When getting phone calls on your iPhone, you can’t hear the person from the other line or vice versa. And when you tried to use Siri or Talk-to-Text app they’re not working. These are among the common indications that your iPhone microphone not working. And it could be due to a problem with the audio system if not, hardware damage.
To make it more specific, cellular network connectivity errors, bad apps, damaged microphone, or other audio components on the phone are the possible triggers. Highlighted below are suggested workarounds that are used to deal with microphone problems on the iPhone that are attributed to software or system errors. Read on to find out what to do if in case you will face the same trouble with your iphone microphone not working.
Before we move on to our troubleshooting, if you are trying to find a solution to a different problem, then make sure you drop in on our iPhone microphone not working since we have already solved many of the problems with this device. Browse through that page as there could already be articles that could help you with your problem.
Troubleshoot iPhone with microphone Not working
Before you troubleshoot software problems on your iPhone test the microphones. To do so, record an audio using Voice Memos then play it back. If you can hear your recorded voice clearly, then the microphone is working and therefore the problem you’re dealing with is software-related. In that case, try the following workarounds to determine and resolve the underlying cause. Don’t forget to test your device after performing each solution so you will know if it works or not.
First solution : Reboot/soft reset your iPhone
Minor software errors that might have busted the phone’s audio system are usually to blame. It could be some bad apps or corrupted files on your device. To clear this out, restarting the phone or performing a soft reset usually helps. Thus this must be considered as the first possible solution to try on. Here’s how it works if your iPhone microphone not working:
- Press and hold the Side/Power button and either Volume Up or Down buttons simultaneously and then release both buttons when the Slide to Power Off menu appears.
- Drag the power off slider to the right to turn off your iPhone completely.
- After 30 seconds, press and hold the Side/Power button again until the Apple logo appears.
If the microphone doesn’t work after performing a soft reset, then try to force restart your iPhone instead. This forcibly ends all suspended apps and clears out junk files from the memory that might have caused conflicts to the microphone or audio system. Here’s how it’s done to resolve the issues if your iPhone microphone not working:
- Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
- Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
- Then, press and hold the Power button on the side of the phone and then release when the phone enters the boot-up sequence.
Both these methods won’t affect any saved data on the phone memory, thus you won’t lose any personal information from doing so.
Second Solution: Install new updates to iOS and apps
System errors and rogue apps that caused audio problems can also be remedied by installing new updates. Updates for apps and iOS also offer fix patches to address existing issues from random bugs and software glitches. Thus, it’s highly recommended to keep your apps and phone software updated. If your phone has strong and stable Wi-Fi internet access, then you can check for new iOS updates to download and install wirelessly.
- To view and update iOS via over-the-air, go to Settings-> General-> Software Update menu. Then follow the onscreen instructions to download and install new updates. You can also use iTunes to manually update your iPhone on a computer.
To check for, download and install pending app updates on your iPhone, continue with these steps:
- Tap App Store from the Home screen.
- Scroll down to and then tap the Updates tab to show the list of apps with pending updates.
- Tap the Update button next to the name of the app to update apps individually.
- Tap the Update All button on the upper-right to update all apps simultaneously.
After installing new updates for iOS and apps, reboot your iPhone (soft reset) to apply the new system and app changes and likewise to refresh the phone memory.
Third solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone
Invalid settings from incorrect customization can also cause such conflicts. This is likely the case if the symptoms started after modifying your iPhone settings or after installing a new update. Some updates automatically override settings on the phone. These overrides however may result to an error based on how your device is configured. To clear this out, try these steps to clear all customized settings from your iPhone is not working and restore the default values and options.
- From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
- Tap General.
- Scroll down to and tap Reset.
- Select the option to Reset all settings.
- If prompted, enter your device passcode.
- Then tap the option to confirm all settings reset.
After the reset, your iPhone will reboot automatically and then loads the default settings. Turn on the features you want to use including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. Then test to see if the microphone is already working properly again.
Fourth solution: Reset and restore factory default settings on your iPhone
The symptom usually persists if the underlying cause is complicated. If it isn’t a damaged hardware, then complex system errors or major data corruption are usually to blame. To fix these flaws, you can try performing a master reset to wipe everything from your phone and then restore factory defaults. Here’s how it’s done:
- From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
- Tap General.
- Scroll down to and tap Reset.
- Select the option to Erase all content and settings.
- If prompted, enter your device passcode.
- Then tap the option to confirm full system reset.
Your iPhone should reboot when the reset is finished. As soon as it boots up, follow the onscreen prompts to carry out the initial device setup process and set up your iPhone as new.
Fifth solution : Restore your iPhone in iTunes (Recovery Mode restore)
Major system errors that could not be remedied by a factory reset/master reset are usually dealt with by performing a system restore. You may continue to troubleshoot and carry out a recovery mode restore using iTunes on a computer. This will put your device in a recovery state for system restore and repair. Here’s how it works if your iPhone is not working:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer using the Apple-supplied USB/Lightning cable.
- While it’s connected, press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
- Then quick press and release the Volume Down button.
- Next, press and hold the Side/Power button and continue to hold as it restarts. Don’t release the Side/Power button when the Apple logo appears as you need to put the device in a recovery state.
- Release the Side/Power button when you see the Connect to iTunes logo on the screen.
- On your computer, navigate to iTunes then you should see a message saying that your connected iOS device is in recovery mode and prompts options to update or restore.
- Select the Restore option to wipe everything from the phone system and then restore iOS through iTunes.
Don’t disconnect your iPhone from the computer unless the restore is completed. Otherwise, you will likely end up having a corrupted OS.
Other options:
Contact your carrier’s customer care to report the issue about your iPhone microphone that’s still not working and ask further assistance on what to do next. Should it be a hardware issue and your iPhone is still covered by warranty, then you should claim your warranty either for service or new unit replacement.
Or you can also take your device to an Apple-authorized service center nearby then ask an iPhone technician to further assess the phone’s audio system and hardware components.
I hope that this post on iPhone microphone not working has helped you one way or another. Please help us spread the word by sharing this post to your friends or people who may also have similar problems. Thanks for reading!
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