How to Fix: Microphone not Working on iPhone 11/X/8/7/6, iPad or iPod

My iPhone 7 microphone not working. When making phone calls I cannot hear the other person, and they can’t hear me. If I took a video, there is no sound. Any other ideas? Is this going to cost me a replacement?

While talking on a phone call, you suddenly realize that the microphone on your iPhone is not working and the person on the other end of the call is not able to hear anything, just like the iPhone 7 user above. It really frustrates us when we are in that kind of situation, as you can’t finish your important tasks.

What do you do then? Well, there are a lot of things that you can do but first, you need to figure out what has caused the microphone not to work on your device. The cause of the issue could either be software or hardware on the device. If it’s caused by software issues, just go straight to Method 9 and get fixed quickly. Now, let’s check out some possible solutions one by one.

Method 1. Test the Microphone on Your Device

It could be that the iPhone microphone not working issue you are facing is due to the app that you use to make phone calls or record your voice. So the first thing you need to be sure of is that the microphone has indeed stopped working. How do you go about doing that? Well, just open an app and record your voice to confirm that. Here’s how:

Step 1. From the springboard of your iOS device, tap on Extras and then tap on Voice Memos to launch the voice recording app.

Step 2. When the app opens, tap on the record button and speak something into the microphone on your device.

Record for about a few seconds and then stop it. Then, play the recording and see if you can hear your voice. If you can, then the app you were using had issues. If you can’t, the issue remains with your microphone, and read on to learn how to fix it.

Method 2. Restart Your iOS Device

Restart your device to fix the microphone not working issue is common advice that everybody gives, as it seems to be working in a lot of iPhone/iPad problems.

Step 1. Press and hold down the Power button on your device until you see the turn-off slider. When it appears, drag the slider and turn off your device.

Step 2. When your device is fully turned off, press the Power button again and it will turn on. You may now check with an app that uses your microphone to see if your microphone now works.

Method 3. Reset All the Settings on Your Device

If you have changed a number of settings on your iOS device, those could be interfering with the workings of the microphone. The best way to get around the issue if the settings are an issue is to just reset all the settings to the default. It works and the following is how you can go about doing that on your iPhone iPad.

Step 1. Open the Settings app on your device and tap on General followed by Reset. It will open the reset settings for you.

Step 2. On the reset screen, tap on the option that says Reset All Settings and follow the on-screen instructions.

Your device settings should be fully reset and you can then try to use the microphone and see if it works.

Method 4. Update Your Device to the Latest iOS Version

Every new iOS update that you get on your device is supposed to fix existing issues. And it could be that the version you’re using has an issue with the microphone and thus updating to the latest iOS version will resolve the issue for you. It’s pretty easy to update an iOS device to the latest iOS version and the following is how you do it.

Step 1. Open the Settings app and tap on General followed by Software Update.

Step 2. If you find an update is available for your device, download the update and install it on your device.

Depending on the size of the update, it may take a few minutes to even hours to download and install the update on your device. Once it’s done, check if your microphone is working.

Method 5. Check Audio Permission for Apps on Your Device

If the microphone is playing up only in certain apps that utilize microphone, it may have to do with the app permissions. When an app needs to use the microphone on your device, it needs to be given that permission.

If you haven’t done it, that’s the reason you have got the microphone not working issue. The following is how you fix the iPhone microphone not working or iPad microphone issue by providing proper permissions to the apps.

Step 1. Tap on Settings on your device and open Privacy followed by Microphone.

Step 2. On this screen, you will see what apps can access your microphone. Ensure the toggle next to the app you want to use microphone with is turned on. If it’s not, turn it on. Open the app to see if you can now use it.

Method 6. Unplug External Devices Plugged Into the Headphone Jack

If you’ve got some devices, such as an external earphone or something like that, have that unplugged from your device, as it could be causing the microphone issue. Your device may be trying to use the microphone on the connected device but that device may have a broken microphone.

Get everything disconnected from the headphone jack and see if that resolves the microphone not working issue for you.

Method 7. Get Rid of Any Screen Protectors and Cases

Chances are the new screen protector or the case you have recently installed on your device is interfering with the microphone, and thus making it not work on your device. Remove any of the third-party cases or covers you may have put on your device, as they could be the culprit of the issue. Once the cases are all removed, see if you can use the microphone normally.

Method 8. Clean Up the Microphones

Last but not least, if your microphone has collected debris, it won’t work no matter how many solutions you give a try to. Get a clean cloth or a small vacuum cleaner and use it to get rid of the debris from the microphone hole. Once cleaned, power up your device and make a call to see if you are now able to use the microphone.

Method 9. Fix iOS/iPadOS System Problems with a Few Clicks [AnyFix]

If the above methods didn’t fix the microphone issue, it may be some software problems. It’s hard to fix by cleaning microphones or changing device settings. But don’t worry, here we recommend you an iOS system recovery tool – AnyFix.

It can fix +130 iOS/iPadOS, even tvOS problems, including the most iOS stuck issues, iOS won’t turn on/off, iOS black/white, etc. Besides, if you encountered update/sync/connection/backup errors when using iTunes, AnyFix also is a good helper. What’s more, you can enter/exit recovery mode with this powerful tool. Next, you can download and install AnyFix to fix iPhone/iPad microphone problems or others.

Then simply follow the steps below to fix.

Step 1: Launch AnyFix and tap on System Repair.

Step 2: Choose iPhone Problems and Start Now.

Step 3: Choose one repair mode that is most suitable for your device.

Step 4: Download a matching firmware and continue.

Step 5: Once the firmware is downloaded, tap Fix Now. Then you need to put the device into recovery mode, AnyFix will start repairing it until it’s finished.

The Bottom Line

Microphones not working on iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch has been an issue for many iOS users and we hope the above fixes will help you get rid of that, and let you use your device with a working microphone without any issues. And AnyFix will help you with software issues whenever you need it. If the above tips are helpful to you, share them to help more people.