iPhone 4s, echo when using apple headset during a call

I have be having some people tell me that there was an echo when I use my cars Bluetooth, which has an echo canceling feature built in, but it does not seem to help whether I have it turned on or off. The craziest thing is that I knew nothing of the extent of this problem until my girlfriend did some researchthis morning after I got off the phone with her telling me that there was an echo but of course I blamed it on her, LOL. APPLE NEEDS TO FIX THIS not happy that my cars bluethooth only works somtimes due to apple software.

Toggling to speaker phone and back does sometimes fix the problem for a while, but not always. Apple technical support at the Apple store in Annapolis, MD claims to never have heard of this echo problem. I showed them if you start typing in google: Echo Prob Google fills in Echo Problem iphone 4s. At least Apple should alert their technical support personnel about the echo problem when using a headset. What is crazy is Apple is actually willing to replace the handset which according to this forum will do nothing. When this problem is going on with the headset connected, somehow, the microphone on the phone is active (not the mic on the headset). When I scratch on the phone, I can hear the scratching, while scratching on the headset mic is not picked up. Toggling to speaker and back does fix the input from the handset mic to the connected headset mic sometimes. I wonder if the echo with the headset connected is the mic on the handset picking up the audio from the handset with the noise cancelling that would normally screen out this feedback disabled as the headset is connected (but not being used by the software switching correctly).

Interestingly, the one person I talk to a lot who has an iphone 4S and no problems has a speaker that doesn't work...wonder if this is why there are no echo problems? he hasn't had time to go in to have them fix it. Though before that stopped working, he didn't have any issues. I had echo/volume issues with the 2 iphone 4S(s) I had before going back to my 3G. I do wonder if the reason Apple claims to not have heard of this is that it is a hardware issue which would be a very difficult thing to admit and not an easy software fix? The second 4S I had was better than the first, just not acceptable.

UPDATE!

I just want to tell everyone that I am on my 4th phone and I no longer have an echo (the person i spoke to actually had the echo) while using apple headset.

got the phone 2 weeks or so ago

I got it from applecare. In fact the last one had an additional problem in that the speaker button would stick and the person on the other end could not hear me.

she gave me my 4th phone and actually called me after I received it to see if I still had a problem

the only thing I did was

1-remove some crappy games that I didn't play and any other app that I didn't use (probably didn't make a difference)

2-also of course up graded to 5.0.1

I suggest you keep asking apple care for a new phone, that will get their attention.

No, this is definitely not the case with mine. The headset microphone is active, not the handset one. I've also tried over 15 iphone 4s's between the ones in the apple store and friends' phones and they all have the same problem which is the headset microphone being active during calls. I have waited a while since I last complained to Apple about the problem. I am going to call applecare and get a replacement phone. Will post the results.

It really doesn't matter how many you try. 😟

When I first encountered this problem, about five minutes after I finished activating my 4S, I submitted a trouble ticket with Etymotic. Their response is that the sound you are hearing is an artifact of an iPhone 'feature' that cancels background noise out so that the person you are on the phone hears a clearer call.

If this is a new 'feature', then all I want from Apple is a way to turn it off. I don't give a flying fish if the person on the other end of my call hears the background noise if I am driving. Better them than me, since I'm the one who bought a fraking expensive phone and headphones.

uncle PP wrote:

No, this is definitely not the case with mine. The headset microphone is active, not the handset one. I've also tried over 15 iphone 4s's between the ones in the apple store and friends' phones and they all have the same problem which is the headset microphone being active during calls. I have waited a while since I last complained to Apple about the problem. I am going to call applecare and get a replacement phone. Will post the results.

well, it may appear that apple have fixed this problem quietly somehow. i have gone through the list of fixes mentioned in the update for 5.01 but can not see anything about audio / echo / head sets / phone calls. BUT it appears that updating to iOS 5.01 has removed the echo issue from my 4s, i have been testing it for over a week now and haven't had a single echo happen since the update. So i am not sure what apple did, or at least they did it without telling anyone but it seems that the latest update will help this issue.

there are still a few things that i REALLY did not like about it.

(1) apple refused to accept that it could have ever been software and swapped my handset until i told them that after 4 handsets it simply could not be hardware.

(2) apple still refuse to accept that is was software and as far as i know my case is still under investigation by them. they have not called me back and have had no contact since i sent back my 3rd phone.

(3) the staff in store and on the phone would be overall nice but extremely unhelpful, they just would not contemplate that it was something larger than a physical issue with the phone / head set jack / head set itself / carrier problem / sim card error / or the other person. (which i did check and change half of that list over just to be thorough)

(4) apple's silence. i don't mean the people on the phone or the staff in store. i am talking about the apple website, neither the support areas or news sections mention anything about an echo. last time i checked the most results for "echo" brought up results for troubleshooting bluetooth headsets. Apple needs to acknowledge that something was not right and it is now better. i do not want money, gift cards or even an apology. i just want someone to say "we know about this problem and can tell you what went wrong". that is all i ever wanted.

so anyway, after all this i will not be buying an iPad, or a macbook or an iMac. i was going to do the "switch" from windows to mac for all my home systems but i can no longer trust apple to support the products i buy.

I'am on my 3rd iphone 4s.About to get my contract terminated with Virgin Australia for delivery of a product supplied that did not meet its purpose.That echo,background noise/sounds,voice distortion etc.I have noticed a significant improvement in the quality of the audio on the phone.Still dont know if my carrier did something or Apple.I will have to make more call to confirm this.

