Is your iPhone Microphone Not Working? Try These 11 Fixes

Is your iPhone microphone not working? Work your way through these eleven fixes to get your iPhone microphone working again.

The problem of iPhone microphone not working is not new as it has existed on almost all iPhone models. The issue has affected many iPhone models, including iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, XS Max, iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone SE.

There’s no need to panic if your iPhone microphone is not working. It is either a software issue or a hardware issue, and there are various possibilities you can methodically work through to isolate and solve the problem. Having a panic attack is not one of those possibilities! Scroll down below to start trying out different possible solutions. You may strike lucky and get it working again after the first try.

First and foremost, let’s figure out the possible causes of the iPhone microphone not working issue. Once that’s done, we will move on and detail each solution.

Why is iPhone Microphone not working?

There are many reasons why your iPhone microphone is not working. The problem may be Bluetooth or app-related, the iOS could be out-of-date, or something is blocking or interfering with the iPhone’s microphone preventing it from functioning properly. Usually, the exact problem only reveals itself through its corresponding fix.

Before we dive into the troubleshooting steps, lets first go through the procedure to establish which iPhone microphone is not working. After that, we will guide you through various troubleshooting steps that will hopefully fix your iPhone microphone problems.

iPhones have three microphones – one at the top, one at the rear and the third one at the bottom.

To check the front and rear microphone, just record two quick videos using the selfie and back camera and check the audio. For the bottom microphone, open the voice memo app on the iPhone and capture a voice note holding the microphone close to your mouth. Play that note and check if the audio is crystal clear or not. If you find your voice fading or cracking in the middle, then your iPhone’s microphone needs looking into.

Now that you have the basics cleared, let’s jump to the troubleshooting steps.

How to fix iPhone microphone that’s not working

1. Make Sure Nothing is Covering Your iPhone’s Mic

The vast majority of people use third-party cases to protect their iPhones. The legit ones are fine but if you are using a cheap case from an unknown vendor then make sure the holes at the bottom of the case are precise with the ones on your iPhone. If the holes are not aligned, they will end up covering your iPhone’s microphone leading to quality issues with the microphone. Check the bottom, front, and back microphone openings to ensure these openings aren’t covered, blocked, or obstructed in any way.

2. Restart communication apps

If the case isn’t the cause of your iPhone microphone problem, then restarting communication apps is your next step. This is particularly helpful if the iPhone microphone doesn’t work with apps like WhatsApp, Zoom, FaceTime, and Skype. Simply close the app and open it again. This is extremely easy to do. Follow the steps below:

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen until you see smaller versions of each of your open apps.
2. Swipe up on the app window. This will close down the communication app you are trying to use the microphone on.

Of course, to open the app again, just tap the app icon on your home screen.

3. Restart your iPhone

Now it’s time to restart your iPhone. We very rarely restart our phones these days, so perhaps the old “have you tried turning it off and on again?” routine is merely all you need.

With the modern versions of iPhones, all you need to restart the device is to simultaneously hold the volume down button and the power button. When the slide to power off option appears on-screen, swipe right. Wait 15—20 seconds before restarting.

Alternatively, follow the steps below:

1. Start the settings app.
2. Select General.
3. Tap Shut Down.
4. Wait for a minute or two before turning your iPhone back on.

4. Give apps microphone access

Apps like Zoom, Meet, and Teams will ask for microphone permission upon startup. If you have accidentally denied the permission, the app won’t be able to utilize the iPhone’s microphone to function as expected. Make sure the app has permission to access the microphone. To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Select the respective app to view its settings, then make sure Microphone is switched On.

Alternatively:

1. Go to Settings .
2. Tap Privacy & Security.
3. Tap Microphone.
4. The list shows the apps that requested access. You can turn access on for any app on the list.

If giving permissions does not solve it, and if you are having microphone issues for specific apps, like Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp, etc, it is possible that the app itself is faulty. If this is the case, there are three things you can try:

• Does this app have a microphone or sound settings? Check these settings and make sure that they are set correctly.
• Delete the app from your iPhone and then reinstall it.
• Contact the developer of the app.

5. Check if your iPhone is stuck on headphone mode

If you use wired earphones on your iPhone, in rare times, your phone may get stuck in headphone mode. When this happen, even after you have unplugged the wired earphones, the iPhone still thinks they are connected to one and may assume to take audio input from those mics instead of its own.

Plug in a pair of headphones and unplug them again. This seems fairly obvious, but doing so could prompt your iPhone to recognize that the headphones have been unplugged this time, thereby taking it out of headphone mode.

6. Disconnect All Bluetooth Devices

If you find your iPhone microphone not working after trying the above solutions, make sure that you’re not connected to any of the nearby Bluetooth devices. This is because connections to nearby Bluetooth speakers, headphones, and other devices can disable the built-in microphone on your iPhone 14 and use the microphone on the Bluetooth peripheral instead. This happens to me all the time. My wireless earbuds Funcl AI when sitting idle in the charging case, automatically turn on and connect to my iPhone. So, when I receive a call on my iPhone, the device sends it to the connected device and I can’t hear the other person. This can also happen to you if your iPhone is connected to an external Bluetooth speaker or to your car’s infotainment system.

It is always recommended that you manually disconnect Bluetooth devices from your iPhone in such scenarios from the control center to avoid such issues. To do this, go to to the iOS Control Center and tap on the Bluetooth toggle once, if it’s enabled. This will disconnect you from all Bluetooth devices for 24 hours.

7. Update iOS

Is your iPhone microphone still refusing to work? Then check to see if you are running the latest version of iOS. To update your iPhone, follow the steps below:

1. Open settings.
2. Navigate to General.
3. Select Software Update option to download and install any available updates.

8. Clean the gunk out of the microphone

If you have your iPhone in your pocket regularly, then it’s probable that the microphone is blocked with pocket gunk. You know, bits of skin, dust, lint, and whatever else you’ve got going on there in your pocket. Those tiny microphone holes will get filled up in no time, and before you know it, your friends won’t hear you during phone calls.

You can clean those microphone holes by simply blowing into them really hard, and giving the device a good shake. Alternatively, get a can of compressed air and give those holes a good blast and a good shake. Maybe also consider cleaning your pockets on a more regular basis?

9. Reset all iPhone settings

If you’ve got this far, then you’re heading into the nuclear options, as it’s time to start resetting things. The easiest reset option is to reset all the settings. This does not wipe your content, such as your photos and music. It merely resets things like your network settings, location and privacy settings, and so forth. It’s pretty simple to reset your iPhone settings. Just follow the steps below:

1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap General.
3. Choose Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Select Reset
5. Hit Reset All Settings.

10. Factory reset the iPhone

Nobody wants things to get this far, as erasing the entire phone and going back to factory settings is a major pain in the rear. You have to make sure you have a viable backup and then sit and wait for the phone to do its thing. But if the previous tips haven’t worked to get your iPhone microphone working again, then you likely have no choice.

1. Go into Settings.
2. Hit General.
3. Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Choose Erase all Contents and Settings.

11. Contact Apple Support

If your iPhone microphone doesn’t work after trying all of the above fixes, then it is likely time to contact Apple Support. You will most likely have a hardware issue that can only be fixed by Apple. If you still have a valid warranty on your phone, you may even be able to get the phone replaced if the camera problem is not fixable.

Successfully fixed iPhone microphone not working issue

I hope your iPhone microphone problem is now behind your back. If any of your iPhone microphone is not working, start working through the usual suspects, such as taking off the phone cover, restarting your iPhone, updating iOS, etc. More extreme measures include resetting iPhone settings, factory resetting the whole phone, checking for hardware issues, and contacting Apple Support.