iPhone 15 Pro front microphone on mute after 26.3.1 update.

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Level 1

4 points

iPhone 15 Pro front microphone on mute after 26.3.1 update.

I own an iPhone 15 Pro and since the 26.3.1 update my front microphone no longer works! I didn't drop my iPhone or get it soaked in a liquid or get the microphone plugged up with dirt or lint. My bluetooth Airpods work. This must be related to the update because that is when my microphone suddenly stopped working. I use it daily to dictate and to have it suddenly not work, after an update, strongly suggests the update did something. I tried hard resetting, I tried checking microphone settings to make sure they are on. I've used AI to take me through the basic troubleshooting and the microphone still doesn't work. The rear one does. I tried doing a video recording with that and it worked. But the microphone one uses to dictate into doesn't work.

iPhone 15 Pro, iOS 26

Posted on Mar 9, 2026 5:52 AM

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Answer 1

Reddeadeye Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 9, 2026 12:17 PM in response to Jeff Donald

Hi Jeff,

I have been doing some diagnostic testing: When I use ChatGPT in the 'voice mode', ChatGPT can hear me and understand me. When I use the ChatGPT app and press the "microphone" dictation button, ChatGPT cannot hear me and there is no dictation. When I try to use the Voice memo app, there is no voice recorded. If I make a cell phone call from the iphone and use the speaker phone, the person on the other end can hear me. This is indicating that the bottom microphone fails specifically during GSM calls and system dictation. However, the hardware works because third-party 'Voice Modes' (like ChatGPT's direct audio stream) and speakerphone calls work perfectly. This points to a failure in the iOS 19/20 audio routing daemon or the primary dictation driver following the update. I've tried restarting and resetting the iPhone, I've tried turning on/off dictation under Settings > General > Keyboard. I've tried toggling Siri & Dictation to OFF. None of these have worked. I've also tried placing a USB-C cable in the iPhone, then trying to dictate, and then pulling out the cable in the middle of the dictation to try and activate it, and this has not worked.

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Answer 2

Mar 9, 2026 6:43 AM in response to Reddeadeye

Your options are have Apple perform diagnostics on your device and check for hardware or software issues.

Choice two is to backup your device, erase and restore to factory settings and then restore from your backup. You may want to check microphone performance before installing your backup. This will help confirm the potential cause of the issue.

Third option is do nothing and wait for next update to potentially resolve the issue. In any event you should report your issue using Apple’s official feedback link. Apple and Apple Support do not participate in the communities.

Product Feedback - Apple

What are your thoughts?

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