5 Ways to Fix Microphone Not Working on iPhone

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

Try Basic Fixes

Fix 1: Rule Out Issues With the Hardware

You should test the microphone on your iPhone to rule out any hardware-related issues.

To test your iPhone’s primary microphone (the one located at the bottom), use the Voice Memo app. Record a small clip and play it to see if the primary microphone works.

Similarly, to test the microphones on the front and back, use the camera app. Record a couple of videos using both the rear and front-facing cameras on your iPhone. After recording the videos, play them to check if the voice is clear.

If the microphones is working all right, continue with the fixes below.

Fix 2: Allow Apps to Use Microphone

If the microphone not working issue is limited to specific apps, ensure that those apps have permission to access your iPhone’s microphone. Here’s how to check.

Step 1:Open theSettingsapp and tap onPrivacy & Security.

Step 2:Tap onMicrophoneand use the toggles in the following menu to enable microphone access for your favorite apps.

Fix 3: Disable Noise Cancellation

Noise cancellation is a feature on the iPhone that reduces ambient noise when holding the receiver to your ear. Sometimes, this feature can get finicky and lead to microphone issues. You can try disabling this feature to see if that helps.

Note:iPhone 13 and newer models do not support noise cancellation.

Step 1:Open theSettingsapp on your iPhone > navigate toAccessibility.

Step 2:Under Hearing, tapAudio/Visualand turn off the toggle forPhone Noise Cancellation.

After disabling noise cancellation, check if the microphone works fine during calls.

Fix 4: Install iOS Updates

There’s a chance that the issue with the microphone not working on your iPhone is related to a bug. If that’s the case,installing pending software updatesshould help. To do so, openSettings> go toGeneral. Tap onSoftware Updateto download and install pending updates.

Note:You might encounter such issues if you use a beta version of iOS. As these builds can be unstable at times, it’s best to leave the iOS beta and switch to a stable build to avoid such issues.

Fix 5: Reset Your iPhone

Lastly, if nothing works, considerresetting your iPhoneas a last resort. This will revert all the settings on your iPhone to default. Don’t worry; this won’t affect your personal data.

Step 1:OpenSettings> tap onGeneral> selectTransfer or Reset iPhone.

Step 2:Tap onResetand selectReset All Settings.

Step 3:Now, enter your iPhone’s passcode to authorize the action, follow the on-screen prompts, and check if this gets the microphone working again.

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Last updated on 26 April, 2024

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