Phone mic not working means other people cannot hear you on calls, or your voice is missing in recordings, voice messages and video calls. It can be total silence, a very faint voice or a voice full of crackle.
Phones have more than one microphone, so the fault may affect only one of them. For example, the call mic may work on speaker but not at your ear. The steps below help you find which mic is the problem and fix the common causes. If the problem is only in earphones or Bluetooth earbuds, jump to the section on accessories, and for the other direction of sound see phone speaker not working.
Common causes
1App has no microphone permission
How to tellVoice works in calls but not in one app such as a chat or recorder
What fixes itAllow Microphone for that app in the phone's app settings
2Microphone hole blocked by dust or a case
How to tellVoice is faint or muffled and others ask you to repeat
What fixes itRemove the case and gently clear the bottom grille with a soft brush
3Noise cancellation or a call setting
How to tellOthers hear you only in quiet rooms or you sound cut off
What fixes itTurn off noise suppression in call or sound settings and test
4Bluetooth device took over the audio
How to tellCall audio goes to a watch, earbuds or car and nobody hears you
What fixes itTurn off Bluetooth and test again
5Software glitch
How to tellMic stopped suddenly with no damage and works after a restart for a short while
What fixes itRestart, then update the system
6Water or drop damage to the mic
How to tellNo sound in any app, any mode, even after restart
What fixes itAuthorised technician
How to fix it, step by step
Record your voice to test the mic
Open the voice recorder or Voice Memos, record ten seconds of speech and play it back through the speaker. Clear sound means the main mic is fine and the fault is in a call, an app or an accessory. Silence or noise means the mic or its connection has a problem.
Test with video, not just calls
Record a short video with the rear camera and play it back. A different mic is used, so this tells you whether the whole microphone system is dead or just one part. If the video voice is clear but calls are silent, the bottom mic may be blocked.
Disconnect Bluetooth and unplug earphones
Turn Bluetooth off from the quick panel and unplug any wired earphone or adapter. A phone can send the call to another audio device without telling you, so the phone mic is idle and nobody hears you.
Allow microphone for the app
On iPhone, find Privacy and Security in Settings, tap Microphone and switch the app on. On Android, go through Settings, Apps, the app's name and its Permissions list to allow Microphone. Calling apps, chat apps and meeting apps all need this.
Clean the mic openings
Remove the case. The main call mic is a pinhole on the bottom edge, and phones may have another near the top or camera. Brush gently or blow air from a distance. Never push a pin or needle in, since that can tear the mic cover.
Check call settings for noise cancellation
Some phones have noise reduction toggles in call or sound settings, and on iPhone a Voice Isolation option in the video call panel. Switch them off once to see whether your voice returns, then switch back on if it was not the cause.
Restart, then update
Restart the phone and test the recording again. Install any pending system update, since audio bugs are a common reason for a sudden mic failure.
Try safe mode on Android
Booting into safe mode pauses downloaded apps. If your voice is picked up there, a newly added app is taking over the mic. Remove the newest apps one by one. The exact way to enter safe mode differs between brands.
Phone mic not working only on calls: what that means
Normal voice calls use the phone's own mic and a special audio path. Apps use a different one. That is why a mic can work in a recorder yet fail in calls, or the other way round. A call that works on speaker but not at the ear points to a blocked bottom mic or a software setting, while a mic that fails on speaker too points to a deeper fault.
You call a friend and they say I can hear nothing, but your voice came through when you used speaker. The speaker path used another mic. Clean the bottom mic hole and test again.
iPhone microphone not working
On an iPhone, a sudden silent mic after an update or a cheap case is common. Also, an iPhone has several mics, and a dirty one near the camera can make video voice poor while calls stay fine. If the orange dot appears at the top of the screen, an app is using the mic, so close the others. If the problem began after a water splash, switch off the phone and visit a technician rather than charging it.
Android phone microphone not working
On Android phones, check the privacy section, where a mic access switch may turn the mic off for all apps. Recent versions also show a green dot when an app uses the mic. If a screen recorder or call recorder is running, it may be holding the mic. Call settings differ from one brand to another, so use your phone's own menu names.
Earphone, headphone and Mac mic problems
| Device | Common cause | Quick test |
|---|---|---|
| Wired earphone | Dirty plug or a broken wire | Try another pair |
| Bluetooth earbuds | Low battery or poor pairing | Forget and re-pair |
| Mac laptop | Wrong input in sound settings | Pick the built-in mic |
For a computer problem, see laptop microphone not working, and for earbud trouble see one earbud not working.
When to go for repair
If the recorder stays silent after cleaning, restart and safe mode, the mic or the lower board needs a technician. The price turns on the handset and on whether the mic is a loose part or sits on the charging port board. Ask the shop to test calls and recordings before you pay, and keep a phone still under warranty with the maker's own service.
Never open the phone or poke the mic holes yourself. You could damage the part and lose the warranty.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my iPhone microphone not working during calls?
Common causes are a blocked mic hole, a Bluetooth device taking the call, a case or a software glitch. Test with the recorder, clean the bottom edge and restart before suspecting hardware.
What is the way to test my phone mic, and how to fix microphone not working?
Record a short voice clip in the recorder app and play it back. Do the same with a video. Clear voice in both means the mic works.
Why is my phone mic not working in calls but works on speaker?
Different mics or audio paths are used. A blocked bottom mic, a noise setting or an odd software state is likely. Clean the mic and restart.
Why is the microphone not working in a chat app?
Either the chat app has no microphone access or something else is recording. Grant access in the phone's privacy settings and close any recorder.
Can I fix a water damaged mic myself?
No. Switch the phone off, do not charge it, and take it to a technician. Drying tricks rarely clear the damage inside.