macOS Catalina 10.15.2 appears to partially fix the 16-inch MacBook Pro speaker popping bug

The macOS Catalina 10.15.2 software update that dropped yesterday may have fixed a very distinctive popping sound coming from the speaker of the 16-inch MacBook Pro, at least for some users. However, further updates might be required to stamp out the issue entirely.

Apple did acknowledge the issue, calling it a software problem that would get addressed in forthcoming updates. The company didn’t identify the specific software updates that would provide a fix for the speaker popping problem, but one customer took to Reddit to claim that their notebook stopped exhibiting the popping issue after installing the update.

As noted by MacRumors, attempting to trigger the popping issue in the affected apps such as VLC, Safari, Chrome, Netflix, YouTube, Premiere Pro and Amazon Prime Video yielded no results, suggesting that the macOS Catalina 10.15.2 might have in fact addressed the problem.

Unfortunately, we don’t know for sure.

Apple isn’t publicly commenting on the issue beyond its previous statement and the bug-fix section of the official macOS Catalina 10.15.2 release notes don’t mention a fix for the issue.

Additional reports from other owners of the 16-inch ‌MacBook on the MacRumors forums are mixed, with some folks claiming their popping problems have been entirely solved and others claiming that while the update improves the popping problem, it doesn’t eliminate it entirely.

“Some users are hearing lighter popping sounds in Chrome and Safari, and some report that the popping has stopped for apps like Spotify but not for others,” reads the report.

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Apple recently distributed a bulletin to its Authorized Service Provider network, advising personnel that some apps that play audio, including Final Cut Pro X, Logic Pro X, QuickTime Player, Music and Movies, may produce a pop from the speakers after playback has ended.

“Apple is investigating the issue,” reads the bulletin. “A fix is planned in future software updates. Do not set up service or replace the user’s computer as this is a software-related issue.” Note that the advisory said the fix would require updates plural, not a single update.

The popping sound is definitely an annoyance and it’s been noted by users of Apple’s new notebook in various online discussion groups.

If you own a new 16-inch Apple notebook, we’d love to hear from you!

Have you encountered the speaker popping issue yet?

If so, in which apps and under what circumstances? Share your experience with this software bug with fellow readers by posting in the commenting section down below.