iPhone 18 Pro Owners Complain of Speaker Crackling or Popping

Some iPhone 18 Pro owners have reported an unusual crackling sound coming from the device's speaker, sparking complaints on MacRumors forums and Reddit. Users have described the issue as a crackle, a faint tick, a pop, or random clicking. Reports indicate that both the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max models are affected by the problem.

Some users notice the sound consistently, while others experience it during various activities such as app usage, scrolling websites, receiving notifications, using the keyboard, or making calls via a cellular connection.

Upon encountering the problem, users suggest toggling Airplane Mode on and off, which triggers the sound. Adjusting screen brightness rapidly also seems to provoke the issue. Apple released iOS 27.0.1 recently to address a bug that could cause iPhone 18 Pro models to restart when Face ID authentication fails. However, the release notes did not mention a speaker fix, and early feedback suggests that the update did not resolve the issue.

There are accounts of individuals returning their iPhone 18 Pro devices only to receive another unit with the same speaker problem. The cause of the issue remains unclear, but if it is indeed a software bug, a future update may rectify it.