iOS 17.4.1 has ruined my air pod pro and Apple Watch😭

FWIW. In my case, the only difference is that I have a 3rd gen iPhone SE, but have the same AirPods Pro and 2nd gen Apple Watch SE. My iPhone is running 17.4.1 and I'm not having any issues with either of these devices. I'm not saying that you are not, just that not everyone is.

I'm sorry that you believe my replies seem aggressive. I was not trying to elicit either drama nor show pity for your circumstance. I did state that "I'm not saying that you are not ..." in my reply to your post which, I had hoped, shown that I do understand your negative experience with the update.

Regardless, we are not Apple employees here. We are just fellow Apple-product users trying to help others where we can. If you feel otherwise, you can certainly contact Apple Support directly with this issue for further assistance.

Yes I got the same problem very disappointing, and I can’t revert the update. Definitely will consider getting non Apple devices in the future now. A temporary fix to to just wait 5-10 min to actually play audio still a pain in the a**.

Hi, everyone! I found a solution to this from another forum online! Here's what I did and it WORKED! I selected the Forget This Device in settings for the airpods. Then confirmed it was gone on icloud, if not, remove the device from there as well. Once that's done, take the earbuds out of the case, then put them back in and close the lid for about 15 seconds. THEN - open the case and press the reset button on the back of the case. The light should be Amber initially, and once it's reset, it will turn white. Then when your phone pops up the image to connect, connect the airpods. You should then see both the left and the right. Good luck!

Similar issue. I have to restart my phone every single time i want to use my AirPods after 17.4.1