First, test for asbestos.

we found wetting it made a mess and the solution sold to us by the paint store was ok but just dry scraping it worked for us. LOTS of dust so use a mask and clothes you may want to throw away

If you use the soaking method and a mask you will be okay even if there is some asbestos but you need to bag when wet .

Spray with water wait about 5-10 min spray again. .scrape

Remove all furniture and cover carpet

Can buy asbestos kit at big box store if home was built before 82 id deffinetly test.

test it. you might decide to just cover it with a wood ceiling.
popcorn removal is a huge mess. if you go that route, test first, and be super prepared.

Asbestos is a concern in pre 1979 popcorn. After that it was phased out, at least in New York. The difficulty of scraping popcorn depends upon whether it has been painted or not. If it hasn't been, it is much easier to remove. If it has been, you need to scrape off the tips, wet it and then remove. Sheet-rocking over can be a good option.

I must be the only person on the planet that doesn't mind popcorn ceilings. We have wood floors, and a flat ceiling would enhance the echo chamber effect.

use a hand tool to scrape it off...sand paper for dry wall.

You're not alone, Ann. Textured ceilings do indeed help to damp the noise. They also hide imperfections.

It's just that they're currently out of fashion. People only want what they see in / on the home improvement magazines and websites.

But I'll bet that 75 years from now, homeowners restoring houses built in the 1970s will be putting textured ceilings back in, at great expense, for that authentic period look!

I am removing popcorn from my ceiling now. This is a very messy job. But it is doable.

I cover the floors with plastic, though the floors will be replaced, but I don't want to keep mess on them. tape the baseboards, or remove them.
I spray warm water with soap onto all ceiling, then wet it again. I am using garden sprayer with large container and long wand. Home depot has them. I stand on scaffolding with wheels, it cost about $80, but it makes the job so much easier. I am scraping it with 6 and 12 in drywall trowels. wet the ceiling often and scrape it slowly. be careful around inside corners not to rip off the corner paper. I am installing the crown moulding, so I don't care if my corners are not perfect.
Get a good light to go over your ceiling after. clean the spots, patch the ceiling.
my ceiling under the pop corn is in a good shape, but ceiling Paint is forgiving, I have few spots that i did not like, but primer and paint has covered it.
do it one room at the time. the process is slow and messy, but in my opinion is totally worth it.

I left a small piece of popcorn on my ceiling, just to show the difference.

Good luck :)

Tape a 10" drywall knife to a strong shop vac then scrape away.