Iphone 7 Microphone not working, iOS 14.6

It isn't due to the update, the update just revealed the symptoms from the Audio IC chip having failing connections to the logic board. You can either pay to do an out-of-warranty replacement of your iPhone or you can locate a competent 3rd party repair site that can do board level soldering. They should re-ball 4 connections between the Audio IC and the logic board which will remedy the situation. If you go this route Apple may refuse future service on that phone but that really should not be an issue. Your other item is to buy a new iPhone at the Apple Store and trade it in.

No, they didn't kill the use of your iPhone and you can have it fixed. You have 3 options: pay Apple to do an out-of-warranty replacement of your iPhone, trade in your iPhone towards a newer one or find a competent 3rd party repair shop that can do board level soldering and have them re-ball the broken solder connections. Make sure they do all 4 of the ones that are prone to disconnect. If you go the latter route Apple may refuse any service to your phone in the future. If it were mine I would go with option 2 or 3.

There is no "mic chip" there is a Audio Integrated Circuit (IC) and no it does not have a microprocessor in it. In fact it isn't even programmable at all in your phone so an upgrade could not overheat it. There is no such issue to address. The fact that your Audio IC failed after an update is a symptom not a cause. Use your favorite search engine and look for "loose connection on Audio IC iPhone 7".

Which update was it? You can find posts with this happening going back to iOS 13. But you can also find posts were it happened without any update. Mine failed in between updates. My neighbors failed during an update although she admitted she had been having microphone issues prior to the update. I traded mine in. I took hers to be re-balled. She is still using hers. An update cannot cause a hardware failure. To use a tired analogy back in the incandescent light days most light bulbs burned out when you turned on the switch. So to use the same reasoning turning on light bulbs causes them to burn out. No, the weakness was already there, the application of power just finished it off.

But back to the iPhone 7. If your microphones are not working nor your speakers and if you make a phone call you the selection for the iPhone speaker is grayed out then you have an issue where the Audio IC is coming loose. Go back to the 3 options I provided. You can wait for an update to fix this but you will be waiting forever. One other thing you can try is holding the iPhone firmly in your right hand, opening the palm of you left hand and slap the phone crisply into the palm of your hand. If the connections are not completely severed you might get a few days of usage. If they are severed this won't work and if you are left handed reverse my directions.

This is 100% a software issue. I’ve wiped my iphone 7 plus because I bought a new phone. I waited hours later to use it after it rebooted and magically the microphone worked perfect and I was able to take pictures again. Apple should address this issue!

It’s 100% software issue. Wiped my phone and it works again.

For posterity, my wife’s iPhone 11 started doing this after the 14.6 upgrade. Restart fixes the issue but problem has come back after ~1-2 weeks.

Same thing happened with my 11 pro max just recently. All of the sudden the mic doesn’t work anymore during calls whenever on speaker as well video calls (facetime, viber, fb msgr, and whatsapp).

I’d tried all kinds of troubleshooting suggestions from apple support including updating to latest IOS 14.7.1. Still, doesn’t fix the issue. Video recordings (back and front) is working good however voice memo doesn’t.

I’ve reached out to MAC Service Center the other day and they’ve said that there are instances that it is brought by a software issue because, based on the facts I’ve stated to them, some functions are working well. If it is a software issue it can only be solved by updating the IOS or if it is in the latest version, wait for the next update to come out. If issue still persists after updating, that could be a hardware problem.

Most probably this is a software issue since the mic is working fine during ordinary calls.

I could not get an appointment in the service center as their servicing is always full during this pandemic. My phone is still under warranty until this October 2021. I hope apple will release another IOS update that’ll suppose to fix this problem and before the warranty period of my phone ends.

This post is specifically about iPhone 7’s and a different cause.

However, in your case you should be talking with Apple directly so you have a case on file and/or get service if not an update issue. Contact Apple by call or chat from https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201232

Hello,

Start here:

Get help with the microphones on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

Then test with the Voice Memos app.

Good luck.

Also, a Bluetooth headset is a workaround for many issues (phone calls, Voice Memos), so use a headset while you figure out which new phone (not necessarily iPhone) you plan to buy.

Where did I lob insults at you?

Whether you want to believe me or not the Audio IC is a problem for iPhones. If you take it to a 3rd party shop and they are disconnected do you really think that rolling back the OS would connect them?

Apple has never allowed rolling back the OS because of security reasons.

Nope. The mic is dysfunctional. Can video - no sound. Can make calls - people can’t hear you. MANY Iphone7 plus users are experiencing this since doing the latest update. Apple needs to fix this issue/update - and quickly.

The mic is dysfunctional. Can video - no sound. Can make calls - people can’t hear you. MANY Iphone7 plus users are experiencing this since doing the latest update. Apple needs to fix this issue/update - and quickly.