Archive · 1 Oct 2026
iPhone 18 Pro Users Report Speaker Crackling After iOS 27.0.1
Some people who bought the iPhone 18 Pro say its speaker makes tiny clicking, popping, or crackling sounds.
The sound usually seems to come from the speaker used for phone calls.
It can happen during calls or while using apps and websites.
Some people hear it when notifications appear or when the keyboard opens.
Changing the screen brightness quickly or switching Airplane Mode on and off may also trigger it.
One user said turning off keyboard sounds stopped the noise.
Both the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have been mentioned in the reports.
Apple released iOS 27.0.1 on September 28, but users say it did not fix the issue.
Apple has not confirmed whether the problem comes from the phone's hardware or software.
Owners of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max report faint clicks, pops, and intermittent crackling.
The noise appears to come mainly from the earpiece speaker and does not affect every user in the same way.
Reports describe the sound during calls, app use, scrolling, notifications, keyboard activity, and other routine actions.
Some users say rapidly changing screen brightness or toggling Airplane Mode can trigger the noise, while disabling keyboard clicks helped one user.
Apple's iOS 27.0.1 update, released September 28, did not list or appear to resolve the speaker problem.
- Who
- Users of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, whose reports appeared on Reddit and MacRumors forums.
- What
- Owners report faint clicking, popping, or intermittent crackling from what appears to be the earpiece speaker.
- When
- Reports continued after the release of iOS 27.0.1 on September 28.
- Where
- On affected iPhone 18 Pro models during everyday use.
- Why
- The cause is unknown; users have suggested an iOS audio or routing issue, while Apple has not confirmed whether it is a software bug or hardware defect.
Software Issue Suspected
Hardware Defect Unconfirmed
Possible cause
Software Issue Suspected
Some users suspect an iOS-related audio or routing problem because the noise can follow software actions and disabling keyboard clicks reportedly helped one user.
Hardware Defect Unconfirmed
Apple has not confirmed that the issue is software-related and has not ruled out a hardware defect.
Replacement devices
Software Issue Suspected
Reports that replacement phones showed the same behavior could be consistent with a software issue affecting multiple devices.
Hardware Defect Unconfirmed
The replacement-phone reports do not establish a definite cause, and Apple has not confirmed whether the problem involves hardware.
iOS 27.0.1
Software Issue Suspected
Users report that the update did not eliminate the sounds, leaving the suspected software problem unresolved.
Hardware Defect Unconfirmed
The update's release notes addressed other issues and did not claim to fix the speaker behavior, so its failure does not determine whether the cause is hardware or software.
- Affected models
- iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max
- Reported sounds
- Clicking, faint popping, and intermittent crackling
- Likely source
- Mainly the earpiece speaker
- Reported situations
- Calls, app use, website scrolling, notifications, keyboard activity, and closing pop-up alerts
- Reported triggers
- Rapid brightness changes and toggling Airplane Mode
- Latest update
- iOS 27.0.1, released September 28
- Apple's position
- Apple has not officially confirmed the problem, its cause, or a fix
