Audio Gain in Video Recording (very low/quiet first ten seconds) iOS Camera App

Hi there Helpy,

Your issue may be caused by another problem, potentially software. And it is also entirely possible that an “as yet” design limitation is causing this to occur.

That said, would you mind sharing your phone model, OS version, whether you ever rand any public or developer betas and when the problem began for you?

(If it is software in nature you could do two things to try and correct the issue.

1. Do a full wipe and restore from iCloud or iTunes / the new MacOS Music app.
2. Do a full wipe and reinstall of the OS. This is called a DFU restore and will put your phone into a state that is nearly identical to that of a brand new or refurbished device direct from the factory.

I can tell you that in my case the stereo toggle worked when I tested it, but I did not spend much time validating if it was temporary or not. Also, when I performed a full wipe and restore from iCloud the issue did resolve until I ran any third party software that records video. (Instagram for example.) This appeared to trigger the problem for me.

I can only speculate as to what the root cause of the issue is for most people. But the most likely scenario that explains this behavior over years of various device models is that it is related to hardware failure / wear and tear.

My personal opinion is that if such a failure or wear and tear limitation exists it should be covered by Apple either via an exclusive extended support agreement or device recall.

But the problem does not appear to be wide spread enough to justify it. (Yet)

Lastly, if you are still covered by even a basic AppleCare warranty you should contact Apple and they can run a remote diagnostic on your device to confirm the hardware itself is in good working order.

In at least one or two other threads on these forums the issue has been described and until I posted this solution the only alternative was to disable stereo recording or attempt a replacement with Apple. But this latter option was not pursued by many since it just didn’t seem to be a hardware issue as you could get it to work properly under very specific circumstances. (At least that is what was believed.)

So I called AppleCare and had an express replacement sent out. (Just to see if it would indeed be free of the issue. Tedious as it is to do this 4 days out from the new iPhone possibly being announced). That said the new device was expected to arrive later this week.

However right after the call I decided to experiment a bit more. (Some back story on what I’d tried before using one of my accidental damage replacements. I attempted gently washing the phone with mild soap and also attempted to clean the front microphone grill (located in the same component array that houses the FaceTime camera, earpiece speaker and so on.) Once I was done doing that and drying the phone and the grill area completely it appeared the microphone audio gain issue was completely resolved.

Unfortunately, the consequence of this was now that the earpiece would buzz loudly and distort the audio of anything played through it. It made it impossible to use the device to make calls unless on speaker phone or Bluetooth. That is when I assumed I’d caused damage to the microphone array. However I was wrong...

Long story short here is what I did:

1. I took a Panasonic Water Floss device and blasted the grill with water several times. (I figured this would either destroy the speaker or potentially rupture the IP97 seals or it might clear out debris that fell into the speaker compartment behind the grill.)
2. I then had to blow out the water. I couldn’t find an air duster laying around so I did it with my own breath as hard as I could. Needless to say this was not enough.
3. Then I shook the phone several times (swinging it in an arc with the ear piece pointing away from me.)
4. Checked it again for any residual water and it seemed as dry as I could get it.
5. I then made test calls with it and the speaker worked brilliantly. Crystal clear and loud with no distortion or buzzing.

This process has now resolved both the audio recording issue and the subsequent speaker distortion issue from my first attempt at cleaning the grill.

For those who wish to know what likely occurred:

When cleaning the grill the first time, the process likely pushed some debris through the grill and into the speaker compartment behind the grill. This would cause any audio above fifty percent to distort and buzz loudly. (Similar to what a hi-fi audio speaker might sound like when a tweeter has blown out.). This made phone calls unintelligible unless on speakerphone.

MY ADVICE: Do not do this unless you feel comfortable taking the risk and/or have accidental damage protection. There is a significant chance of making matters worse and you are better off going through Apple or another authorized repair shop to get the speaker / mic array replaced.

Unfortunately, this sort of problem honestly falls into a category of normal wear and tear. (This is my opinion, not Apple’s.) That said, Apple should seriously consider modifying the demand as the “implied” use of the device mentions no consequence of this kind over time and the usual care instructions are insufficient to ensure problems like these do not occur with proper maintenance.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: With a new phone try to clean the face of the device as frequently as possible. Especially if you sweat on it as that sweat is too acidic for the IP97 coating (on the speaker grill) to tolerate over a long period of time and eventually it will affect the water tight seal which will result in more debris being lodged inside etc.

Also, remember to use a gentle cleaning solution. Something designed specifically for plastic. Abrasive or corrosive cleaning agents (those containing alcohol) can quickly damage the IP97 coating/seals and will strip away the oleophobic coating on the display resulting in awful reflective discoloration and more difficulty with cleaning your screen.

Lastly, these guidelines for cleaning are even more necessary for anyone who may wear makeup, facial moisturizer, topical medications or sun screen while using your phone.

The alternative is to use Bluetooth for your calls and that will keep the issue from occurring for far longer than usual.

I hope anyone else who has a problem that is similar finds this helpful to them.

And keep in mind there are two other locations on the most recent iPhones where microphones are located. Depending on how much dirt, grime, grit or oil you slather over these areas they may need similar attention.

Good luck!