Audio glitches on Mac after macOS Tahoe update

I'm having audio glitches even under the device is underload a little bit just a little bit and I don't know how to fix that thing. It happens just after the macOs Tahoe update. I didn't have any problems in previous Os.



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Audio Glitches

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 26.0

Posted on Sep 19, 2025 7:00 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 10, 2025 11:55 PM

I did not notice this response when browsing the thread initially. I too had Xcode Developer Tools iPhone/iOS Simulator app open and yes it clearly causes/amplifies the problem. Closing iOS Simulator removed all audio glitches! My guess it's not just iOS Simulator but simultaneous open active apps interfacing with macOS audio services do not play well together in current Tahoe system. Maybe.

61 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 10, 2025 11:55 PM in response to DJ-R

I did not notice this response when browsing the thread initially. I too had Xcode Developer Tools iPhone/iOS Simulator app open and yes it clearly causes/amplifies the problem. Closing iOS Simulator removed all audio glitches! My guess it's not just iOS Simulator but simultaneous open active apps interfacing with macOS audio services do not play well together in current Tahoe system. Maybe.

Nov 10, 2025 9:33 AM in response to k_azmi

k_azmi wrote:

You are my hero. I just changed my format. I don't know this setting before. Because before updating to Tahoe 26.1, this problem never showed up.

Image default after update to Tahoe.
https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/c2a451cf-04a2-409c-a118-45fa25d545c2


and found your solutions. I changed the setting to format below.
https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/d0fe3df9-7b68-43f9-addb-66d139302b0c

and my sound become normal again. Big thanks for you.


good computing k_azmi ! Appreciate your feedback.

Oct 9, 2025 6:09 PM in response to danyisdany

Yes and it's unfortunate that most if not all 3rd party software developers scramble to keep up with Apple Updates.

It may take developers several months to write codes to fix issues. Since Windows is not as aggressive on updates as Apple the users are spared the headache. I'm running a Multi Media platform on Mac Studio. Recording studio and Video editing. I did notice some of the settings were lost with the Tahoe update for instance MIDI routing had to be reconfigured to be able to have sound. Also a native plugin synth only the sound crashes and that didn't happen before. There are non response glitches on commands that were not there before. What I mean by glitch is a freeze up.

Sep 21, 2025 8:20 PM in response to danyisdany


There are more reports here, yes.


It is similar to the bug

"External camera video is laggy/choppy in conferencing apps until Photo Booth is opened" in Tahoe.


It is a long shot but worth a try to compare your results.


Ai says—

[Photo Booth does record audio by using your Mac's built-in microphone by default, but only if the microphone is enabled in the system settings and the correct audio source is selected]



To be proactive you can file a bug report / submit your Apple Feedback here: Product Feedback - Apple


Nov 5, 2025 5:05 AM in response to danyisdany

MBP 16" M2 Max

Tahoe 26.1


Yes having strange audio playback problems since updated to Tahoe 26. Here my experience, hope this helps if any Apple engineers happens to peek into these forums.


--


First I doubted this was a specific web-browser issue - I use latest Firefox and listen audio from YouTube while I work. It seemed like when ever there were something happening, keyboard stroke, mouse button press, opening application, some random extra white noise cracking sounds were audible in the audio.


Then I thought this is an USB specific issue. I have a Allen Heath CQ18-T audio mixer - connected to MBP via USB and used as the audio output (and input). I have a Logitech mouse connected with a USB dongle and cracks seemed to happen whenever I interacted with a mouse. I use a BT keyboard (Logitech). When I pressed a button down from a keyboard and kept it pressed, there was a white noise noise spike added to the audio stream at roughly 250ms interval, continuously.


I plugged headphones directly to MBP and configured MPB/headphones as the audio output - still the same issue.


No matter if audio source is web-browser app or Apple Music app.

Nov 10, 2025 3:37 AM in response to ben_thomas

I’ve been grappling with this issue for months, and I’m still astounded by the lack of response and the unprofessionalism we’re subjected to. We’re a large group here. I’m refraining from using strong language because I’ve already been “edited” by the moderator. If this is indeed a real human being, I’m genuinely unsure. Anyhow, long live to sudo kill coreaudiod.

Oct 12, 2025 11:07 PM in response to danyisdany

Subject: Right Speaker Crackles / Stops Working After Sleep or Restart – macOS Tahoe 26 (MacBook Pro 14” M1 Pro 2021)

Description:

After updating my MacBook Pro (14‑inch, M1 Pro, 2021) to macOS Tahoe 26, I’ve encountered a recurring audio issue affecting the right internal speaker. After waking from sleep or restarting, the right speaker starts crackling (“zzz / krrrr”) and often stops producing sound entirely.

If I keep the Mac awake continuously, both speakers work perfectly — so this seems tied to power management or the CoreAudio driver, rather than a hardware defect. Both left and right channels appear in System Information, showing the device is still recognized correctly.

Temporary workarounds tried:

  • Resetting NVRAM / PRAM
  • Full DFU restore via Apple Configurator
  • Clean macOS Tahoe reinstall
  • Deleting CoreAudio / MIDI preferences
  • Running Apple Diagnostics (no issues found)
  • Restarting CoreAudio using sudo killall coreaudiod (temporarily restores sound)
  • Adjusting CoreAudio process priority (temporary improvement only)

Despite all these steps, the issue persists consistently after every restart or sleep–wake cycle.

Impact:

The right speaker becomes unusable until I manually restart CoreAudio or reboot several times. This severely affects media playback and everyday usage.

Request:

Please investigate this potential macOS Tahoe 26 audio driver or power management bug on M1 Pro models, as multiple users are reporting the same symptoms online. Any acknowledgment or fix in an upcoming update would be greatly appreciated.

System:

  • MacBook Pro 14” M1 Pro (2021)
  • macOS Tahoe 26 (latest public release as of report)

Thank you for your attention and support.

Audio glitches on Mac after macOS Tahoe update

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.