Calling is one of the primary functions of your iPhone. However, sometimes during regular or FaceTime calls, you may not hear much or any sound coming from your speakers.
You may notice the call on the other end’s voice breaks or is inaudible. Thankfully, we’ve put together eight possible solutions to fix an iPhone no sound on calls issue.
- Adjust volume level and Audio settings
- Remove wired headphones
- Restart your iPhone
- Turn off Bluetooth
- Clean your receivers and speakers
- Update your iPhone to the latest software
- Reset all settings on your iPhone
- Contact Apple Support
1. Adjust volume level and Audio settings
I’m confident you may have tried using the volume up button during a call to increase the sound output. If you haven’t, press the volume up button multiple times to raise the audio level of the earpiece to maximum. Careful not to hurt your ears!
If you still have difficulty hearing the other person, consider tapping the speaker icon to switch to the iPhone’s main speaker. You can also use wired or Bluetooth headphones for a better experience.
A small number of users have also mentioned that they had success fixing the muffled or degraded voice quality by turning off noise cancellation. To do this, open Settings → Accessibility → Audio/Visual.
Turn off the toggle for Phone Noise Cancellation.
2. Remove wired headphones
Sometimes, merely removing your earbuds and using the device speakers fixes the audio problem.
Alternatively, at times, the iPhone might get stuck in headphone mode. This is a situation where your device wrongly assumes that a pair of earphones is connected. As a result, you might not hear the other person at all.
The easiest way to solve this is by inserting earphones into the headphone jack or lightning port and then removing it. Try this a few times. If it doesn’t help address the issue, we have a separate guide on how to fix an iPhone stuck in headphone mode.
3. Restart your iPhone
We often fail to recognize how excellent a simple restart is! It’s a quick way to fix multiple common software issues.
To restart your iPhone, use the power button (and corresponding volume button if you have an iPhone with no home button) to power it off. You can also open Settings → General → Shut Down. After a minute, turn it back on.
If a normal restart is ineffective, consider force rebooting your iPhone.
4. Turn off Bluetooth
On a few occasions, Bluetooth speakers may accidentally cause trouble as well. You might hold the iPhone to your ear, but in reality, your device is connected to a Bluetooth speaker or headset and routing the audio there.
To address this, disconnect the wireless device. You can also turn off Bluetooth entirely from Settings or Control Center.
5. Clean your receivers and speakers
Dirt and debris are other enemies that are responsible for poor call experience. They can clog the earpiece, speakers, microphone, and even the headphone jack or Lightning port.
To take care of this, use a soft dry cloth or a small soft brush to gently clean the earpiece grill, microphone holes, etc. You can get additional help from our guide where we show you how to clean and disinfect your iPhone.
Do you use a rugged case, waterproof case, or screen protector that covers the top earpiece, microphone, or speakers? If so, remove them!
6. Update iPhone to the latest software
Another helpful solution to fix an iPhone no sound on incoming calls is to ensure that it runs the latest version of iOS.
To update, open Settings → General → Software Update. If you see a pending update, tap Download and Install.
7. Reset all settings on your iPhone
Calling can also be affected due to some settings you may have tweaked. If none of the above solutions work to fix the issue, consider resetting all settings.
Your files, apps, music, photos, etc., won’t be deleted by this action. However, every custom setting will be erased and restored to default. This includes saved Wi-Fi connections, Bluetooth, VPN configuration, Home screen layout, privacy settings, etc.
Note: It’s a good idea to do a quick run through and note any settings you may want to restore once your iPhone is finished resetting. Make sure you know your Wi-Fi password!
To proceed with this, open Settings → General → Reset.
Now tap Reset All Settings → enter your iPhone passcode → tap Reset All Settings to confirm.
Once your iPhone is reset to default, restore your settings.
8. Contact Apple Support
At last, when nothing else works, it’s best to reach out to Apple Support. There may be physical damage in the speakers that can be examined and fixed by the authorized Apple service center.
These are the most probable solutions to successfully fix an iPhone sound not working issue during calls. Please let us know which methods worked for you in the comments. If you have a trick of your own, kindly share that as well!
Sometimes, call quality can degrade due to low signal strength. When you’re in a place with poor network coverage, consider turning on Wi-Fi Calling.
It’s also wise to give a thought to third-party VoIP calls. If you have difficulties with WhatsApp, Viber, or Skype, make sure to update these apps.
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