Re. iwashere33 - No, Apple have not yet fixed this problem. As reported here and elsewhere on these forums and elsewhere, 5.0.1 did not fix the echo issue, which happens with or without headsets, with or without bluetooth. Usually the issue is that people you are talking to complain about hearing their own voice, regardless of the phone they are using: the problem is your 4S.

What is worse, I went to an Apple store in the UK and the guy pretended he never heard of the problem. When confronted with the evidence (tens of thousands of reports, including mainstream and trusted sites), it was obvious that he had been instructed to pretend somehow that I was alone in having the problem. He looked rather stupid, with other customers around. Very naive and unhelpful attitude.

Apple's way of tackling this (or rather, not tackling it) has been pathetic.

I suggest you submit a strong complaint to: http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

Same thing in Egypt. Complaint submitted http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

I just received my 4s in the mail the other day through my carrier(verizon). I have also noticed the same issues with the echoes using my wired headsets(which work fine on my other phones). I have also experienced issues when making a call with the wired headset plugged in. No sound on the headset after making a call. Had to try 3 times before it worked. there is nothing wrong with my headsets. Also the issues with echo etc have nothing to do with the carrier since I happen to be with verizon. Sounds like everyone is experiencing the same issue. I have 1 month to return this phone(35.00 restocking fee). If the I tunes updates dont fix the issues which I doubt they will. I will be returning my phone and may wait for the Iphone 5 or might just say the **** with it and check out the new Galaxy. Im really hoping that Apple responds to these issues asap!!! Or shame on them and everyone that can, should return their phones. **** shame too cuz I just upgraded from an LG flip to this and at least I could talk to people on that phone and I didnt have to renew my plan and spend a buck 50!

BREAKING NEWS!!!

I too had issues with echo on my iPhone 4S when using headsets. I went to the Apple store twice and they gave me each time a new device, saying that I had bad luck. The problem is that also on the 3rd phone the issue with the echo remained (basically when calling using headset you hear your own voice on the hearphones, which is pretty annoying).

I just got back from the Apple store in Milan, Italy to report that also this phone has the echo problem. I had it substituted againg, but before leaving the store, I asked the Genius if we could do a test toghether on the new device. THAT ONE TOO HAS THE ISSUE. After a chat with other Geniuses, he told me that the echo problem affects ALL iPhone 4S. The problem occurs especially if, in a call when using headset, you keep the microphone very close to your mouth (please try and let me know).

The Genius apologized and said that at this point there is nothing they can do and that they will report the issue to Apple. He suggested to wait for a new firmware update.

My final question was: "Honestly, do you think is a softwere bug?" and the Genius, almost whispering said: "HARDWARE".

No words.

Nikoleo31 wrote:

After a chat with other Geniuses, he told me that the echo problem affects ALL iPhone 4S.

That's nonsense ... since the IOS 5.0.1 update my 4S has been fine with and without the headset. The problem I experienced before the update was the same as the FIRST POST in this thread which many of you don't bother to read. If you're experiencing an echo or other call quality issues at YOUR end of the call, it's a different issue altogether ... and NO, not everybody has it.

Not all 4Ss suffer from the echo problem. The cases I know suffer from the person you are talking to (i.e. not yourself!) complaining of hearing their own voice, with or without headsets, with or without bluetooth or phone attachments at either end. The device your interlocutor uses is irrelevant. The issue lies with your 4S. But I know of others (a minority) who own a 4S and do not have this problem.

Again, 5.0.1 did not solve the problem. And again, Apple seem to refuse to acknowledge there is a problem, which makes their own employees seem stupid in the Apple stores when customers approach them (and they pretend to have never heard of the issue...). This is despite the thousands of reports, here and elsewhere, about the echo bug in its different manifestations. Truly pathetic by Apple.

First of all, as OnYourBike said (and I have repeated several times within the pages of this thread), this issue is about the person on the other end hearing an echo when you are using the headphones jack. It definitely has nothing to do with echo that you hear on your iphone 4S. If that is your issue, go check another thread. It doesn't have anything to do with bluetooth or using the handset by itself with or without speakerphone. The people having the problem referred to in this thread DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CALLS FROM THEIR HANDSET OR WITH BLUETOOTH. Listening to messages referring to these other issues has become almost as frustrating as Apples inconsistent response to it.

That being said, I have had Apple geniuses give me new phones, tell me that this problem was acknowledged and is in the next fix and had them completely deny that there is a problem. I sent in a request online and never got any message back whatsoever.

For the record and to clarify...

I have plugged the following things into my headphone jack:

- The headphones that came with the iPhone

- Third party headphones

- The monster adapter that plugs into the cassete adapter in my car

The last two I used with my 3GS without any problem.

When I make a call, I have no problem at first, then I hear a strange noise on my end and the person on the other end complains that they are hearing an echo of themselves talking.

When I use the handset up to my ear, the speaker option on the iPhone or my bluetooth headset I NEVER have this problem.

It also doesn't matter how low I turn the volume down. Keep in mind any phone that is using a speaker phone can get the same problem if they turn up their speaker volume too loud. This is because the person talking will come in too loud and be fed right back into the microphone. I think some people have confused this issue with the one we are talking about.

I don't know anyone with a 4S who doesn't have this issue. I would imagine the people aa277 is talking about are people that don't plug anything into their headphones jack.