FORGET IT. This does not solve it either. I’m utterly perplexed. I’ll be reaching out to Apple engineering to see what is up. I loath to load yet another beta on my phone but maybe 14.2 addresses it. Idk
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I believe I’ve discovered what the **** may have been causing this for so many users across so many iPhone versions and OS versions. Researching this has been affecting many users for YEARS!
So here it is. You need to clean the speaker/microphone grills on the iPhone.
Each model has the mics and speakers in slightly different locations. There are three on the iPhone 11 Pro Max for example.
One mic is next to the ear piece speaker above the screen, where the face unlock and selfie cameras are at.
Another is on the bottom (where the holes are next to the lighting port.
And the last is on the back where the camera array is. (Looks like a black dot / hole on the bottom right of the square.)
Here is exactly what I did to fix the audio gain using stereo.
I first used a “mild” soap to wash the exterior and rinsed it very well. I then blew into the holes and grills to get as much water out as possible. I then used a hair dryer very quickly and gently to dry out any remaining moisture.
DO NOT use the maximum setting on the hair dryer and do not cook your phone with it. You only need some heat to evaporate the water. If you wish to be ultra cautious just let it dry overnight.
Lastly, and this one is probably the singular more important thing I did:
I used an alcohol pad (the sort used to sanitize and area before getting an injection or drawing blood) and carefully cleaned the grill on the front (top) of the iPhone where the earpiece and face cameras are at. I rubbed back and forth a few times using my fingernail to push just enough of the alcohol pad in to clean the grill.
You will want to avoid getting alcohol on the screen as it can wear out the oleophobic coating and then fingerprints and other stuff will become far more challenging to clean.
once done I wiped the few drops of alcohol around the grill area and tested the camera.
and boom. It worked.
why is this happening you may ask?
As we use our phones we may sweat or get other natural oils and residue that deposit in these grills and holes. They obviously block proper sound conduction and as a result cause the mic to be totally off calibration. This is why the video starts quiet and gradually ramps up.
frankly, this should be part of the basic user maintenance manual for all iPhone models. Especially those with water protection because the grills on those are also coated with a thin veneer of plastic which makes them more sensitive to residue collection.
If this process is too intimidating for you to try and your phone is under warranty just take it in for service or replacement. They will be able to resolve it by replacing the speaker / mic arrays.
PS: I’ve been writing and recording music for 29 years. I’m embarrassed this wasn’t the first thing I thought of. LOL
