I experience crackling when others talk when using Airpods Pro Generation 1 with Teams on Windows 11

Hi Stormer,

My name is Jason and I am an independent advisor and windows user like yourself.

Thank you for the detailed information. It's frustrating when you've done all the right troubleshooting steps and the problem still exists. The fact that the crackling only happens with your AirPods Pro on Teams, but not with a USB headset or on YouTube, is a very specific and common issue.

This problem is a known compatibility and driver-related issue with how Windows' Bluetooth stack handles audio profiles, particularly the "Hands-Free Telephony" service.

Understanding the Problem

Bluetooth headsets like the AirPods Pro use two different audio profiles:

• A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile): This is for high-quality stereo sound (like on YouTube). When you're just listening to audio, your AirPods use this profile, which is why there's no crackling.

HFP (Hands-Free Profile): This is a low-quality, mono profile that enables the microphone and speaker at the same time for two-way communication. Teams, being a communication app, forces the switch to this profile, which is where the crackling and poor quality often occur.

The crackling is often a result of a conflict or poor implementation of the HFP service within Windows' Bluetooth driver stack. Since the Poly headset is a USB device, it uses its own dedicated audio drivers and bypasses the Bluetooth stack entirely, which is why it works perfectly.

The Solution: Disabling "Hands-Free Telephony"

The most effective and widely reported solution for this specific problem is to disable the "Hands-Free Telephony" service for your AirPods Pro. This forces Windows to use the high-quality A2DP profile for playback while disabling the microphone functionality on the AirPods.

Here is the step-by-step process:

Disconnect or "Forget" the AirPods: First, disconnect your AirPods from your PC or, better yet, remove them from your list of paired Bluetooth devices in Windows settings.

Open "Devices and Printers": The easiest way to do this is to press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog, type control printers, and press Enter.

Find Your AirPods: In the "Devices and Printers" window, locate your AirPods Pro. It might appear as a headphone icon.

Open Properties: Right-click on your AirPods Pro and select "Properties."

Go to the "Services" Tab: In the new window that opens, click on the "Services" tab.

Disable "Hands-Free Telephony": Uncheck the box next to "Handsfree Telephony."

Apply and Reconnect: Click "Apply" and then "OK." Then, reconnect your AirPods Pro to your PC.

Important Note: By performing this step, you will be disabling the microphone on your AirPods Pro when they are connected to your PC. You will need to select your laptop's built-in microphone or a different mic source in Teams to speak during calls.

This workaround addresses the root cause of the crackling by preventing Windows from switching to the problematic hands-free profile. If you still want to use a microphone, you'll need to use a separate one, which many users find to be a good trade-off for the improved audio quality.

Hello @Stormer1-1272,  

Good day! Thank you for posting your valuable question on Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Based on official Apple documentation and support pages, here’s what I know about AirPods Pro (1st Generation) so far: 

• Bluetooth Version: 5.0. 
• Supported Profiles (implied by Apple’s documentation and standard Bluetooth behavior): 
  • A2DP: for high-quality stereo audio playback 
  • HFP: for voice calls and microphone input 
  • AVRCP: for playback control (play/pause/skip) 

These profiles are standard across Bluetooth audio devices. AirPods fall back to them when used with non-Apple platforms like Windows or Android. 

Although AirPods Pro Gen 1 use Bluetooth 5.0 and support A2DP, HFP, and AVRCP profiles, Windows 11 automatically switches to HFP when: 

• An app opens the microphone (e.g., Teams during a call). 
• An app uses the “Communications” audio category. 

HFP has lower audio quality (8–16kHz), and Windows resamples all audio to match, causing crackling. YouTube works fine because it uses A2DP (high-quality stereo) and doesn’t activate the mic. 

This information can be found in Bluetooth Classic Audio - Windows drivers | Microsoft Learn 

Based on the information I've found, here are some suggestions that you may want to try for your case: 

Use a Separate Microphone 

• Keep AirPods for audio output only. 
• Open Teams > Settings (Three dots next to your profiles) > Devices 
  • Set Speaker to your AirPods 
  • Set Microphone to your laptop mic or a USB mic. 

This prevents Windows from switching to HFP mode. 

Disable Hands-Free Telephony (Advanced) 

This disables the mic on your AirPods in Windows. 

• Open Control Panel(Search for Control Pannel on your Windows search bar) > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers 
• Right-click your AirPods > Properties 
• Go to the Services tab 
• Uncheck Hands-Free Telephony 
• Click Apply and reconnect your AirPods 

This will disable mic functionality on AirPods in Windows. 

Check for Hardware Issues 

If crackling persists even outside Teams or Youtube, Apple does provide an article about this issue. You can follow the steps they provide at: If your AirPods Pro (1st generation) make crackling or static sounds - Apple Support . Apple also offers an AirPods Pro Service Program for Sound Issues: 

• Units made before October 2020 may qualify for free replacement 
• Symptoms include crackling/static during calls or ANC issues 

Please ensure your device meets the eligibility requirements before using this program.  

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