Bluetooth audio stuttering issues on my iPhone 16e

Is anyone having issues with Bluetooth audio stuttering? I just upgraded to the 16e from the 13 mini and any Bluetooth device keeps hitching. The sound pauses for a second then picks back up. I’ve tried factory resetting without using an iCloud backup to see if that solved the issue but it still happening. I’m wondering if this is just early adopter troubles or an iOS 18 bug. It’s been driving me nuts!



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iPhone 16e, iOS 18

Posted on Mar 5, 2025 8:00 AM

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Posted on Mar 8, 2025 7:55 AM

I am having the same issue when iPhone 16e is connected to any bluetooth device (tried three different ones including Beats headphones). This does not happen with any other iPhone I have and had.


With Apple support tried:

- playback of music & podcasts via Apple's app, as well as music from youtube via Safari

- using it in different locations

- forced reset

- factory reset

- flight mode (mobile connect & WiFi off, Bluethooth on)

- replacing the phone with another iPhone 16e


None of that fixed it.


Support was escalated from Germany to the US. The Engineers came back with "delay is expected behavior". I was never talking about delay, but the sound cutting out, stuttering if you will.


They told me they will NOT attempt to address this issue because there are not enough complaints about this (yet). Everyone in this thread with the same problem: please open tickets with Apple's help desk and be persistent to escalate it before it gets shut down.

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Mar 5, 2025 8:04 AM in response to oarriaga08

Bluetooth interference can potentially cause connectivity issues due to the disruption of the wireless communication between devices. Bluetooth operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency range, which is also used by various other devices such as Wi-Fi routers, microwaves, cordless phones, and even some baby monitors. When multiple devices are operating nearby and using the same frequency band, interference can occur.



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Mar 7, 2025 1:21 AM in response to FANBOT

Not in my case. It happens with youtube, with spotify, with any sound coming from the phone by bluetooth.


And it doesn't matter if there is another bluetooth connection to, for example, an Apple Watch or not, the problem is still the same, and it's not an headphones problem because on the iPhone 13 Pro they work flawlessly even with other 6 bluetooth connections active (for apple stuff and iot devices)

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Bluetooth audio stuttering issues on my iPhone 16e

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