iPhone Microphone Not Working During Calls In iOS 15? (Fix!)
Last updated on October 29th, 2021 at 11:53 am
Posted in Bug Fixes by Vlad on October 14, 2021
Microphone not working in iOS 15
Is your iPhone microphone not working when picking up calls? Are you able to hear the caller but your voice doesn’t go through to the other end of the line? This is another issue that has flared up since the release of iOS 15.0.1!
iOS 15 Microphone Bug
This new problem has been reported to us by Lizeth:
“Hi new software update iOS 15.0.1. I have iPhone 7. I lost audio in regards to every it’s used. Calls, FaceTime, voice recording, video recording, and Siri.”
We’ve managed to find similar complaints on Apple’s discussion forums:
mohannad193:
“I have an issue on my new iPhone 13 pro max which is updated to latest iOS 15.0.1. Whenever I have a call on WhatsApp or Messenger I get muted and the other end can’t hear me anymore. “
“Microphone stopped working after updating to iOS 15.0.1. Running on an iPad Pro (12.9) 2nd gen.”
How To Fix Microphone Not Working In iOS 15
This issue occurs both for regular calls as well as FaceTime audio, FB Messenger, WhatsApp and other VoIP calling options. It occurs on both new iPhone 13 and 13 Pro models as well as the 12, 11 and older.
There’s no magic fix at the moment but you can apply the following troubleshooting options:
1. Restart iPhone
First, you should reboot your device. A fresh start could clear minor glitches that might prevent the microphone from working during calls.
How to: You can turn iPhone Off and back On, or apply the force restart trick to do it in a single step!
2. Avoid Speaker Mode
Most users affected by the iOS 15 microphone bug have reported that the issue is mainly occurring when the speakerphone is enabled during calls.
I recommend you not to use the speaker option.
3. Test iPhone Microphone
You can use this online test tool to check if the microphone on your iPhone or iPad is working or not.
What result are you getting? Error, ‘no audio input device found’?
4. Use AirPlay Or Other Headphones
Another workaround for iPhone microphone not working is to set your calls to be routed to your AirPods or any other audio headset available.
How to: Browse for Settings -> Accessibility -> Touch -> Call Audio Routing. Select Bluetooth Headset.
5. Tweak AirDrop Settings
(Updated: October 29)
- Open Control Center.
- Tap the AirPlay icon, available in the top-right corner of the Now Playing controls.
- Select iPhone instead of Speaker. Is the receiver able to hear you now?
Credits: Thanks to Matt for providing this workaround in the comments section.
I have found the same issue on my iPhone, if you need to use the Speaker mode and still be heard, a workaround (for me at least) was to swipe down from the top right hand corner then tap the Airplay icon and what pops up were two choices: Speaker (which is ticked) and iPhone (unticked) if you change it to iPhone then the receiver will then be able to hear you again. I think you have to have made the call first for this workaround to work.
Have you managed to fix microphone not working on iPhone or iPad? Do you have a better solution? Use the comments section and share your feedback!
Related: Check out more fixes and workarounds for other iOS 15 common issues:
– iPhone storage bug causing inaccurate capacity calculations.
– Facebook Messenger videos flickering during playback.
– Safari videos showing black screen when playing.
– Notifications not working for various apps in iOS 15!
– Widgets turn white or black on Home Screen and become unresponsive.
Hi,
I have found the same issue on my iPhone, if you need to use the Speaker mode and still be heard, a workaround (for me at least) was to swipe down from the top right hand corner then tap the Airplay icon and what pops up were two choices: Speaker (which is ticked) and iPhone (unticked) if you change it to iPhone then the receiver will then be able to hear you again. I think you have to have made the call first for this workaround to work.
Hopefully it helps some other users
Thanks for sharing this workaround Matt. I will update it in the main content of the article to make it more visible.
In my case I have a iPhone 7 and suddenly today I wanted to call my friend to play and first I couldn’t call on WhatsApp it showed failed cuz you’re already in a call and then when I call someone or someone calls me the speaker button turns grey and it uses the speakers not the ear speaker on the top of the phone.
I’ve done hard reset, forced restart and settings reset. Idk what to do I can’t call someone the mic is just turned off and I can’t hear someone either it’s probably some glitch because in WhatsApp, I closed it today without ending a call and the glitch seems to stay, can anyone help me please!!
That’s strange. Can you please mention what iOS version your iPhone 7 is running? Is the speaker not working only during calls? Does it work when you play music? What about the microphone? Does it work if you try to record Voice Memos?
