How to fix an iPhone 7 that is losing sound or no audio after installing iOS 11.3.1 update (easy steps)

No sound problems in iOS devices like the iPhone 7 can be due to damaged hardware or bad software. Hardware-related sound issues are usually inflicted by physical or liquid damage on the speaker and other relevant components on the iPhone. Sound problems that are attributed to the software are often occurring after implementing a new software as some iPhone 7 users encountered following the iOS 11.3.1 update installation. If you’re among those who ended up facing the same no sound problem on your iPhone 7 after installing the new update, then this post might be able to help. Read on and find out what options you can try on when attempting to troubleshoot and fix the problem on your end before opting for service.

Before anything else though, if you have other issues with your device, then visit our troubleshooting page for we have already addressed several common problems with this phone. Odds are that there are already existing solutions to your problems so just take time finding issues that are similar with yours. If you can’t find one or if you need further assistance, feel free to contact us by completing our iPhone issues questionnaire. Please provide us with as much information as possible so that it would also be easier for us to troubleshoot the problem. Don’t worry as we offer this service for free, so all you have to do is give us sufficient information about the problem.

First solution: Perform a soft reset (reboot) on your iPhone 7.

It is recommended to restart your device after installing new updates to implement recent changes and prevent unusual symptoms to arise. Some updates would cause a device to glitch after installing and this is when you will perceive that there’s something wrong with your device. No sound or no audio problem on the iPhone could be among the transpiring symptoms. To fix it, start by performing a soft reset or reboot on your device. Here’s how:

Press the Power button for a few seconds until the Slide to Power Off menu appears.
Drag the slider to the right. Doing so will shut your iPhone down.
After about 30 seconds, press and hold the Power button again and then release when the Apple logo appears.

Your iPhone then boots up as it normally does and should be all set for use again.

Alternatively, you can perform a force restart or soft reset using hardware keys on your iPhone 7. It’s a simulated battery removal process carried out on devices with non-removable batteries especially when it stops working and the screen is frozen. It actually works the same as the usual restart does without affecting your iPhone data. Here’s how it’s done:

Press and hold the Power button and the Volume Down button simultaneously for about 20 seconds.
Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.

Wait until your device has finished booting up then test to see if audio functions are already working as intended.

Second solution: Flip the ringer switch off and then back on.

There are certain factors that would trigger your device to suddenly go rogue and its audio function just doesn’t work as intended. And sometimes, all it takes for everything to work properly again is to flip the ringer switch on or off. That said, try flipping the Ringer switch from the top left of your iPhone to turn Silent Mode on. After a few seconds, flip the Ringer switch again to turn Silent Mode off.

Also try to adjust the volume level by pressing on the Volume Up or Down button respectively.

Third solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone 7.

Some updates can override your current settings automatically. And this would lead to two possible outcomes, either good or bad. Unfortunately in your case the outcome is bad as you ended up hearing no sound from your iPhone 7 after installing the new update. To rule this out, you can try to reset all settings and then configure individual features including audio functions accordingly. Simply follow these steps to get this done:

Tap Settings from the Home screen to get started.
Tap General.
Scroll to and tap Reset.
Tap to select Reset all settings from the given options.
Enter your device passcode to continue.
Finally, tap to confirm option to reset all settings.

Wait until your device is finished resetting system settings to their default values. This does not affect any data and personal information stored on your iPhone’s internal memory, thus won’t result to data loss. Restart your iPhone to refresh the system and apply the recent changes. You will need to set up and reconnect to your Wi-Fi network to get your iPhone back online.

Fourth solution: Use iTunes to reset or restore iOS on your iPhone 7.

Performing an iOS reset or restore would be the last options and possible solutions to consider if all else failed to fix the problem and that your iPhone 7 still has no sound. The problem could be more complex and therefore requires a full system wipe out for things to work properly again. That said, you may either reset your iPhone 7 to factory defaults and then set it up as new or restore from a previous iOS backup. The latter could mean downgrading but will likely fix the problem caused by a faulty update or bugs from the iOS 11.3.1. Should you wish to continue, don’t forget to back up your important data beforehand.

To perform a factory reset, navigate to your iPhone Settings-> General-> Reset menu. Then select the option to Erase all content and settings. If prompted, enter the correct passcode for your iPhone then tap to confirm option to reset your iPhone.

Alternatively, you can use iTunes to reset or restore your iPhone 7 on a computer. Just ensure that the computer is running on a later if not the latest operating system with the latest version of iTunes software installed to avoid system conflict. Once you have the equipment ready, connect your iPhone 7 to your computer using the supplied Lightning cable. Wait until iTunes will recognize your iPhone and then follow the onscreen commands or instructions to complete the iOS reset or restore. You may opt to restore your iPhone 7 in recovery mode or DFU mode. To restore your iPhone 7 in recovery mode, you may refer to these steps:

Open iTunes while your is iPhone plugged in to your computer.
While your iPhone is connected, force restart it with these steps:
Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously. Don’t release the buttons when you see the Apple logo.
Keep holding both buttons until the Recovery Mode screen appears and then release.
If prompted with the option to Update or Restore, tap to select Restore option.
Wait for iTunes to download software for your device. If the download takes longer than 15 minutes, your iPhone will exit recovery mode. Just wait until the download is finished and then go back to the previous steps to enter recovery mode again.
Wait for the recovery mode restore process to finish and you can set up and use your device by then.

DFU or Device Firmware Upgrade mode allows you to restore your iPhone from any state. In this mode, your iPhone can communicate with iTunes on a computer without activating the bootloader or iOS. You can enter DFU mode and restore your iPhone 7 in iTunes with these steps:

Connect your device to your computer using the supplied USB cable/Lightning cable.
While it’s connected, press and hold down both the Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously for 8 seconds.
After 8 seconds, release the Power button but continue to hold down the Volume Down button.
If the Apple logo appears, it means you’ve held the Power button for too long and that you need to start from the very first step.
If nothing shows up on the screen or it’s completely black, it means the device is in DFU mode. At this point, you will see an iTunes alert saying that a device was detected in recovery mode. This is your cue to start performing a DFU mode restore in iTunes. You may choose to restore your iPhone to a previous iOS backup.

Again, both these restore options result to data loss, so be sure to back them up beforehand.

Seek more help

Contact your carrier or Apple Support for other options and further troubleshooting assistance. Reporting the problem is also imperative to let Apple’s Support team make further assessment to determine if this can be deemed among other post update issues to address. Or, you can also take your iPhone 7 to an Apple service center nearby and have it checked by an authorized technician for hardware damage. No sound problem may also be attributed to a faulty hardware like a damaged speaker or other audio components.

Connect with us

If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the new Apple iPhone 7 smartphone, feel free to visit our Tutorial Page. There you can find a list of how-to contents, step-by-step tutorials, as well as answers to FAQs regarding iPhone 7. If you have other concerns or encountered some troubles while using the phone, you can reach us through this form. Just be sure to tell us more details of the problem or device issue(s) you may have and we will be more than happy to assist you further.

You may also like to check these posts out: