Apple Airpods soft sound after Windows 11 update

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Apple Airpods may give a softer sound after you update your computer to the Windows 11 operating system. Lower volume on the Apple Airpods after updating the computer to Windows 11 from Windows 10 is an issue that is experienced by quite a few people. What causes the softer or quieter sounds or lower volumes on the Apple airpods after Windows 11 update is not clear. However, we look at the possible solution to the Apple airpods softer sound after Windows 11 update.

Why do we hear softer sounds on Apple airpods after Windows 11 update?

Softer or quieter sounds on the Apple AirPods after update of computer to Windows 11 is a software issue. Most likely, the issue is one of compatibility or inability of the driver to work seamlessly with the updated Windows 11 operating system. Some unconfirmed reports suggest that Windows 11 handles headsets differently than the headsets on Windows 10. The audio codecs for headsets seem to have gone under a change from Windows 10 to Windows 11.

The issue can be verified on your end. Use your Apple AirPods on a Windows 11 computer. Now, use the same set of Apple AirPods on a Windows 10 computer. You will notice a remarkable difference between the sound levels on a Windows 10 computer and Windows 11 computer.

How can I resolve the issue of quieter Apple AirPods on Windows 11 computers?

We expect Microsoft to release a software patch or an update to resolve the issue of softer sound on Apple AirPods. Until then, we have a fix that seems to have worked for quite a few Windows 11 users. Many users have reported that the below given fix for softer or quieter sounds on Apple AirPods on Windows 11 resolves the sound issue.

The fix involves resetting the Apple AirPods, deleting the Bluetooth driver from the device manager and forcing the system to re-load the Bluetooth drivers. We, basically, break the pairing between the Bluetooth stack and the Apple AirPods and try to force a new connection with the reset Apple AirPods.

To fix the issue of softer sounds on Apple AirPods after updating the computer to Windows 11 please follow the steps below:

  • In the Device Manager, look for Apple AirPods under ‘Bluetooth’, ‘Audio, inputs and outputs’, and ‘Sound, video and game controllers’. There are 3 categories under which we will search for the Apple AirPods. You can open the Device Manager by searching for ‘Device manager’ in the search box on the taskbar.

  • The 3 categories under which you will need to search for the ‘Apple AirPods’ are shown and highlighted in the screenc capture below:
Uninstall Apple AirPods from Windows 11 Device Manager
  • Right click on each listing for the Apple AirPods and select ‘Uninstall device‘. Remember, you will need to uninstall each Apple AirPod device from the 3 categories mentioned in the previous step i.e. ‘Audio, inputs and outputs’, ‘Bluetooth’, and ‘Sound, video and game controllers’.
  • Once you have uninstalled the Apple AirPods from the device manager, please restart the computer. This step should not be skipped. Without restarting the Windows 11 computer, we will not be able to refresh the Bluetooth stack and force the new audio codec on Windows 11 to pick the Apple AirPods.
  • Let your Windows 11 computer boot up. In the meantime, we will reset the Apple AirPods. To reset the Apple Airpods, we will need to perform the following steps:
    • Open the Apple AirPods case
    • Hold the button on the back for about 10 to 20 seconds.
    • Let the amber light on the Apple AirPods change color to green.
    • Once the light on Apple AirPods turn green, we can conclude that the Apple AirPods have been successfully reset.

Resetting the Apple AirPods requires attention. Please do make sure that the lights on the Apple AirPods change from amber to green before proceeding ahead. Unless you have the confirmation of the green light on the Apple AirPods we cannot be sure that the Apple AirPods have been successfully reset. Do not skip this step of resetting the Apple AirPods successfully and completely.

  • Now, pair the Apple AirPods through Bluetooth option on the Windows 11 computer. You can pair the Apple AirPods by going to the Control panel —–> System —–> Bluetooth & devices——> Add device.
  • The screen capture below shows you the ‘Add device’ option under the Bluetooth & devices under System settings on a Windows 11 computer.
Add a Bluetooth device to Windows 11
  • Upon completion of the pairing between Apple AirPods and the Windows 11 Bluetooth stack, sound on Apple AirPods should get restored to the normal levels. The audible levels should match the levels on a Windows 10 computer.

Conclusion

When you upgrade your computer from Windows 10 to Windows 11, the paired Apple AirPods may give quieter or softer sounds than before. Resetting the Apple AirPods and re-creating the paired connection between the Windows 11 computer and Apple AirPods will help in resolving the issue.

We, however, do expect that this issue may get resolved as part of a future update on Windows 11 computer.

You may also like to read the following Windows 11 related content:

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Rajesh Dhawan

Rajesh Dhawan is a technology professional who loves to blog about smart wearables, Cloud computing and Microsoft technologies. He loves to break complex problems into manageable chunks of meaningful information.