One AirPod Louder Than the Other? Every Fix

One AirPod sounds fine. The other is noticeably quieter. Music feels off-center and voices seem to come from one side. This is one of the most common AirPods complaints, and it usually has a simple fix.

1. Clean your AirPods

The most common cause is physical: earwax or debris partly blocking the speaker mesh on one AirPod. Even a thin layer can make that side noticeably quieter.

How to clean:

• Use a dry, soft-bristled brush to gently clean the speaker mesh
• For AirPods Pro: remove the ear tip and clean both the tip and the mesh underneath
• Use a dry, lint-free cloth for the outside
• Don't use water, compressed air or sharp objects: they can damage the mesh or push debris further in

Test both AirPods afterwards. Often this alone fixes it.

2. Check the left-right setting in macOS

macOS has a left-right slider for audio that may have been moved off center:

1. Go to System Settings > Accessibility > Audio
2. Find the Balance slider
3. Make sure it's exactly in the middle between L and R

Also check System Settings > Sound > Output: with the AirPods selected, the output settings show a Balance slider too. If either was shifted to one side, center it and both sides should play at the same level.

3. Reset your AirPods

If cleaning and the slider don't help, reset the AirPods:

1. Put both AirPods in the charging case
2. Close the lid and wait 30 seconds
3. Open the lid
4. Press and hold the setup button on the back of the case for about 15 seconds, until the status light flashes amber, then white
5. Pair them with your Mac again (System Settings > Bluetooth)

4. Check Mono Audio

If Mono Audio is on, stereo audio is mixed into one channel and sent to both AirPods equally. It shouldn't make one side quieter, but it changes how some content sounds and can make one side seem "different".

Check: System Settings > Accessibility > Audio, and make sure Mono Audio is off unless you need it.

5. Bluetooth interference

Each AirPod has its own wireless connection. If there's a lot of interference nearby (Wi-Fi routers, other Bluetooth devices, some USB 3 hubs and drives), one AirPod can get a weaker signal.

Fix: move closer to your Mac, disconnect Bluetooth devices you're not using, and move USB 3 hubs or drives a little further away from your Mac.

6. Hardware issue

If nothing above works, one AirPod may have a hardware fault, such as a worn speaker or a damaged mesh.

Fix: contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store. If your AirPods are under warranty or AppleCare+, Apple can replace the affected AirPod. Single AirPod replacements are also available outside warranty.

Keep app volumes predictable

Per-app volume control doesn't fix a difference between your two AirPods. It helps with a related annoyance: when some apps are much louder than others, a sudden loud sound can make the whole thing feel more uneven than it is.

SoundDial gives each running app its own slider in the menu bar. Set Spotify to 40%, Zoom to 100% and Safari to 60%, and each app plays at the level you chose, so a notification from one app doesn't jump out over the rest. You can also mute one app with a click. More on per-app volume control on Mac.

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