clir Voice · Mobile recording
iPhone microphone not working? Test each mic, clean the openings, check Bluetooth and app permissions, restart, update, or get it serviced.
If your iPhone microphone is not working, first remove the case and any screen protector and gently clear the microphone openings, then test each microphone with Voice Memos and the Camera app as Apple suggests. If one app is the problem, check Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone; if every app is affected, disconnect Bluetooth headphones, restart and update iOS. When none of that helps, the microphone likely needs service.
The fixes below go from quickest to most involved. Work through them in order and test after each one.
Recent iPhones have several microphones, roughly at the bottom edge, at the top front near the earpiece, and on the back next to the cameras. Different apps use different ones, which is why "the mic" can work in one place and not another. Apple's own test uses two built-in apps:
What the results tell you:
Apple's first step is to remove screen protectors, films and cases, then clear any debris from the openings. Cases that are slightly misaligned, or a protector that covers the earpiece area, can block a microphone without you noticing.
To clean the openings, use a soft, dry, clean brush and work gently. Pocket lint and dust collect in the bottom openings next to the charging port. Do not push anything sharp into the holes and do not use liquids, since both can damage the microphone.
If AirPods, a headset, a car system or an external mic is connected, the iPhone may be using that microphone instead of its own. Turn off Bluetooth in Control Center or Settings → Bluetooth, unplug any wired accessory, and test again.
While an app is using the microphone, Control Center can also show an Input option when more than one microphone is connected, so you can see and change which one is active.
If only one app can't hear you:
If the app already has access, or it is not in the list at all, Apple's advice is to contact the app's developer. A green or orange dot at the top of the screen while you use the app tells you whether the camera or microphone is actually in use.
Mic Mode in Control Center changes how the microphone signal is processed in calls and recording apps. Voice Isolation filters out background sound and Wide Spectrum keeps it. If people say you sound distant, cut off or oddly processed, open Control Center while the app is using the mic, tap the app's controls at the top, and try a different mode. The mode is remembered per app.
If people can hear the room but not you, Voice Isolation is usually the better choice. If you are recording music or a group, Wide Spectrum keeps more of the sound.
A restart clears temporary glitches in the audio system. Turn the iPhone off, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on, then repeat the Voice Memos test.
Some microphone problems are software bugs fixed in later updates.
You can also turn on Automatic Updates on the same screen.
Narrow it down one more step:
On older iPhones, some guides also suggest toggling Phone Noise Cancellation in Settings → Accessibility → Audio & Visual. Apple lists that setting for iPhone 12 and earlier, and it affects what you hear on calls, not what others hear. So it will not fix a microphone that other people can't hear.
If one third-party app still cannot use the microphone after its permission is on, update the app from the App Store, or delete and reinstall it. If that does not help, contact its developer, as Apple suggests.
If audio is still unclear during calls, recordings or in apps after these steps, Apple's next step is a service request through Apple Support or an Apple Store. Back up the iPhone before you hand it in, and mention any recent drop or water exposure.
Sometimes the microphone is fine, but recordings sound noisy, echoey or distant. That is the recording environment, not a fault.
clir Voice is one option for those recordings. Plus removes background noise such as cafés, traffic, wind and room noise, and keeps the voice as recorded. Ultra also removes echo and rebuilds the voice with AI for a studio-microphone sound; because AI reconstruction can occasionally change a word, check names, numbers and quotes against the original, which always stays available. You can import existing recordings from Voice Memos, messaging apps, Files or the camera roll. Processing runs on the iPhone, and audio is never uploaded.
Here is a test clip with added background noise: the original, then Plus and Ultra.
COME COME SAID HOLMES KINDLY IT IS HUMAN TO ERR AND AT LEAST NO ONE CAN ACCUSE YOU OF BEING A CALLOUS CRIMINAL
I UNDERSTAND YOU TO SAY THAT THERE ARE THREE STUDENTS WHO USE THIS STAIR AND ARE IN THE HABIT OF PASSING YOUR DOOR YES THERE ARE
Read speech with added noise or room effects. Plus and Ultra processed in clir Voice 2.3 (5), iOS Simulator. Playback loudness adjusted.
LibriSpeech: Vassil Panayotov, Guoguo Chen, Daniel Povey and Sanjeev Khudanpur, from LibriVox audiobooks. CC BY 4.0.
The most common causes are a case, screen protector or debris blocking an opening, a Bluetooth device taking over as the microphone, or an app without microphone permission. Software glitches and hardware damage are less common; a restart, an iOS update or service covers those.
Record a voice memo while speaking near the bottom of the iPhone, then record a short video with each camera while speaking near the top, and play everything back. Apple uses these two tests to check the bottom, top and rear microphones.
Normal calls use the bottom microphone, while speakerphone and video use others. If only calls are affected, the bottom opening is the most likely to be blocked; remove the case and gently clean it, then test with Voice Memos.
Remove the case and any screen protector, then gently clear the openings with a soft, dry brush. Avoid sharp objects and liquids, which can damage the microphone.
Each app needs permission in Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone, and Mic Mode is stored per app. If permission is on and the app still fails, update or reinstall it and contact its developer.
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