How to Restore Audio on Your iPhone: A Guide for a Broken Microphone

An iPhone is almost useless without a working microphone. A broken microphone means no FaceTime, phone calls, or Siri. Sometimes, videos shot on your iPhone may not have any audio. But before you pay Apple for a costly repair, try these fixes first.

1. Find Out Which Microphone Isn’t Working

Before you begin fixing your iPhone’s microphone, you’ll need to know which microphone isn’t working. If you have an iPhone 5 or later, you’ll have three microphones: one on the bottom of your phone for phone calls, one on the front of your phone for speakerphone, and one on the back for the camera.

Test each microphone by recording using Voice Memos (bottom microphone), making a phone call on speakers (front microphone), and recording a video (back microphone). If all the microphones aren’t working, it’s most likely a hardware issue. If only one microphone isn’t working or sounds muffled, continue to the next step.

2. iPhone Microphone Muffled or Muted? Try Cleaning It

Brent Dirks/MakeUseOf

One of the simplest ways to fix your microphone is by cleaning it. If one of your microphones sounds muffled when you speak, you might just need to clean it. iPhone microphones are sensitive, and a small piece of dust or dander can affect how they sound.

To clean your microphone, avoid blowing into it at first. Instead, dip a cotton swab or Q-tip in some isopropyl alcohol. Then, wipe it along the muffled microphone. Try to get inside the microphone hole if you can. Alternatively, you can use a toothbrush to do the same.

Isopropyl alcohol breaks up grime and dries fast, so it won’t damage your iPhone. Try using the highest percentage of isopropyl alcohol you can find. While you’re at it,clean your entire iPhone thoroughly if it’s not in a good shape.

VSDC Pro Video Editor is a light professional non-linear video editing suite for creating a movie of any complexity. It supports the most popular video/audio formats and codecs, including 4K, HD and GoPro videos. Preconfigured profiles make the creation of videos for various multimedia and mobile devices absolutely hassle-free.

• Import from any devices and cams, including GoPro and drones. All formats supported. Сurrently the only free video editor that allows users to export in a new H265/HEVC codec, something essential for those working with 4K and HD.
• Everything for hassle-free basic editing: cut, crop and merge files, add titles and favorite music
• Visual effects, advanced color correction and trendy Instagram-like filters
• All multimedia processing done from one app: video editing capabilities reinforced by a video converter, a screen capture, a video capture, a disc burner and a YouTube uploader
• Non-linear editing: edit several files with simultaneously
• Easy export to social networks: special profiles for YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, Twitter and Instagram
• High quality export – no conversion quality loss, double export speed even of HD files due to hardware acceleration
• Stabilization tool will turn shaky or jittery footage into a more stable video automatically.
• Essential toolset for professional video editing: blending modes, Mask tool, advanced multiple-color Chroma Key

3. Disconnect From Bluetooth Devices

Close

Being connected to a Bluetooth device could mean that your iPhone is activating an external microphone, and you can’t use the built-in one.

This is a common issue with those who use Bluetooth headphones like AirPods or smart home systems. Check if you’re connected to a Bluetooth device by opening your iPhone’s Control Center , then toggle Bluetooth off. Alternatively, tap and hold it to view all your connected devices.

KoolReport Pro is an advanced solution for creating data reports and dashboards in PHP. Equipped with all extended packages , KoolReport Pro is able to connect to various datasources, perform advanced data analysis, construct stunning charts and graphs and export your beautiful work to PDF, Excel, JPG or other formats. Plus, it includes powerful built-in reports such as pivot report and drill-down report which will save your time in building ones.

Developer License allows Single Developer to create Unlimited Reports, deploy on Unlimited Servers and able deliver the work to Unlimited Clients.

4. Make Sure Apps Have Microphone Permissions

Close

If your microphone isn’t working in a specific app, you might not have granted that app permission to use your microphone.

To grant an app permission, head toSettings and select the affected app. Now, make sure theMicrophone toggle is enabled.

DbSchema database designer for all databases, schema design in the team, schema deployment, interactive diagrams, documentation, data and query tools.

5. Use an External Microphone or AirPods

Hamlin Rozario/MakeUseOf

If you’ve tried all the above fixes but nothing is working, you can still use an external microphone with your iPhone. You can use this while you wait for a repair or even use an external microphone indefinitely if you can’t afford a repair.

Most headphones, including Apple’s AirPods, have built-in microphones. Since they connect via your iPhone’s Lightning/USB-C port or Bluetooth, you won’t have to rely on the built-in microphones for most tasks.

6. Other Generic Fixes

Close

In some cases, your iPhone’s microphones might not work due to a software bug. Fortunately,updating your iPhone can fix various problems, including a microphone that doesn’t work. Go toSettings > General > Software Update to quickly check for a newer iOS version.

If updating iOS doesn’t resolve the issue, you may want to restore your iPhone’s settings to their default values. Sometimes, apps can customize settings, which can cause your iPhone’s microphone to stop working. Head toSettings >General >Transfer or Reset iPhone >Reset >Reset All Settings to do this.

If none of the troubleshooting methods helped, you should contact Apple to repair or replace your iPhone. It’s easy to make an Apple Store appointment at a Genius Bar , but expect to pay a hefty fee unless your iPhone is still under Apple’s limited warranty or you’ve purchased an AppleCare+ warranty .