New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….
Original story (published on January 14, 2022) follows:
Since its launch in October, buyers of the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro series of smartphones have been encountering some issues that need to be resolved in order to achieve an optimal experience.
Several of the reported bugs/glitches (1, 2, 3, 4) have been resolved or mitigated through software updates. But, there are some that persist to this day (1, 2, 3, 4).
According to reports, some Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro users have experienced an uncomfortable crackling/popping sound that can appear while opening games or apps, recording videos, or on phone calls.
Crackling/popping sound on Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro
While opening apps or games
One of the reported use cases in which the problem can occur is while opening games or apps. When it occurs, it generates a short but intense crackling/popping sound, even if the phone is muted.
Pixel 6 Pro – loud crackling/popping sound when launching certain apps/games
When launching certain apps or games, such as Genshin Impact or AetherSX2, my Pixel 6 Pro sometimes plays a brief, extremely loud crackling/popping sound, even when muted. Unfortunately, I can’t consistently reproduce it, but it does seem more likely to happen the longer my phone’s uptime is. I have also submitted feedback about this.
Source
Apparently, it is not something that happens every time a game or app is opened. However, something like this happening from time to time can be quite annoying for users.
While recording voice or video
Another situation in which the bug can occur is during video or audio recording. In these cases, in addition to the crackling sound, there is also an annoying ‘raining-like’ background noise.
Pixel 6 – Audible Crackling / Static Noise in videos filmed
I’ve recently noticed that anytime I film a video, when watching it there is a crackling / static noise every single time. Almost sounds like it’s raining. It’s most noticeable when filming in quiet environments. The noise is significantly louder in 1.0x-filmed videos as opposed to 0.7x.
Source

Unlike the previous case, the problem seems to be very common while recording audio or video. So, it can be quite frustrating for users.
During phone calls
Finally, some users report similar issues during calls. In these cases, there is a ‘Loud click noise’. At least, this seems to happen occasionally.
Loud click noise from Pixel 6 Pro while on phone calls – rare, but has happened several times. Anyone else?
Hi guys, I’ve been using my Pixel 6 Pro for a few weeks now and I’ve been noticing an issue where my phone will occasionally make a loud click while on a phone call.
Has anyone else noticed this, or does anyone have any ideas what this could be?
Source
As of today, there seems to be no official acknowledgment from Google about the problem. If there are new updates related to the crackling/popping sound on the Pixel 6, we will update this article.
Finally, you can also take a look at the bugs/issues tracker dedicated to the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
Update 1 (March 11)
01:11 pm (IST): Some users are again reporting the issue where they are getting loud noise during calls after updating to the Android 12 QPR3 beta 1.
Update 2 (April 08)
07:35 pm (IST): Google has released Android 12 QPR3 beta 2 for Pixel 6 devices and it includes a fix for this issue.
Update 3 (June 7)
09:51 am (IST): Google has released the stable Android 12L QPR3 with June 2022 update for Pixel 6 and 6 Pro users. It includes fixes for the issue causing crackling or popping sounds during calls and while taking videos.
Fix for issue causing loud noise artifacts during calls under certain conditions *[2].
Fix for issue occasionally causing click sound in the background of captured videos (A-222556615) (Source)
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