Asked at the counter: “People say I sound muffled on calls, and the speaker is quieter than it used to be. Does the microphone need replacing?”
Usually what needs replacing is the lint in the grille.
Repair Community · Phones & Tablets
Asked at the counter: “People say I sound muffled on calls, and the speaker is quieter…
1 reply
Speaker and microphone openings are tiny and they sit in your pocket all day. Dust, lint, skin and case adhesive block them gradually, so the change is easy to miss until someone complains.
FREE, ONE-MINUTE CHECKS
• Take the case and screen protector off and make a test call. Cases that have shifted, and screen protectors cut slightly wrong, cover the earpiece or the bottom microphone more often than you would think.
• Check you are not covering the bottom microphone with a finger when you hold the phone.
• Test the speaker with a voice note or a video, and the microphone with a voice memo, so you know which one is the problem.
SIMPLE, SAFE CLEANING
• Switch the phone off.
• Apple’s guidance for cleaning an iPhone is a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth (a lens or microfibre cloth), avoiding moisture in any opening, and no compressed air.
• For the grilles, use a clean, dry, soft toothbrush and brush across the openings gently. Do not push bristles in, do not use a pin, and do not use liquid, spray or compressed air; forcing anything into the opening can push the debris onto the speaker membrane and do the damage you were trying to avoid.
• Wipe the earpiece slot at the top of the screen the same way.
SOFTWARE
• Make a call on speaker and on the earpiece. If one route is fine and the other is not, it is probably physical. If both are bad, restart the phone and check for a software update before assuming hardware.
• Check whether a Bluetooth headset or car is still connected and stealing the audio.
WHEN IT PROBABLY NEEDS A REPAIR BUSINESS
• Crackling or a rattle from the speaker at any volume, or no sound at all after cleaning.
• Muffled calls only for the other person, on every call, with the grilles clean: the bottom microphone may need replacing.
• The phone has been wet recently; a speaker that has dried with residue on it often needs replacing rather than cleaning.
Sources checked: Apple Support (UK): Cleaning your iPhone.