If the microphone on your iPhone isn’t working properly, you should be able to fix the problem with the tips below.
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Microphone not working on iPhone
Current iPhone models come with 2 front-facing microphones near the front speaker grille and one rear-facing microphone near the rear camera.
Once you are familiar with microphone placement, you will be able to follow the troubleshooting steps listed below to fix the iPhone microphone not working issue.
1. Check the iPhone case
If you’re using a third-party cover, make sure the cover fits your device properly and has the correct openings for all of your iPhone’s speakers.
The openings on the underside of the cover must be perfectly aligned and not cover or block the microphone in any way.
2. Clean microphones
If your iPhone suffers from muffled or low voice, the problem could be due to one or more of its microphones being blocked by dirt or dust particles.
You can use any soft-bristled brush or toothbrush to clean your iPhone’s top, bottom, and back microphones.
Be careful not to use too much force or pressure when cleaning. Also, do not try to insert a toothpick or other sharp object into the microphone.
3. Reboot the iPhone
Sometimes the problem lies in deadlocked processes and unexplained minor glitches. This can be fixed by res
Go to settings > General > scroll down and tap shut down. On the next screen, use the slider to turn off the iPhone.
Allow the iPhone to turn off completely > After 30 seconds, restart the iPhone by pressing power button.
4. Allow apps to access the microphone
When you are having trouble using WhatsApp, Skype or FaceTime, the problem is usually because these VOIP apps do not have permission to access your device’s microphone.
Go to settings > privacy > microphone and Enable microphone access for the required ones apartment.
After that, call using the VOIP app you were having trouble with and see if the microphone is working now.
5. Disconnect Bluetooth devices
The issue could be due to the iPhone being connected to AirPods, wireless headphones, the car’s infotainment system, or external Bluetooth speakers.
Go to settings > Bluetooth > Move the switch next to Bluetooth to OUT Position.
If you don’t want to turn off Bluetooth, you can disconnect Bluetooth devices connected to your device one by one by tapping I icon is next to the Bluetooth device.
6. Update iPhone
Make sure the iPhone is up to date with the latest software updates by going to settings > General > software update.
On the next screen, tap Install (if an update is available).
7. Disable noise cancellation
Noise cancellation is enabled by default on iPhone to reduce ambient noise while the user holds the receiver to their ear.
While this works well in most situations, it can affect voice quality if you’re using iPhone in speaker mode and lying on a couch or bed while talking.
Go to settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual and turn off noise cancellation.
After that, call someone to check if the microphone is now working properly. If not, make sure to turn noise cancellation back on.
8. Reset all settings
If the above methods didn’t help, you can try to factory reset all settings on your iPhone and see if that helps to fix the problem.
Before proceeding with this step, make sure you remember or write down the password for your WiFi network.
Go to settings > General > Transfer or reset iPhone > Reset to default. Select in the popup Reset all settings Possibility.
After the iPhone restarts, reconnect to the WiFi network and check if the microphone is now working properly.
9. Check the microphones
You can check the front mic by taking a short selfie video and check the rear mic by taking a video with the main or rear camera on your iPhone.
To check the bottom microphone, open it voice message app on your iPhone and record a short voice memo by holding the bottom microphone close to your mouth.
If the voice cracks, fades, or cuts out in any of these videos, you need to have Apple Support or another trained technician examine your iPhone’s microphone.
