Here's Why Your AirPods Make A Chirping Sound
Apple released the AirPods Pro 2 in 2022 as the successor to the original AirPods Pro in 2019. The AirPods Pro (2022) may look largely similar to their predecessor, but some significant upgrades are lurking within.
For starters, the AirPods Pro 2 are equipped with the new H2 chip which provides improved battery life, better noise canceling, and a new Adaptive Transparency mode. They feature touch sensors on the stem to let you control volume, and ship with new extra small ear tips too.
With the AirPods Pro 2, Apple also made improvements to the charging case, which features IPX4 water resistance and a lanyard loop. The case is equipped with an U1 chip that lets you locate it on the Find My map and also includes a built-in speaker that plays sounds to help you find it.
Normally, your AirPods Pro 2 case won't beep unless it's low on battery, placed on a charger, or you're actively trying to locate it using the Find My app. However, some users have reported that their AirPods randomly make a chirping sound. While Apple hasn't made an official statement about this, it turns out the reason your case makes this sound is because of an included safety feature that was rolled out for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirTag.
The reason your AirPods make a chirping sound
Since the AirPods Pro 2 case has Find My integration, it can technically be used like an AirTag to locate (or unfortunately stalk) someone. If the case is placed in a person's bag, jacket, or car, you can track their location on your Find My app.
Following several reported cases of AirTag stalking, Apple introduced an anti-stalking feature that causes an unidentified AirTag to start beeping if it seems to be following you. This only happens when the AirTag loses Bluetooth connection to the paired iPhone, and is in the vicinity of another iPhone. Apple appears to have implemented the same feature for the AirPods Pro 2.
As Reddit user the_cheg discovered, the AirPods Pro 2 make a chirping sound if your iPhone's Bluetooth has been switched off for a while. Apple's support page says, "An AirTag, AirPods Pro (2nd generation) charging case or Find My network accessory that isn't with its owner for a period of time will emit a sound when it's moved." This means that if your iPhone's Bluetooth is off and your AirPods aren't connected to it, the anti-stalking alert might kick in when you try to move them.
How to stop the chirping sound on your AirPods
In most cases, just turning on your iPhone's Bluetooth and making sure the AirPods are connected should stop them from chirping. If this doesn't work though, a simple solution that seems to have worked for users on the Reddit thread is to "Forget" the AirPods from your iPhone's paired devices and pair them again.
Follow these steps to forget your AirPods Pro:
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Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
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Tap Bluetooth.
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Tap the 'i' next to your AirPods Pro.
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Tap Forget This Device.
Now you can proceed to pair the AirPods with your iPhone again. Here's how:
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Bring your AirPods next to your iPhone and open the lid.
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A setup animation should appear on the screen. Click Connect.
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If you don't see this screen, press and hold the button at the back of the AirPods case for a few seconds until the LED starts flashing white.
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With the lid open, bring the AirPods next to your phone.
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Follow the steps to pair them on your iPhone screen.
If the case still makes a chirping sound after this step, try resetting your AirPods and reconnecting them.