Why does my AirPods Pro Transparency Mode keep turning off?

after the iOS 18 update still doing it. I hate going back in To change it back on.

Count me in, too. The specific problem I’m seeing after updating to IOS 18 on my 15 ProMax is the Headphone Accommodations turn off spontaneously for transparency mode. I’m using my AirPods Pro 2’s that worked flawlessly with the same phone under IOS 17. The fastest way to turn it back on is using the audio shortcut in control center (the little ear icon), rather than navigating into it from the settings app.

[Edited by Moderator]

Yes! After a year of this ongoing problem I’m thinking that it’s something to do with the connection to my Apple Watch too. Possibly a problem with handoff, but turning handoff off on the Apple Watch renders it pretty useless.

Apple really need to sort out how their devices work together - it doesn’t “just work”

I think it is fixed. Make sure you have at least iOS 18.0.1 and your AirPods are 7B13d or more recent. I’m not sure when the latest version update occurred. But it may have been this upgrade that fixed it.

@jbartiny, It's not the Firmapdate that is the issue. Its iOS18.01. Select the custom transparency mode. Then, turn your iPhone off and see if the transparency mode will drop. On my end, it did not. But you end up without a cellphone while using AirPods Pro. :o)

I think you’re right, Bassel80. I turned off Bluetooth on my watch and it solved the problem.

I shouldn’t have to choose between the hearing aid functionality and connecting my watch. I guess I’ll start looking at Samsung’s watch.

Crazy this hasn’t been fixed yet.

Now that I'm back and (somewhat) working on 18, I now see various issues when Transparency drops out. Here are my observations to see if any of you are seeing similar state of the on screen controls.

• For some reason, even though AirPods are connected they stop being the default audio output device - I notice this because the volume slider in Control Centre goes from the AirPods icon to the speaker icon. If I play music, it comes out of the phone speaker, not the AirPods - even though bluetooth says the AirPods are connected.
• There are times when you enable background sounds and it goes out of the speaker not the AirPods - not what you expect
• The music widget in Control Centre continues to show the AirPods icon even though the volume slider shows the speaker icon - so there is an inconsistency of audio output being shown across two controls
• When the speaker icon is default on the volume control going back to Hearing Accomodations you see that Transparency Mode is either not present under Media and Phone anymore, or the previously visible check mark has gone.
• When Transparency drops there is still very quiet audio being heard, and Settings > AirPods still shows the mode as Transparency. Switched to Noise Cancelling and then back to Transparency and the audio is noticeably different. So the EQ that is being applied due to Transparency custom settings is no longer working. Having just disconnected the AirPods from Bluetooth, this might be the equivalent of "AirPods off" in your ears when there is no active noise cancellation - you still hear something.

I have the latest iOS(18.0.1) and most recent AirPods Pro, and my Apple Watch just switched off custom transparency mode. So, it doesn't appear to be fixed.

My AirPod Pro version is 7A305, which the Apple site shows to be the latest version.

Even updating to 18.1, the issue still persists

@kevosmin… I just upgraded to 18.1 and everything seems to be working perfectly.

This is still an issue in Australia, IOS 18.1 constant custom transparency mode drop outs.

I’m on 18.1 now, it’s still happening. I use it on both my 16 Pro Max and 13, same problems for both phones.

I turned off the Bluetooth on the Apple Watch, and since then the issue has disappeared.