Fix Audio Crackling and Popping on macOS Tahoe

Crackling and popping after updating to macOS Tahoe usually comes from one of a few things: a stuck Core Audio process, an output device whose audio format doesn't suit the content, a congested Bluetooth connection, or third-party audio software that hasn't caught up with the new macOS. Work through the steps below in order.

Start with the quick fixes

• Restart the Mac. After a major update, a clean restart reloads the audio system and clears many cases of crackling.
• Unplug and replug the output device. If you use a USB audio device, dock or audio interface, disconnect it, wait a few seconds and reconnect. Try a port directly on the Mac rather than through a hub. Hubs and displays that pass audio along are a common source of pops.

If the noise survives a restart, it's likely a setting or software conflict. Keep going.

Check the audio format in Audio MIDI Setup

A frequent cause of pops is the format your output device is set to. Changing it, even briefly, also forces macOS to set up the device connection again.

1. Open Audio MIDI Setup (in Applications > Utilities, or search with Spotlight).
2. Select your output device in the sidebar.
3. Open the Format menu and try a different value, for example 48,000 Hz, then test playback.
4. If popping continues, try 44,100 Hz and test again.
5. If you work with an audio interface and music software, set the device format to match your project's setting.

Switching the format and back can fix the problem even if you end up on the original value.

Reset Core Audio

The macOS audio system runs as a background process called coreaudiod. After a big update it can hold on to stale device state. Restarting it is safe and doesn't need a reboot. Open Terminal and run:

sudo killall coreaudiod

Enter your password when asked. Audio cuts out for a moment, then the process restarts on its own. This often fixes crackling that appears out of nowhere on a Mac that was fine before the update.

Bluetooth headphones

If the crackling only happens on AirPods or other Bluetooth headphones, the connection is the likely cause, not your Mac's speakers.

• Forget and re-pair the headphones. In System Settings > Bluetooth, remove them, then pair them again.
• Watch for call mode. When an app turns on the headphones' microphone, many headphones switch to a hands-free mode that sounds rougher. Quit call and voice apps you aren't using, or pick a different microphone (such as the Mac's built-in one) in the app's audio settings.
• Reduce interference. Crowded 2.4GHz environments and many connected Bluetooth devices can cause intermittent pops. Disconnect devices you don't need. More in AirPods stuttering or cutting out on Mac.

Quit third-party audio software

Apps that install a virtual audio device or a system extension often need an update after a major macOS release. Older versions can conflict with the new system or with each other.

• Quit any app that adds its own audio device or processes system audio, and test whether the crackling stops.
• Check System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions for audio-related items that may need an update or removal.
• Update those apps to versions that support your macOS, or uninstall the ones you no longer use.

If quitting one of them stops the pops, you've found the cause.

System-wide or one app?

Play a local audio file, then a browser video, then a music app. If only one app crackles, look at that app's own settings or an update for it. If everything crackles, the steps above are where the answer is.

Still stuck? Start in Safe Mode, which loads no third-party extensions. On Apple silicon, shut down, press and hold the power button until startup options appear, select your startup disk, then hold Shift and choose to continue in Safe Mode. If audio is clean there, a login item or extension is the likely cause; turn them back on one at a time to find it. For broader problems, see Mac sound not working after an update and fixing audio crackling and popping on Mac.

Once your audio is clean

SoundDial does not fix crackling. It solves a different gap: macOS has no built-in per-app volume mixer. SoundDial gives each running app its own slider from 0% to 200% and a one-click mute, so you can turn a loud app down without lowering everything. More on per-app volume control on Mac.

SoundDial, a per-app volume mixer for Mac, needs macOS 14.2 or later and costs €14.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store, no subscription.

Get SoundDial on the Mac App Store.