I still face this microphone issue in my iPhone 11. Which has latest ios update 15.1. In my case it’s randomly stops working. I reported this in apple service centre they have done an hard reset and tried to reproduce the issue to check if it’s an hardware problem but they couldn’t reproduce. But once after I received the phone it was working fine for a couple of days and the problem picked up again. The only difference between the service guy usage and mine is I have installed WhatsApp and Instagram now I don’t whether these two app causing the interference. I tried uninstalling these two apps but issue remains same. I frequently use voice meme and it is randomly failing to pick up my voice. Even the apple service guys have told me that they couldn’t reproduce this Issue so they can’t help me. Now I don’t know how to fix this.
Thanks for reporting this Vikie. Is ‘Voice Meme’ an app? When the microphone stops working, does this happen only with that particular app, or also during calls?
Yes, my bad it’s memo not meme.
the inbuilt voice memo app sorry for the typo in previous comment. The bottom microphone stops working in every app not just voice memo even it stops working during calls. The issue with my phone is that this problem is not consistent it’s happening intermittently. So I don’t know when it’s stops working. It’s randomly failing and it will start working after few restarts. I don’t know how to fix this… the service guy is saying that he couldn’t reproduce issue with stock apps so he can’t do anything further and it might be a software issue so I have to wait for next update.
Thanks for the followup Vikie. That must be frustrating indeed. Not sure what to say, the fact that the issue is happening intermittently is confusing. It might be a hardware issue. I suggest you to wait it out for iOS 15.2 to be releases and if the problem continues you might have to check the hardware once again.
A few more questions. When did this all start? Did the problems begin after a software update? Did you accidentally drop your device (shocks could lead to hardware problems.)
Yeah now I have to wait for the next update to see if the problem fixes. My warranty period is getting expired 3rd of next month. That’s why I am looking for solution to fix this. Otherwise I have pay for whatever they gonna cost after the warranty expires. And This started after the 15.1 update because before that I didn’t had any issue related to microphone. And I didn’t drop my device not even once.
I understand. Unless, you’re dealing with a big coincidence and you have hardware failure on the same day with iOS update…your issue is software related and should be fixed in an upcoming update.
If you don’t want to wait it out you have the option to install iOS 15.2 Public Beta 4 right now. Or wait a couple more hours, because today, we might even get the Release Candidate version and iOS 15.2 might be released next week.
Important: Do a full backup of your iPhone before proceeding!
I have an iphone 8 and recently I installed ios 15 and this microphone problem started, “mic sounds muffled during calls, voice notes, using any application that uses mic, and pretty much all the time the mic is picking up muffled sound”. Sometimes it’s not their and the other person on call can hear you, it intermittently and happened to me one day ago, i have checked all the online forums and couldn’t make it work by resetting all settings, switching off noise canceling to resetting network settings, i wonder if there is a way to revert back to ios14??
Hi, I have an iPhone 8 plus. The same problem with the sound sounding muffled during calls happened immediately after the update to iOS 15.3. It only fails during calls, it works perfectly in voice memos and even voice calls in whatsapp. It doesn’t make any sense it’s definitely a software issue. During calls, it works perfectly if I turn on the loudspeaker option, the caller hears me crystal clear! If I connect the headset during calls it also works perfectly…. I have changed the docking port, reset all settings, rebooted the phone completely with a clean iOS and no data…. same negative results! This is getting really frustrating!!!!
Thanks for your feeback Jimmy. iOS 15.4.1 is out in them meantime. Has the update fixed this microphone issue at your end?
Thanks for reporting these issues. Are they still occurring in iOS 15.4.1?
I’m facing a problem which is related to microphone this problem creates real after the updates . I have restarted my phone many time as well as I have restore it and erase all my data but its not working constantly it works for a few hours after restoring . The phone is working only when i use earphones only .. but stil it doesn’t work in all applications.. so I’m just wanna how to fix the problem..
I also want to fix the microphone
Has iOS 15.4.1 fixed this for you?
Thanks for the feedback. Try to use the speakerphone until the issue is fixed via software update.
i am facing the same problem in iphone12. i just updated to ios 16.0.2 but the problem still persists.
Hi,
I have the same mic problem, It works when calling on facetime or Google Duo but not on a ordinary call.
iPhone 12 and 15.4
Thanks for reporting. Does it work when you activate speakerphone or you use headphones on a cellular call?
Hi,
I have iPhone 11 and I have the same problem. I even updated and nothing works. Could you solve the Problem?
Is this happening on iOS 16.2? Is the microphone working when recording a video in Camera? What about Voice Memo app?
