When Your iPhone Microphone Isn’t Working How to Fix It?

The microphone on your iPhone comes in quite handy. Needless to say, it’s the very backbone of FaceTime and phone calls in general, but many other apps make use of the microphone to record sound or even pick up commands. For Siri to listen, one needs to have a microphone.
This is going to make one so irritated when the microphone does not work at all or the sound it records is distorted, hazy, or indistinct. These are some of the most popular approaches to solving not-functioning iPhone microphone problems.
Verify that nothing is obstructing the iPhone Microphone.
There are so many different things on your iPhone that easily partially or obstruct the microphones: from dust and debris to pocket lint and even screen protectors or phone cases. There should be three microphones on your iPhone; make sure there isn’t anything obstructing them. Take off your screen protector or case altogether if it interferes.
Not sure which mics are where? Your phone should have three of these: one at the top, inside the notch, another on the bottom look for the sequence of little holes and the third on the back, where there is a very tiny, pinpoint-sized hole located near the camera lenses.
Here are ways to troubleshoot the problem, hope it is cleared out, and that your iPhone microphone will again be working well.
There are three microphones on your iPhone, so be sure not to cover or block any of them.
Next, check to see if all applications have access to the microphone from within Settings, test the microphone, and disconnect other audio devices.
Your iPhone’s microphone is quite useful. Sure, it’s important for making FaceTime calls and regular phone calls, but many third-party apps put that microphone to use in capturing audio or interpreting commands, too. Certainly, that’s a necessity for Siri.
If this microphone is picking up nothing at all, or the audio it’s recording is distorted, hazy, and indistinct, this can be extremely frustrating. The following are widely used methods that you can apply to repair non-working iPhone microphone issues.
Make sure the microphones are clear of any blockages
The speakerphone calls are routed through the rectangular microphone, located at the top of the iPhone. The microphones can be easily clogged by dust, dirt, pocket lint, or simply by screen protectors or phone cases, which cover those small openings. An iPhone may have up to three microphones. Make sure nothing is blocking them. Take it off if the view is obscured because of a screen protector or your case.

Can’t make out which mics are there?
There have to be 3: one at the top in the notch, one at the bottom, and the third at the rear where there is a point, pinpoint hole beside the lenses of the camera.
Test the Microphone.
It is, of course, easy to test the microphones for clear working:
Test your microphone by speaking on a voice call. Open the Voice Memos application and record a short memo by speaking to the bottom of the microphone and then play it back.
Do a microphone test by talking on the loudspeaker. Launch the camera application and take a video. Talk towards the iPhone’s built-in microphone and playback to test.
The audio is fuzzy there might be a hardware issue with your iPhone. If you need help along the way, reach out to Apple Support.
Disconnect all of your headphones.
One potential reason for the muffled or distant sound is that your iPhone is trying to use the microphone in one accessory, rather than the microphone that resides inside the device. The easiest way to rule out this option is to turn off Bluetooth and make sure your iPhone isn’t plugged in with any devices. You just need to pull down the Control Center from the top of the screen and then turn the iPhone on and off by tapping the icon for Bluetooth.
The iPhone is such a small computer that a reset usually means a lot of goofy bugs within any sort of computer. It just weeds out all the garbage data or some misbehaving software that could be causing issues with the microphone. Again, try your microphone after you reboot your iPhone.
Permit access to the microphone for the app.
If it is working fine and the problem appears to be isolated in some app, then most probably it’s because that app doesn’t have permission to use the microphone. To resolve this, launch the Settings app, choose Privacy, click OK, and then press the Microphone.
Swipe the slider to the right of each to ensure all other apps using the microphone are allowed before scrolling down the list of apps.
To disable device audio accessories, turn off Bluetooth.
Suppose you are hooked up to a device with your iPhone via Bluetooth. There, you will have to use an external microphone. For people who have Bluetooth headphones or smart home lighting, this turns into a persistent problem. Suppose the microphone on your iPhone is not working. Then, you will have to follow these steps:
Step 1: Launch the “Settings” app. Then tap on “Bluetooth.”
Step 2: Now scroll down to see the needed device.
Step 3: Tap on “More Info,” and then put this Bluetooth device aside.
Step 4: When this Bluetooth device is connected to the phone a second time, your microphone will function properly again.

Cleaning of the microphones
If the iPhone microphone does not work resulting in little or no sound, the easiest problem to fix is a quick clean. Over time, those little things sometimes get covered with sweat, dirt, and oil. Here’s how to clean them:
1. Turn off your iPhone and use a soft-bristled brush to carefully try to remove any buildup around the microphone.
2. Clean the mic outside and also the areas where it is situated using the help of the brush.
3. Now turn on the power of your iPhone, and check the proper functioning of your microphone.
Disable Noise-Canceling on the Phone
When users are having a conversation on the phone, iOS turns on the noise cancellation feature to drown out the noise of a user’s surroundings. Sometimes this feature is going to turn out to be muffling your sound when you are on the phone with somebody.
To see whether the microphone is working on an iPhone, disable phone noise suppression by following these steps:
Open the “Settings” app first, and then select “Accessibility.” Click or tap “Audio/Visual.”
Select the off option for noise cancellation.
Upgrade your iOS operating system.
Update it to the latest security update so it will not be harassed by these glitches. The updates coming from Apple are done periodically, and the ideal way is to install them as soon as they come in. System checks and reset would help troubleshoot small issues that you might be experiencing, as well.
If you happen to have an issue with your malfunctioning microphone on your iPhone and would like to troubleshoot it, then go through these:
Go to “Settings.”
Under General, click “Software Update.”
You will be prompted to “download and install it” if an update is available on your device.
The phone will reboot after updating.
Conclusion
The problem of the non-functionality of the iPhone’s microphone has several fixes: cleaning the microphone, rebooting the smartphone, looking at whether the microphone operates somewhere for the right purpose, looking for the Bluetooth connections, allowing the app to use the microphone, and making sure it’s clean.
If these methods can’t help you fix the problem, then try some software that can detect and resolve the microphone problem. One such software is Tenorshare ReiBoot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Why my microphone isn’t working on the phone call with my iPhone?
This would be the case due to a few possible causes: hardware damage to your microphone, software glitches, or even app-specific problems. Follow the steps provided in this article to troubleshoot your iPhone microphone not working during calls so that you will be able to identify it and resolve the actual cause of the issue.
Q2: Will my iPhone microphone problems be solved by updating the software?
Oftentimes, update the software, and in the process, you can solve microphone issues in your iPhone. Apple regularly updates; their product’s software is mainly used to remove flaws and optimize the device’s full functionality, which includes the microphone. To upgrade your iOS device, simply navigate to Settings > General > Software upgrade and apply any available updates.
Q3. How to know if my iPhone microphone is physically damaged?
Even if the injury of the iPhone’s microphone is not quite visible, one should be looking for the symptoms such as silent or distorted sounds, or even no sound at all while talking, or recording any kind of audio. In case of any suspected physical damage, it is recommended to contact Apple Support or get an expert evaluation in the Apply Store.
Q4. Can I use compressed air on the iPhone microphone?
In general, it is not safe to clean your iPhone microphone with compressed air. The air will blow the debris into the device, and then, in turn, it causes further damage. Be on the safe side, and follow gentle cleaning techniques with a cotton swab or dry toothbrush.
Q5: Do resets on an iPhone delete my data?
There is no data, data content, or any information deleted by following this iPhone settings reset method. All it does is restore settings to the system and give your device a brand new start, saving your private data and everything that’s installed in it.