iPhone microphone not working: how to test and fix it

How to test the mic on iPhone

iPhones have several microphones: one at the bottom edge used for phone calls, one at the top used for speakerphone and FaceTime-style video, and on most models another near the rear camera for video. A problem can affect only one of them, so test them separately, the way Apple suggests:

1. Bottom mic (calls): open Voice Memos, tap Record, speak toward the bottom of the phone, stop, and play it back. Your voice should be clear.
2. Top mic (speakerphone and video): open Camera, record a short video while speaking toward the top of the iPhone. Tap the camera switch button, record a second video with the other camera, and play both back.
3. In the browser: open our mic test in Safari, tap Start microphone test, allow the microphone, and talk. Normal speech moves the meter to roughly −30 to −12 dBFS, and you can record a few seconds and hear them back.

If one recording sounds muffled and the others are fine, that mic's opening is blocked or damaged. If every app is silent but Voice Memos works, it is a permission problem.

Clean the microphone holes

Lint and dust in the openings are the most common reason callers say you sound far away.

1. Take off the case, any screen protector and any film. Some cases cover a mic opening by a millimetre.
2. Look at the openings at the bottom edge, next to the rear cameras and in the earpiece slot at the top.
3. Brush them gently with a clean, dry, soft-bristled brush (a new soft toothbrush works).
4. Do not push pins, toothpicks or compressed air into the holes: you can damage the mesh behind them.
5. Record again with Voice Memos and compare.

Allow the microphone for apps

Each app must ask for the microphone once. If you tapped Don't Allow, the app gets silence from then on.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Privacy & Security, then Microphone.
3. Turn on the app you need (WhatsApp, Zoom, Discord, Chrome…).
4. Close the app fully (swipe it away in the app switcher) and open it again.

If the app already has permission or is not listed, Apple's advice is to contact the app's developer. While an app is using the mic, an orange dot appears at the top of the screen; open Control Center to see which app it is.

On iOS 18 and later you can also open Settings › Apps, pick the app and switch Microphone on there.

Allow the mic in Safari (and Chrome on iPhone)

Websites such as our test or a browser meeting need their own permission in Safari.

For one website

1. Open the website in Safari.
2. Tap the aA button in the address bar (on newer iOS versions, the Page Menu button), then Website Settings.
3. Set Microphone to Allow or Ask, not Deny.
4. Reload the page and start again.

For all websites

1. On iOS 18 and later open Settings › Apps › Safari; on iOS 17 open Settings › Safari.
2. Under Settings for Websites, tap Microphone.
3. Choose Ask or Allow.

Chrome, Firefox and Edge on iPhone use the same engine as Safari but have their own system switch: Settings › Apps › Chrome (or your browser) › Microphone on. Links opened inside Instagram, TikTok or Facebook often cannot use the mic at all; open the page in Safari instead. Our browser permissions guide covers every browser.

Check Bluetooth and accessories

If AirPods, a car kit or a Bluetooth speaker is connected, the iPhone may be listening through that device's mic instead of its own.

1. Open Control Center and turn Bluetooth off for a moment, or open Settings › Bluetooth and disconnect the headset.
2. Unplug wired headphones and adapters.
3. Test again with Voice Memos or our mic test.

If the phone's own mic works now, the problem is the headset. Charge it, reconnect it, and check its fit: AirPods pick up your voice through small openings that also collect dirt.

During a call you can also tap the audio button to choose iPhone, Speaker or the headset directly.

Restart, update, then get service

1. Restart the iPhone. It ends a stuck audio session.
2. Update iOS in Settings › General › Software Update.
3. Test after each step with Voice Memos and the Camera video test.
4. Get service if one mic still sounds unclear in recordings, calls and apps. That is a hardware fault, and Apple's support site can book a repair.

Before you hand the phone in, a test recording from our mic test is a quick way to show the problem. To check the other half of a call, use our speaker test; for video calls, try webcam + mic.

Looking for hidden test menus? iPhones do not have dial codes for a mic test; see our phone test codes guide. Other devices: Android, Mac.