I have an IPhone 8 and just updated to 15.4 3 days ago. I am having the same problem as above. When I call, people can hear me but I cant hear them…. Not all the time but about 50% of the time… It has also started dropping calls while I am talking… while sitting with 2 or more bars. The other person is also not moving. Never had the problem until I just updated…. It is also happening to my son who has a newer IPhone…
I tried a messenger call with my son and no problem… we could talk with zero issues….
Thanks for reporting. Does it also happen if you use speakerphone or headphones?
My voice is not heard by the other user while in messenger , watsapp calls. voice text can’t be heard by the other user, voice rocorder doesn’t somrtimes take my sound, siri stops listening my voice in iphone 13 pro max
Thanks for reporting. Did this issue start happening after software update? Does it also occur if you use headphones?
I noticed that when I talk with someone using FB messenger on their iPhone and they’re using video and loudspeaker (no headset), when I speak and they speak at the same time I cannot hear them. But if I keep quiet and they talk, I can hear them perfectly. When they use a headset there are no issues
Does this only happen in FB Messenger? Have you updated the app to the most recent version available in the App Store?
hello
i have an iPhone 8 plus and after i updated the ios to 15 the mic stopped working both on normal calls and WhatsApp . i just updated it t o15.5 but the same issue occurs .
i need help !!!
Thanks for the feedback. Does the microphone work in Voice Memos? Have you tried restarting the device?
it does not work on voice memo either and i have tried restarting several times and even cleaned the entire phone memory all to no avail
Thanks for the follow-up. Do you have AirPods or the original earpods. Does the microphone function work when you use headphones?
yes the microphone works well with the airpads
Thanks for the follow-up. If this happened right after the update it might be software related, but it can also be a hardware issue. What you can do to further isolate the problem is to install iOS 15.6 Public Beta 2 and see if it makes any difference. However, be aware that beta versions are unstable and you might face other bugs. You can also bring your device to an accredited Apple repair shop and see if there’s any problem with the microphone.
Hello
Just upgraded an iPhone 7 into IOS 15.5 and the mic stopped to work
Is there any possibility to downgrade IOS into a pre 15 version?
Or is there any fix available for this issue ?
Thanks you in advance for your support
Best Regards
Emmanuel
Hi Emmanuel. Unfortunately, you can revert to an iOS 14 version. Can you provide more details? Is the mic not working all the time or only during occasionally: regular phone call, WhatsApp call, FaceTime, Camera video recording, Voice memos etc.
Hi. I have two iPHONE 6 phones, one with IOS 13, the other IOS 15. The one with IOS 13 has no problems but the other would not allow me to be heard using Whats App, or Duo, or Messenger. It worked OK with Facetime. Also the voice navigation system would cut out if bluetooth was active in my car. Not helpful.
Thanks for the workaround ideas. – Angus
Thanks for the feedback Angus. As you might know the iPhone 6 are the oldest models supported by iOS 15 and they will not be able to update to the upcoming iOS 16. The one that is causing problems was recently updated to iOS 15? or you had previous iOS 15 versions on it and the microphone worked normally in the earlier versions? Would appreciate a follow up. Thanks
My iPhone XR stopped working with call,WhatsApp FaceTime and memo only work with video recording after upgrading to iOS 15.5
Thanks for the feedback Adebayo. I assume that you already restarted and went through the basic troubleshooting steps.
What you can try next is install iOS 15.6 Beta. Which is already quite advanced and stable. However, do perform a full iPhone backup before going for it. More details available here: https://www.iphonetricks.org/ios-15-6-beta-features-changes-bugs/
Ok thanks I will try that and get back to you, hope the 15.6 will not develope another bug or could it be hardware issue
Beta 4 has been released a few hours ago. We’re nearing the public release version. So, it should be fine tuned enough. Nevertheless, backup your device before updating.
Well if you ay that the microphone stopped working after iOS 15.5, it shouldn’t be hardware related unless it’s a very big coincidence.
Keep us posted please about how this develops.
During a call, the microphone does not work. Tested through the memo and camera applications where the voice recording is ok. In applications such as Viber or Whatsapp, I am also unable to have a voice call, while the voice message is normally recorded and played back. If I put the call on speakerphone or connect to the headset, then the other party can hear me. I tried a factory reset, but the problem is still there. I am using iphone 13, with ios 16.2
Thanks for reporting. Can you remember when the issue started? Was it right after the iOS 16.2 update? Which was the last iOS version that had the microphone work normally?
Have you tried to reinstall iOS 16.2 using a computer as instructed here:
https://www.iphonetricks.org/reinstall-ios-16-on-iphone-ipad-how-to/