Which part is broken, in five minutes
Modern phones have several microphones, used in different combinations for calls, videos, speakerphone and noise cancellation, plus an earpiece speaker and a loudspeaker. That is why a phone can record video perfectly and still be inaudible on calls. Working out which path is broken takes a few minutes and decides whether the answer is a setting, an app, or a repair.
Narrow it down first
- Record a voice memo and play it back This uses the main microphone and the loudspeaker. If that works, both of those are alive and the problem is elsewhere.
- Record a video, then a selfie video These use different microphones. A fault in one and not the other localises it immediately.
- Make a call, then the same call on speakerphone The earpiece and the loudspeaker are separate parts, as are the microphones each mode prefers.
- Try a call in another app If the dialler is silent but a messaging app's call is fine, this is software or the network, not the microphone.
- Restart, then try in safe mode if the phone offers it Safe mode runs without third-party apps. Audio that works there points at an installed app holding the microphone.
- Take the case off and look at the holes Pocket lint in the microphone port and a speaker grille packed with dust are the two most common causes, and both are free to fix.
Advertisement
Reading the result
| What works | What does not | Most likely cause |
|---|---|---|
| Voice memo fine | Calls silent to the other side | Call audio routing, or the network codec |
| Video fine, selfie video silent | One direction only | One of several microphones, likely blocked or failed |
| Speakerphone fine | Earpiece silent on calls | Earpiece speaker, or proximity sensor muting it |
| Everything fine in safe mode | Broken in normal use | An installed app holding the microphone |
| Everything silent, headset fine | Built-in audio only | Audio routing stuck on an accessory |
| Muffled rather than silent | Volume low, voices thick | Debris in the port or grille, or water |
Apps that help you test
Smart Voice Recorder: about 5 MB, starts recording instantly and shows a live input level, which is the fastest way to see whether a microphone hears anything at all.
Easy Voice Recorder: lets you choose which audio source to record from, so you can test microphones individually rather than whichever the system picks.
A well rated recorder with clear input metering and easy playback, useful for comparing before and after cleaning a port.
Small, open and simple, with a visible waveform. A muffled recording looks different from a silent one, which is the distinction you are after.
No account, no adverts, minimal permissions. Worth having purely as a known-good reference recorder.
Google's Recorder, where available, with live transcription. If words appear as you speak, the microphone and the software path are both fine.
Sound Decibel Meter: shows the level the microphone is receiving as a number, which turns 'it sounds quiet' into a measurement you can compare.
A second sound meter, useful because a reading from two apps rules out one app being the problem.
DevCheck: lists the hardware the phone reports, including audio, and shows what is running. Good for confirming the phone still sees its own parts.
AIDA64: a thorough hardware and sensor report, including a device-specific audio section. The reference tool when a shop says a part has failed.
Device Info HW: around 4 MB and lists the actual component identifiers, which is how to check the earpiece and speaker are the parts they should be.
Not audio, but it tests the proximity sensor, and a stuck proximity sensor is a classic cause of an earpiece that goes silent mid-call.
What to try, in order
- Clean the ports gently and dryly A soft brush on the grille. Nothing metal, no pins, no compressed air into a microphone hole, and no liquid.
- Remove the case and any screen protector over the earpiece Cases misaligned by a millimetre cover microphone holes, and a protector over the earpiece slot muffles calls.
- Check Bluetooth is not holding the audio A pair of earbuds in a drawer, still connected, routes both call directions away from the phone.
- Look at per-app microphone permissions Revoked permission for the dialler or a messaging app produces exactly the symptom of a dead microphone.
- Turn off noise suppression or call enhancement Where a phone offers it, an aggressive noise filter can cut a quiet voice entirely. Worth toggling before assuming hardware.
- Update, then try a call over WiFi calling If cellular calls are bad and WiFi calls are clear, the fault is the network path, not the phone.
- Only then consider a repair With the tests above you can tell a shop which microphone, in which mode, which usually shortens both the diagnosis and the bill.
One thing worth knowing before spending money: if the phone has been near water, an earpiece or microphone that sounds muffled often recovers over a day or two as it dries, and the same symptom that looks like a failed part is sometimes just moisture in the mesh. Do not try to speed that up with heat.
Record a memo, record two videos, make two calls. The pattern of what works names the broken part before anyone opens the phone.
Frequently asked questions
Why can I record video but not be heard on calls?
Different microphones and different audio paths. Calls also involve the network and its codec, so a perfect recording tells you the hardware is fine without saying anything about the call.
Can an app fix a blocked microphone?
No. Apps here are for testing and measuring. What fixes a blocked port is careful cleaning, and what fixes a failed part is a repair.
The earpiece goes silent partway through a call. Why?
Often the proximity sensor deciding the phone is against your face when it is not, which mutes the screen and can affect audio routing. Clean the sensor area and test it with one of the tools above.
Read next
Nothing has infected your phone. Something you installed has permission, and the fix is a list in settings.
A phone will happily run a keyboard, a mouse and a memory stick. It will not power a desktop hard drive.
Hard and fast are different things. Almost every game confuses them, and these do not.
