Owners of new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max devices are reporting sudden clicking and popping sounds from their speakers.
Priced starting at $1,199 for the 256GB version, buyers of the 6.3″ Super Retina XDR OLED models are finding an unwelcome auditory surprise built into their daily use. Across online enthusiast hubs like Reddit and MacRumors forums, users have documented unusual audio distortions on both the standard Pro and the larger Pro Max iterations following their release on September 28, 2026. The Apple A20 Pro-powered devices feature a triple 48MP Fusion camera system with a variable aperture on the main camera and a battery capable of up to 36 hours of video playback on eSIM models, offering a roughly 50 percent charge in about 15 minutes. It remains unclear how many devices are affected by the problem.
The unexpected audio anomalies appear across a wide variety of routine device interactions. The issue frequently manifests near the top earpiece speaker, startling users during standard phone calls and voice input sessions.
Users Spot Audio Glitches in iOS 27
Users note that the strange noises crop up during completely mundane activities, such as playing music, opening applications, or receiving incoming alerts.
The popping sounds have been documented during basic interface actions like scrolling through menus, opening the virtual keyboard, or rapidly altering display brightness. One user even managed to trigger the phenomenon by repeatedly toggling Airplane Mode on and off.
“if someone is pulling out an aux cord and you hear a brief click pop noise.”
Reddit user, via Mashable
Community consensus increasingly leans toward a software origin within iOS 27. Individual owners of older iPhone generations have noted similar distortions after upgrading to iOS 27, providing circumstantial support for a software-driven root cause.
Apple Silent as Hardware Swaps Fail
Replacement hardware exhibits the exact same clicking and popping sounds right out of the box.
Seeking immediate resolution, some owners elected to exchange their smartphones for brand-new replacement units. Those swaps yielded identical results.
Hopes that Apple’s rapid software cycle would clear up the audio trouble were dashed when the iOS 27.0.1 update landed on September 28. That patch tackled separate teething problems—including camera errors, touchscreen freezing, and unexpected device reboots following Face ID failures—but it omitted any mention of audio fixes.
Apple has not yet issued a public statement or formal comment regarding the growing wave of speaker complaints, and affected users confirmed that installing the update failed to eliminate the speaker issues.