Is your iPhone 13 microphone not working, and you find it a pain to connect over FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, or use things like Siri, audio recording, and more? This can be due to a basic glitch or a faulty microphone. But worry not! Let me show you how to fix a microphone that’s not working on your iPhone 13.
What’s the Cause of iPhone 13 Microphone Issues?
Here are some reasons why the microphone is not working on iPhone 13:
- External devices: An external device such as headphones may be preventing the iPhone 13 microphone from working.
- Network problems: Sometimes, the issue you are having with the microphone of your iPhone 13 can be tied to network problems. If you are on a call and suddenly, the person you are talking to can’t hear you, then the problem may be caused due to network issue.
- Microphone obstruction: The microphone on your iPhone 13 has openings and as time goes on, dirt particles can accumulate in the microphone thereby causing an obstruction. Also, you might have unknowingly placed your fingers on the microphone while you were on a call.
- Hardware damage: Your iPhone 13 mic can also become damaged due to physical issues, such as internal malfunctioning or damaged hardware from mishandling your phone.
- Other common issues are related to software updates and external accessories. These tend to reconfigure or disable your mic without you realizing it.
Are you experiencing problems with the microphone on your iPhone 13? Then you can try out these methods to fix the issue. We’ll first go through the procedure to first check whether the microphones on your iPhone 13 are working properly or not. After that, we will guide you through various troubleshooting steps that will hopefully fix your iPhone 13 microphone problems.
First, let us start with a microphone test
The iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max come with three microphones – one at the top, one at the rear and the third one at the bottom.
- To check your front microphone, start the camera app and record a video with the front camera. To check the rear microphone, do the same except using the back camera. When you play back either video, you should be able to hear yourself clearly in the video recordings.
- To check the bottom microphone, press and hold Side button to summon Siri. Now, ask it something like ‘How is the weather?‘ If you see the transcript of your voice command, your microphone is working perfectly. If you don’t see the transcript of your voice command, then this microphone is malfunctioning.
Now that you have the basics cleared, let’s jump to the fixes.
How to fix iPhone 13 microphone not working
Make Sure Nothing is Covering Your iPhone’s Mic
A lot of people out there use third-party cases to protect their iPhones. The legit ones are fine but if you are using a cheap case from an unknown vendor then make sure the holes at the bottom of the case are precise with the ones on your iPhone. If the holes are not aligned, they will end up covering your iPhone’s microphone leading to quality issues with the microphone.
Restart your iPhone
Sometimes the easiest solution is the best solution. Restarting your phone refreshes your system by clearing all processes and open apps. It can be a quick fix to your iPhone 13 microphone issues.
Hold the side button and either of the Volume buttons until the power off slider appears, then drag the slider. Leave it off for 30-60 seconds before turning it back on, then check to see if the microphone problem is resolved.
Update your iPhone
If the restart doesn’t work, check for software updates. You can do this by going to Settings > General > Software update. A new software update usually fixes any bugs/errors that the current version may have, which could affect your microphone.
Clean Your iPhone’s Microphone
The next basic thing you need to do when your iPhone 13 microphone stops working is to check the microphone grill at the bottom of your iPhone. See if there’s any sort of dust accumulation. Grab a toothbrush or cotton swab and use it to gently clean your mic. The other alternative is to blow directly at it, to remove all the built-up debris. However, if you do this, be careful not to blow air further into the phone.
If your iPhone got wet in the rain recently, or if you accidentally dropped it in the sink, place your iPhone with the speaker side facing down to drain excess water and then let it dry for a bit.
Disconnect All Bluetooth Devices
Now that you have a feeling it’s not a hardware-related issue, you’ll need to make sure that you’re not connected to any of the nearby Bluetooth devices. This is because connections to nearby Bluetooth speakers, headphones, and other devices can disable the built-in microphone on your iPhone and use the microphone on the Bluetooth peripheral instead. To do this, go to to the iOS Control Center and tap on the Bluetooth toggle once, if it’s enabled. This will disconnect you from all Bluetooth devices for 24 hours.
Disable Phone Noise Cancellation
iPhones come with a feature called phone noise cancellation. Noise cancellation reduces ambient noise on phone calls when you are holding the receiver to your ear.
For those unaware of this, the result can sound a bit disorientating, so it’s easy to assume there is something wrong with your iPhone 13 mic. Here’s how you can disable the setting to make sure your mic is fine:
- Go to the Settings app.
- Select Accessibility
- Tap Audio/Visual
- Look for the Phone Noise Cancellation option and disable it.
- Restart your phone and check if the problem is solved.
Enable Microphone for Specific Apps
If you’re only having microphone issues with a certain app, chances are, the app lacks permissions to access your microphone. This can be quickly resolved by going to Settings > Privacy > Microphone. Just use the toggle to give microphone permissions for the app that you’re trying to use.
If you have previously blocked microphone access for websites or for specific apps, this may be the problem.
Disconnect All Hardware from iPhone
If you have a physical set of headphones or speakers plugged into the iPhone 12 Pro, try disconnecting those. Some iPhone headphones, like the earbuds, have built-in microphones, which are very convenient to use, but occasionally that headphone-set microphone can become damaged or dirty itself, and make the microphone not pickup audio, or sound muffled. This is an easy thing to check, so just unplug headphones if they’re plugged in and try again.
Force Reboot
If none of the above steps worked in your instance, you can try force restarting your device and see if that fixes your iPhone 13 microphone issues. Most minor software-related bugs and glitches can be resolved by force restarting your device. Here’s how:
Press the volume up button first, followed by the volume down button, and then hold the side/power button until you see the Apple logo.
Reset All Settings
Consider this to be your last resort, because it’s a nuisance. Try resetting your iPhone to its factory default settings and see if that resolves your iPhone 12 Pro microphone issues. To do this, head over to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset and tap on “Reset All Settings”. Although this doesn’t wipe all the data or apps installed on your iPhone, it will remove all your saved Wi-Fi passwords.
By now, you should’ve resolved the issues you were facing with the built-in microphone on your iPhone 13.
Take It to Apple Store
If all else fails, there is a good chance your iPhone is damaged. Mics are delicate parts and can easily break from fall, water, or similar damage. In this scenario, it is best to take your phone to a technician who can determine the fault within your device.
Fixed iPhone 13 Microphone Issues!
There are various reasons your iPhone 13 mic may not work properly. If you ever run into a problem, the methods above should help you identify and fix the iPhone 13 Mic. Which of the troubleshooting methods we discussed here worked for you? If not, did you get in touch with Apple Support? Do share your personal experience in the comments section down below.
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