The microphone in your iPhone does a lot. It is essential to phone calls and FaceTime, of course, but in addition, many apps rely on the microphone to record audio or listen for commands. Siri needs the mic to hear you as well. If the microphone isn't working at all — or the audio it's capturing is muffled, fuzzy, or unclear — that can lead to a lot of frustration. Here are the most common methods you can employ to resolve problems with your iPhone microphone not working.
Make sure the microphones are clear of any blockages
It's easy for your iPhone's microphones to get partially or completely blocked by all sorts of things, including dirt, dust, and pocket lint, as well as phone cases and screen protectors. Your iPhone should have three microphones, so check each one for any possible blockage. If needed, remove your case or screen protector if it's getting in the way.
Not sure where all the mics are? You should have one at the bottom of the phone (look for the series of small holes), one at the top in the notch (it's a long, rectangular cutout), and the third is on the back of the phone — the small pinpoint-sized hole near the camera lenses.
Test the microphone
It's easy to test the mics to see if they're working normally:
- Test the mic for phone calls. Start the Voice Memos app and record a short memo, talking into the microphone at the bottom. Play it back and see if it sounds clear.
- Test the speakerphone mic. Start the Camera app and record a video while speaking into the mic at the top of the iPhone. Play it back and see if it sounds clear.
If the audio is unclear, it's likely you have a hardware problem with your iPhone, so contact Apple's customer support for additional service.
Disconnect any audio accessories
It's possible that your iPhone is trying to use the microphone in an accessory like a headphone, earbuds, or portable speaker rather than the mic built into the iPhone, and that's why the audio is distant or muffled. The easiest way to eliminate this possibility is to make sure no accessories are plugged into your iPhone and to turn off Bluetooth. Pull down the Control Center from the top of the screen and then tap the Bluetooth icon to temporarily disable the Bluetooth radio on your iPhone.
Restart the phone
The iPhone is a small computer, and you can solve a lot of perplexing glitches on any computer by turning it off and then back on again. That will flush out any corrupt data or glitchy software that might be causing your mic to misbehave. Restart your iPhone and then test your mic again.
Make sure your app has permission
If the microphone works in general and only appears to be a problem in a specific app, it's possible that the app doesn't have permission to use the mic. You can rectify this problem by selecting the Settings app and then tapping Privacy. Tap Microphone. Scroll down the list of apps and make sure any app which needs the mic has permission by swiping the appropriate button to the right.
