, even though it was less present the first 2 days, however that works. Unfortunately a couple of new issues were introduced! After reconnecting them the "Off listening mode" didn't work, trying to turn it on resulted in an error sound and the AirPods switching to the last used mode by themselves, turning off case charging sounds was also not possible. However, these issues eventually went away, but the original audio shifting remained...

I then had an appointment with an authorised technician who hardware diagnosed them. The test he performed didn't come back with any errors so he couldn't service them, even though he understood the problem at hand!!!

That test was performed the last day of the Apple warranty. He then advised me to get into contact with the seller, Otto (Germany). I just did that ans they told me they couldn't do anything either because I didn't have access to the account they were purchased from. The person I got them from isn't around anymore though...

I'm at a complete loss. I love these things when they work, but they are a drag every time they don't. This has to be the most unsatisfying conclusion to this farce possible. I am very disappointed that this is a problem at all considering these are almost 300€ (280€, around $310 as of writing) headphones from Apple of all companies.

Thanks to the few people that actually recognised my problem and tried to be of help.

Im sorry. I wasn’t clear enough.

it is off. I never use Follow iPhone for Spatial Audio, but I do use fixed Spatial Audio all the time, however it still happens with ANC on and Spatial Audio off and the other way around. It only seems to not happen with everything (except Headphone Accommodations) off.

But thank you.

UPDATE:

I had a chat with Apple support today. The chat was great, the steps to hopefully fix this were weird though.

I was instructed to change the AirPods name, as the name previously didn't reset when factory resetting the unit, and to change my iPhones name, for some reason. I did both, and then factory reset the AirPods and hard reset the iPhone.

So far, in my limited testing (its the weekend, im not out and about) the issue didnt come back up. However, I just got three different issues 🙃

For one, I can't turn off case charging sounds. It's greyed out. Also, I can not under any circumstance use the Off listening mode. It automatically turns on a different mode. Also, I can not see the charging case battery anywhere anymore, not in settings, not in the widget. However the AirPods themselves report their battery life correctly.

I'll update this again once something happens. I was given 48 hours to try the headphones and report back.

How much more annoying can it get, right? Right?

I was thinking that too, especially since it started happening from one day to the next, without me having done anything to or with them. No drops, not moisture, no vibration. The only thing I did was charge them with my S7 Apple Watch charger, so maybe it has something to do with a stronger magnetic field, but I doubt that, too.

I even recently cleaned them according to Apples own tutorial, and apart from the left side being quitter than the right, which interestingly only happened two days after cleaning them, nothing about the audio shifting changed. Maybe the next firmware update will fix it, but im not holding my breath.

Thanks for chiming in, anyway.

I still have warranty for 10 days. Think I’ll just have to have them replaced before I can’t, because this is incredibly frustrating and apparently there nothing I can do otherwise.