Learn how to do anything: How to Boost Microphone Volume on iPhone or iPad

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

How to Boost Microphone Volume on iPhone or iPad

This wikiHow teaches you what to do when one of your iPhone or iPad’s microphones isn’t working properly. Though there’s no way to directly raise the microphone’s volume, issues of quiet or muffled phones calls and recordings can usually be resolved with a few quick troubleshooting steps. If you’re having trouble hearing audio, phone calls, or alert tones, see How to Increase the Volume on your iPhone.

EditSteps

EditTroubleshooting a Quiet or Muffled Microphone

Make sure the microphone is not covered by a case (or your fingers).
- Some protective cases may cover up one or more of your microphones. If removing the case fixes your issue, get a different case.
- When talking on the phone, try to avoid resting your iPhone on your shoulder, make sure your fingers (or other body parts) are not covering the bottom or back microphones. If either of these microphones are covered, your voice will not come across clearly on phone calls.
Try using the microphone without headphones or other accessories attached. If your voice sounds clear without accessories, one of those accessories was the culprit.^[1]
Remove dust and debris from the microphone. If crud has collected inside your microphone, your recordings or phone calls will sound quiet or muffled. Here’s how to clean the problematic microphone:
- Turn off your phone or tablet and remove any cases or accessories.
- Using a soft, dry, and unused toothbrush or makeup brush, gently sweep the microphone hole back and forth.
- Use a can of compressed air to spray short bursts (in one or two-second intervals) into the microphone. Hold the can several inches away from the microphone to avoid overdoing it.
Update your iPhone or iPad to the latest software version. If you haven’t already done so, make sure you’re using the latest version of iOS on your phone or tablet.
- If you’re only experiencing microphone issues in one app, update that app as well.
Contact Apple Support if the issue persists. If these troubleshooting tips did not solve your issue, you may be experiencing a hardware problem. See Apple’s support site to learn how to get in touch with Apple in your region.

EditFinding the Problem Microphone

Locate the microphone(s). If your phone or tablet has multiple microphones, each should be tested separately.
- iPhone: Your iPhone has 3 microphones.^[2]
  - The set of small circles on the bottom-left edge is the main microphone (used when you’re talking on the phone).
  - The wide oval-shaped hole at the top-center part of the screen is used when you record video with the front (selfie) camera and when you use Siri.
  - The small circle next to the flash camera on the back of the iPhone is used for regular (non-selfie) video recording, as well as a secondary microphone during phone calls.
- iPad: Your iPad has one or two microphones, depending on the model. If it has two, they are right next to each other and are used together. Look for an oval-shaped hole (or two) on the top left or ride side of the tablet.^[3]
Test the main microphone. If you’re using an iPhone, it’s the microphone at the bottom-left edge of the phone. Here’s how to test it:
- Open Voice Memos. It’s the app with a black icon with a waveform image inside. You’ll usually find it on the home screen.
- Tap the red circle to start recording, and then speak clearly into the microphone for a few seconds.
- Tap the red square to stop recording. Your recording now appears of the memos list.
- Tap the black triangle to listen. If your voice sounds muffled, try cleaning it.
- If your iPhone’s main microphone sounds okay but people have complained you sound quiet or muffled on the phone, you’re likely covering either the bottom or back microphones while speaking.^[4]
Test the front and rear microphones (iPhone only). These are the microphones next to the front and back cameras. To test:
- Open the Camera app and swipe left to access video mode.
- Tap the camera icon with two curved arrows to switch to the front (selfie) camera.
- Tap the red circle to start recording, and then speak clearly into the microphone for a few seconds.
- Tap the red square to stop recording.
- Play back the video. If your voice sounds muffled, try these troubleshooting tips.
- Tap the back button to return to the camera, and then tap the camera icon with two curved arrows to switch to the back (primary) camera.
- Record yourself speaking again, just as you did with the front camera, and then play back the recording. If your voice sounds muffled, try these troubleshooting tips.