Which part is it?
A phone has more than one speaker and microphone, so pin down which one is playing up:
| Symptom | Likely part |
|---|---|
| You can't hear callers well with the phone at your ear | The earpiece speaker at the top of the screen |
| Music, ringtones and speakerphone are quiet or crackly | The loudspeaker at the bottom edge |
| Callers can't hear you, but speakerphone and video calls work | The main microphone at the bottom |
| Your voice is fine on calls but muffled in videos or voice memos | One of the other microphones (near the camera or top edge) |
A quick test: record a voice memo (Voice Memos on iPhone, the Recorder or Voice Recorder app on Android), play it back, then record a short video with the front and back cameras. Each one uses a different microphone.
Rule out the simple causes
- A case or screen protector that's slightly out of line can cover the earpiece or a microphone. Take the case off and test again. Dust trapped in a protector's earpiece cut-out is a common cause of quiet calls.
- Bluetooth. If earbuds, a car or a speaker is still connected, sound goes there instead. Turn Bluetooth off and test.
- Volume and modes. Check the call volume while you're on a call (it's separate from media volume), and that silent or Do Not Disturb isn't on.
- The app. If it only happens in one app, it's the app's settings or permissions, not the phone. Check that the app is allowed to use the microphone in Settings.
- Restart the phone and test once more.
Cleaning the grilles safely
Pocket lint, make-up and dust slowly fill the tiny mesh over the speakers and microphones.
- Turn the phone off.
- Use a soft, dry brush: a clean, soft toothbrush or a small make-up brush. Brush gently across the grille, with the opening facing down so dirt falls out.
- Don't push hard: the mesh is thin and can tear or sink into the speaker.
- Wipe the area with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Avoid: pins, needles and toothpicks (they puncture the mesh), liquids and cleaning sprays (they wash dirt further in), compressed air (it can push dirt past the mesh or damage the speaker), and sticky putty pressed into the holes (it can leave residue inside).
After the phone got wet
Water sitting behind the mesh makes speakers sound muffled until it dries. Turn the phone off, hold it with the speakers facing down, and let it dry for a few hours somewhere with airflow, out of the sun. If the sound comes back clear once dry, there's nothing more to do. If it stays muffled or starts crackling days later, corrosion may have reached the speaker.
When it's a repair
- Sound is still muffled or distorted after cleaning, or crackles and buzzes at higher volume.
- It started after a drop.
- It started after the phone got wet, and didn't come back once it dried.
- Callers hear you faintly even with the case off and nothing connected.
- The phone shows a liquid or moisture warning that won't go away.
On many phones, the main microphone sits on the same small board as the charging port, so the two are often replaced together. That's worth knowing if the charging port is loose too.
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