There’s no need to panic if your iPhone speakers are not working. Work your way through these ten fixes to get your iPhone’s speakers working again.
An iPhone with broken or muffled speakers isn’t of much use. You won’t be able to listen to music, play a podcast, or most importantly, hear what the person on the other end of the line is saying.
There is nothing new about the problem of iPhone speaker not working 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. Thankfully, the troubleshooting steps explained in this guide will help you fix iPhone speaker problem for good!
Getting a good hang of the problem is key to discovering the cause and finding a possible solution. Therefore, we have first talked about what could be the possible reason why some iPhones speaker is not working before learning the different ways to resolve the issue. Lets get started.
Why are iPhone speakers not working?
If your iPhone speakers are not working, there could be an issue with the audio settings or with the speakers, themselves. If you’re using a headset, that might be the cause.
Don’t panic, though, as we’ve done the heavy lifting for you. Here’s how you can fix the sound on your iPhone if your speakers have stopped working.
How to fix iPhone speakers not working issue
1. Check the sound settings on your iPhone
The first troubleshooting step if your iPhone speakers are not working is to check your sound settings on your phone. There’s a good chance that you turned the volume down and not even realized it. Follow the steps below:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Sounds & Haptics. Here, Drag the slider to increase the sound volume.
2. Reboot your iPhone
If your iPhone speakers are not working after trying the above solution, the next troubleshooting step is to simply perform a reboot. This will restart all background services and give your phone a clean start in case a minor software glitch has caused the speaker on your iPhone to stop working. Follow the steps below:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap General.
- Select Shut Down.
- Power on your iPhone and check if the speakers are working as expected.
3. Could Your Bluetooth Headset Be the Problem?
When a cable is plugged into your iPhone, it’s obvious that an external device is connected. With Bluetooth, however, it’s easy to forget.
For example, I occasionally use Bluetooth headsets with my iPhone. When I’m not using them, I don’t always keep in mind to swap the playback device. Consequently, audio gets streamed to the headphones, but not my iPhone’s speakers.
If your iPhone speaker is not working during a call, you need to examine whether your phone’s audio output is set to the built-in speaker. Simply bring up the Control Center to check if your iPhone is connected to any Bluetooth audio outputs.
Next time you use Bluetooth headsets, remember to switch them off or disconnect the device from your iPhone when not in use.
4. Still No Sound From Your iPhone Speakers? Update iOS
Made all the checks to your audio settings and still getting no sound from your iPhone speakers? Then it’s time to try a software solution. Remember the last time you updated iOS? If not, this might be the right time to do so. Follow the steps below:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap General.
- Select Software Update.
- If an update is available, tap Download & Install.
5. Clean the Speaker Grills
If you are not aware, dust or the pile-up of smudge are also capable of inhibiting the iPhone’s speakers from working properly. If you haven’t cleaned your iPhone for a while, there is a good chance that the pileup of dust could be blocking the speakers. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to clean iPhone’s speakers.
Start by blowing air into the speakers, either using your mouth or a can of compressed air. Apart from that, you can try to suck small crumbs and bits of dust out using a vacuum cleaner. This could affect your phone’s internals, though, so you should proceed with caution if you attempt this solution.
Another good option is gently scrubbing the speaker grills with a toothbrush or a soft bristle brush, and giving the device a good shake to loosen up the dirt.
6. Check that your iPhone isn’t stuck in headphone mode
It’s possible that your phone is “stuck” in a mode in which it thinks it’s playing audio, but it’s sending it to a device that isn’t connected, like earbuds that aren’t plugged in or a Bluetooth device that isn’t turned on.
Here are a few troubleshooting steps you can try to “wake up” your iPhone’s audio connection so it’s working properly:
- Reconnect your headphones then disconnect them again. Repeat this three or four times to loosen any dirt within the port. Then give your iPhone a good shake to let loose debris fall out.
- If you have Bluetooth headphones, connect and disconnect your headphones by going to Settings > Bluetooth. When you disconnect your headphones, your iPhone should automatically switch back to using the internal speakers.
7. Reset All iPhone Settings
At times, a software glitch can also lead to iPhone speaker issues. To check and see if this is the case, reset all iPhone settings. This will fix any software bugs that might be dwelling within your iPhone’s code. Follow the steps below:
- Open Settings.
- Go into General.
- Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap Reset All Settings.
8. Perform a factory reset
If your iPhone speaker not working issue persist, it’s time to reset your iPhone to factory settings. Doing this can be a pain, but it’s recommended to make sure there are no prevalent software glitches.
A factory reset will completely wipe your iPhone, and the complete operating system will be set to its default settings. Factory reset might also work if your iPhone speakers stopped working after an app download or a jailbreak attempt.
To restore your iPhone to factory settings, first, you’ll need to back up your device. Then follow the steps below:
- Go to Settings.
- Go into General.
- Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
This will wipe your phone clean and essentially make it like new. Before restoring a backup, go into the device and test the speakers. If they work, restore your backup.
There are some cases where restoring your backup might make them not work again. If that’s the case, it might have been an app you tried to download or your backup could be corrupted. Sadly, this means starting from scratch, unless you have an older backup you can try restoring. If your photos and contacts are in iCloud you won’t need to transfer those over manually.
9. Did your iPhone fall in water?
Water in speakers will cause the audio to sound muffled. An iPhone with muffled speakers isn’t of much use. You won’t be able to listen to music, play a podcast, or most importantly, hear what the person on the other end of the line is saying.
So how do you fix it? You could try using a can of compressed air, but you need to be careful. If you hold the nozzle too close the speaker, you might irreparably damage it.
10. iPhone Speakers not Working still? Repair options
You’ve checked the volume settings of your iPhone and cleaned the speakers. Everything appears to be okay. You’ve even updated the iOS and reset iPhone to factory settings.
You’ve made it this far, but there’s still no audio, and your iPhone speakers are not working. Well, it looks like it’s time to contact Apple support for further help.
Are Your iPhone’s Speakers Working Again?
Whatever the reason for your iPhone speakers not working, if you enjoy listening to music, podcasts, or any other audio media, then you know how working days on end without good background noise can get. Hopefully, one of these tips worked out for you, and your iPhone speakers are now blasting as usual.