If your iPhone 6s isn’t making any sound, or if audio is muffled, crackly, or distorted, it can be incredibly frustrating—especially when everything looks fine on the surface. Whether the issue is with the speaker, microphone, or audio alerts, this guide will walk you through the most effective fixes to help bring your iPhone’s sound back to life.
1. Restart Your iPhone
Start simple—temporary software glitches can easily cause sound issues.
- Press and hold the Power button until the slide to power off screen appears.
- Slide to shut down, wait 30 seconds, then press the Power button again to turn it back on.
2. Check the Ring/Silent Switch
This little switch on the left side of your iPhone could be the silent culprit—literally.
- If you see orange, your iPhone is in Silent Mode.
- Flip the switch toward the screen to turn the ringer back on.
- You should see a “Ringer” notification pop up.
3. Turn Up the Volume
It sounds obvious, but the ringer and system volumes are separate from media volume.
- Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics.
- Drag the Ringer and Alerts slider all the way to the right.
- Use the volume buttons while playing music or video to test sound output.
You can also swipe up for the Control Center and manually adjust the volume slider.
4. Clean the Speaker and Lightning Port
Dirt, lint, and debris can block the sound path or cause distortion.
- Use a soft, dry toothbrush or compressed air to gently clean the speaker grill and Lightning port.
- Avoid poking with sharp objects or using water or liquid cleaners directly.
5. Disable Bluetooth
If your iPhone is connected to a Bluetooth speaker or headset, it will route audio there instead of through the phone’s speaker.
- Go to Settings > Bluetooth and toggle it off.
- Or swipe up for Control Center and disable Bluetooth from there.
6. Turn Off Do Not Disturb (DND)
DND silences incoming calls and notifications.
- Go to Settings > Do Not Disturb, and toggle it off.
- Or swipe up to access the Control Center and tap the moon icon to disable DND.
7. Check for Mute in Control Center
If your iPhone is muted through software, sound won’t play—even if the physical switch is off.
- Swipe up for the Control Center.
- Tap the bell icon if it’s highlighted (muted), to turn sound back on.
8. Inspect Notification Settings
You might’ve accidentally turned off sound alerts for specific apps.
- Go to Settings > Notifications.
- Tap an app (e.g. Messages), and ensure Allow Notifications and Sounds are enabled.
9. Reset All Settings
If sound issues started after tweaking settings and you can’t pinpoint the cause:
- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings.
- This won’t delete your personal data but will reset Wi-Fi, sound, and system settings.
10. Try a Factory Reset (Last Resort)
If nothing else works, a full reset may clear up deeper system bugs—but this erases all data, so back up first.
- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.
- Follow the prompts to reset your device to factory settings.
11. Update iOS
Sound issues can also be fixed with a system update.
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
- If there’s an update available, tap Download and Install.
You can also update via iTunes/Finder using a computer.
12. Still No Sound? Contact Apple
If you’ve tried everything and your iPhone 6s still has audio problems, hardware might be the issue—especially if:
- Your phone was dropped or exposed to liquid.
- There’s buzzing, static, or no sound at all even after a reset.
In that case, it’s time to:
- Contact Apple Support
- Visit an Apple Store or authorized repair center
- Use AppleCare if still covered