What Does It Mean When Apple AirPods Make A Chirping Sound?

Have you ever noticed your Apple AirPods producing an odd chirping sound? Whether you own a first-generation set of wireless buds or you're rocking Apple's latest and greatest AirPods Pro 2 with a USB-C charging case, the chirping doesn't pick and choose when it comes to the AirPods' model or release year.

So, what exactly causes this audible tone in the first place? There are a handful of reasons your AirPods may be acting more vocal than usual, and it all boils down to hardware and software. One potential cause for your AirPods' chirping may simply be that your host device's Bluetooth is disabled. This is actually part of an anti-stalking feature Apple introduced with iOS 14.5, which notifies you when an unidentified Find My device is nearby. It's simple enough to turn your iPhone's Bluetooth back on to make the chirping sound go away. But if it persists, you may be dealing with a different chirp culprit entirely. Let's get to the bottom of all this noise.

Do you often struggle to keep your AirPods and charging case topped off? If you're listening to a song or podcast, and you suddenly hear a tone from one or both earbuds, this is actually a failsafe feature that means your AirPods are low on battery. You'll hear the tone once when a bud battery hits 10%, and a second time before the AirPod dies completely.

If you own the AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods 4 (ANC), the MagSafe Charging Case (Lightning or USB-C) is supposed to emit a tone when charging or if the battery is low — a setting you can disable in iOS if you wish to. Just tap "Settings" and your AirPods' name, then scroll down to "Charging Case Sounds," and turn the setting off.

A connectivity issue with your host device or media-streaming platform may also cause an AirPods chirp. This could be anything from a minor iOS hiccup to a backend issue with services like Spotify or Apple Music. This is why it's a wise idea to make sure your iPhone, iPad, or other paired device is running the latest firmware version. (The same goes for any content-streaming apps you use.)

If you've registered your AirPods product as a traceable Find My device, the Find My app includes a Play Sound function. When activated, this causes your AirPods — and/or their charging case — to emit a chirping sound to help you locate your missing tech. If you and a family member are part of the same Family Sharing group, the other party can also use the Find My app to help you track down a device. This means they'll also be able to hit the "Play Sound" button to get your AirPods whining like baby birds.

You may also encounter unexpected chirps if you accidentally brush your AirPods together. This has happened on more than one occasion to the writer of this article (who owns the AirPods Pro 2), and seems to occur the most when Transparency mode is enabled. This is actually just the external microphones built into each bud doing their job: amplifying sound. When your AirPods have Transparency enabled and brush up against each other, the high-pitched tones are most likely caused by the plastic and metal parts of your earbuds colliding.