This brief troubleshooting guide deals with some sound problems for the #iPhone8 and #iPhone8Plus. We cover three specific cases here so we hope that you’ll find some useful tips on what you can do with your own issue. This is not an exhaustive guide on how to fix all sorts of iPhone 8 sound problems so our suggestions are also specific to the cases mentioned only.
Before we proceed let us remind you that you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page. When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.
iPhone 8 Plus Microphone Not Working When Using Whatsapp, Speaker Sound Is Low
Problem#1: iPhone 8 Plus microphone not working when using Whatsapp
I just bought my iPhone 8 Plus few weeks ago. Everything was fine until last night when i was on a voice call (headphones plugged in) with a friend through Whatsapp, he couldn’t hear me but I could hear him perfectly fine. Thought it was a problem with the whatsapp app itself so we tried using wechat voice call, the same problem persists. So then I tried to record myself talking into the microphone in the voice memo. The only sound that came out of it was a really weird distorted sound. Tried it a couple of times, restarted my phone and everything but the problem is still there. So i grabbed the headphones adapter thing that comes with the phone and plugged in my android headphones in and recorded in the voice memo, nothing’s wrong with it, the sound comes out nicely. I thought maybe it’s just the voice memo that’s not working so i tried using my Apple headphones again and talked into the mic as i’m using Siri. No luck, where does the problem really lies? — Angela
Solution: Hi Angela. You’re using a few accessories so you have to isolate each of them to know where your problem lies. Each of them can be the possible cause so make sure to try another known working device of each. For instance, you can try to use another Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter and see if that will work. If the issue persist, then you can try using another EarPods with Lightning Connector to see if the microphone in this accessory is defective. If you’ve already did not before contacting us, then there’s a chance that the issue originates from your iPhone itself.
To see if you have an operating system bug, consider wiping the device by doing a factory reset. Here’s how to do that:
- Open Settings app.
- Tap General.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
- If prompted, enter your passcode.
- Tap Erase iPhone.
Once you’ve reset the phone, set it up as a new device first and check for the problem. If voice communication via headset works, then you have just fixed the issue.
Remember, factory reset will erase all your personal data such as photos, videos, documents, etc. Be sure to back them up ahead of time to avoid losing them.
Problem #2: iPhone 8 custom ringtone for text won’t work
Hi. I was reading through the article about iPhones randomly not using a purchased ringtone as I have this trouble w/ my phone. The contact associated w/ the ringtone .. text tone, actually .. still shows the right one but the phone keeps defaulting back to the tweet sound & I can’t make it change. So, I logged into our iTunes account, went to purchase history & found the purchase of the ringtone, but there’s no arrow to click on to report a problem. Does this option disappear after a while? We purchased this one in Aug 2017. iTunes shouldn’t be affected by that, so I’m not sure how else to try to fix it. Thanks!! Liz Barman
Solution: Hi Liz. If you have the iTunes 12.7 version, then there’s no way you’ll be able to manage tones because Apple removed that functionality recently. Also, it’s possible that you may be affected by a software bug that prevents a custom ringtone to not work even when set up correctly for a certain contact or functionality, like when you assign a non-default tone for incoming SMS notifications. The only fix for this issue is by installing an update so if you haven’t done that lately, make sure that you do it now.
Also, there’s a chance that this might a setting misconfiguration issue so you can also try to rset all the settings on your device and see what happens. Here’s how:
- From the Home screen, go to Settings>General>Reset.
- Tap Reset All Settings.
- If presented, enter the passcode.
- Tap Reset All Settings to confirm.
Problem #3: iPhone 8 speaker sound is very low
My speaker sounds barely work. Very low. Cannot enjoy watching things or listening to music. I’ve YouTubed everything and tried changing everything as far as speaker settings go and no luck I even did the hard reset too. Not enjoying my iPhone 8 Plus. At all. My 6 s plus was way louder than this. And my calls are so low even on speaker. Don’t even know what to do anymore!!! Totally disappointed. — Daniel
Solution: Hi Daniel. If a hard reset or factory reset did not change anything, then your issue is most likely hardware related. When it comes to iOS devices, factory reset is the most that a user can do. Factory reset is obviously limited to fixing software issues only so if that did not do anything, you can assume your iPhone’s speaker may be defective or malfunctioning. To get proper resolution, let an Apple technician check the device and let them decide if you need to send the phone in for repair or replacement.