I have an iPhone 11 Pro Max, I can’t answer phone calls unless I put the call on speaker. By that I mean if someone calls me I can’t hear them unless it’s on speakerphone. I checked all of my buttons and cleaned my speaker and reset my phone. Help.

Hi jalynn64,

welcome to the Apple Community, where some of us do our best to help each other :)

Wondering if you've tried removing any headset, case or screen-protector to see if there is any difference ?

Apple support have an article online with some steps to try:

If you hear no sound or distorted sound from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch speaker:

If you can't hear a person's voice clearly, learn what to do:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203794

Hope this helps,

or

Please feel free to "reply" if you still need help :)

If any of you are still experiencing difficulties,

you might want to browse these articles from Apple support.

If the microphones on your iPhone aren't working

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203792

If your iPhone is stuck in headphone mode:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207532

If you hear no sound or distorted sound from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch speaker:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203794

If you can't hear a person's voice clearly, hear crackling, hear static, or have issues with sound quality, learn what to do:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203794

Adjust the volume on iPhone (You can select your iOS at the top of the page.)

https://supporhttps://support.apple.com/choose-country-region

OR, if you want help from the experts

How to make a Genius Bar reservation at your favourite Apple Store, and get help from an Apple expert.

(Apple want customers to be happy with their products.)

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

Or

From iOS device you can use the app to easily make a online Genius Bar appointment: 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/apple-support/id1130498044?mt=8

Or to speak with someone from Apple:

See a list of Apple phone numbers around the world

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201232

Or

If your country is not listed: 

Apple Assistance:

Choose your country or region:

https://support.apple.com/choose-country-region

All the best :-)

Does the headphone icon appear when the speaker is playing?

Normally, whenever I watch a video, is there sound coming from the headphones?

Put the device in DFU mode and reboot. If the problem is not solved, show it to the authorized service.

Wow! So many people having similar iPhone speaking and hearing issues.

Apple provide a form for sending feedback directly to those. who are in a position make some changes.

If enough people provide their information, it may help.

https://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone/

Commiserating. I am having the same issue with my Iphone XS this week. It is driving me insane. Happened after cleaning my phone per instructions. Callers can barely hear me while on speaker, nothing but white noise using regular microphone.

Every app and feature speaker and sound related are 100%l: Bluetooth headsets, Air Pods, voice memos, videos (front and back) and Siri.

Apple support website and this forum is useless - all roads lead back to "clean your speaker" or "contact support".

Hello I was just wondering if you had ever sought. Mine has been doing the same for about a month now. And when I speak into my phone for like a text, it doesn’t always catch all the words like it use too. Occurring at the same time

I am having this problem for the first time on my XS. Cant hear anything on normal call, I need to either connect my Bluetooth headphones or speaker. Any solution here. Have checked accessibility, restarted my phone but no respite.

I am having the same issues with my 11 pro max as well. I have done everything Apple support has suggested but the only thing that has done is actually make it worse. I now can’t hear anything when not answering the phone on speaker. I’m almost to the point where I’m done with Apple products in general 😐

Wondering if this is more of a connection issue, than a hardware one, for some of us.

Whether using Apple or Android phones, many people have to move to hear.

Eg: Some jump up and take their phone outdoors, when the phone rings.

Or they move to a different space, (downstairs) in order to hear properly on their phones,

It seems that geographical features ( like mountains) can inhibit reception,

Densely populated areas (like shopping centres) can cause delays in reception,

Magnetic or metallic influences can cause interference.

Seems it can be a matter of finding where to place oneself, to get the best communication reception.

Distance from mobile phone towers etc., plays a part in reception.

All carriers may not be the same, or provide the same service.

How clearly a person can hear on their phone, in a particular place seems variable.

Many people rarely have a problem, because they understand where they need to be.

All the best :-)

I have had an iPhone for as long as I can remember. I have lived in the same place for 30 years and reception has never been an issue. I made the leap from iPhone 6 to iPhone 11 and then everything went to **** in a handbag. I have regretted my decision for a while now. I call my iPhone 6 "old reliable" and wish I had just stuck with it.

Mine has some new issues, as well. Now I'm only getting my sound alerts occasionally. No rhyme or reason. Some come thru – some don't. I'll check my phone and have a bunch of text messages, but the alert sound never went off. And, no, the phone was not on Do Not Disturb, etc. The phone does ring ... but I still have to put it on speaker phone to hear the person on the other end.

This is kinda passing like distracting from the very obvious issue. Clearly people are having trouble hearing through the earpiece. I am experiencing the same thing. I don’t recall the day it happened because I use Bluetooth alot. I do know the phone worked normally very recently. I have to use speaker to even listen to voicemail. I’ve reset the phone and did all the setting recommendations and tricks. If this is just another tactic to get us to upgrade. I will have the first iphoneX iPod rebranded. Still need that ecosystem, Apple Pay, and Face ID for easy account access. I can mob with an Android.

Hi grissom3310,

Thank you for joining the discussion.

We are all Apple users here, like yourself, just doing the best we can to help troubleshoot.

Thus, there is no interest in getting anyone to do anything, other than that which they wish to do..

Apple staff would not be reading these discussions.

So,

If Apple do not get feedback from those who are experiencing difficulties,

how will they know about the issue, or how many are involved,

or how urgent it is they make changes, or whatever is needed ?

All the best :)