You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

💡 Did you know?

⏺ If you can't accept iCloud Terms and Conditions... Learn more >

⏺ If you don't see your iCloud notes in the Notes app... Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

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

I'm having an issue with my 32 gb iPhone 4s with Rogers. When using the Apple hands free headset with the phone during a call, I get an echo problem. It does not occur immediately. It can very from 30 seconds into a call and as far up to 9 mins in before it begins the annoying echo. If I unplug the headset it goes away but will return when I plug the headset back in. I have tried 3 brand new iphone 4s headsets with the same problems. So far I have tried rebooting, and also restored phone back to factory original settings as a new phone and still no resolution. I have been told by the other person on the line a screech sound is made then the echo begins.

iPhone 4s-OTHER, iOS 5, iPhone 4s

Posted on Oct 15, 2011 5:28 PM

Reply
627 replies

Oct 27, 2011 9:29 AM in response to Themacguyver

Thanks so much for the speakerphone trick, that helped me today. I also did the apple feedback form. The people at the apple store always say that they do read that over at corporate so it's a good thing to do.


Not sure if anyone else has noticed this but in case this helps apple or some other smart person figure this out, I notice with the new echoey phone that talking on the headset at all (echo or not) sounds different than it used to, in that I can hear my own voice through my headset. It's quiet, but I do hear it. On the iphone 4 and older, I did not hear myself in my own headset. So just a thought that it seems like it might be related somehow.


Thanks!

Oct 27, 2011 10:44 AM in response to Ryan12354

Absolutely! Exactly how I feel as well. Just some communication to acknowledge that it is being worked on Is all I need for now. Instead I have had my phone exchanged at the Apple Store instantaneously without any research at all and I tried calling Apple and waited for an hour before finally hanging up. Forums like this are perfect for getting out a quick communication.

Oct 27, 2011 9:46 PM in response to t4372

"Echo" t4372 here. 2nd phone in hand, again with the echo. 4S #1 had horrible battery and echo issue. Really trying to refrain from returning this one as well, as I am on the phone for work all day and must have the headset to work in a reasonable matter. My echo seems to be headphone / apple audio jack related. People on other end of my call report bad echoing, and I hear a large change in the volume of their voice on my end.


----

AT&T 64GB white, GSM

Oct 28, 2011 3:14 AM in response to Themacguyver

okay, so i have my my 3rd handset (4s 64GB) and it still has the same echo problems. i have tried restoring, restoring from backup and all the rest. i have just got off the phone from apple care, currenltly they are organising a new iphone from the factory to try and reduce the chance that it was just a bad batch that was sent through. but for the weekend he wants me to makes notes how often it happens. Mostly because this is an intermittent problem which is the worst thing to troubleshoot, and very hard to pin point but only eliminate


But among the three handsets i have had this is what i have tried - which did not effect the echo or change the occurance rate.


restore the phone to factory

restore to a backup

restore to an earlier backup

different headset, i took one out of the packet and used only on the new phone. no change.

turning wi-fi off. i thought something about the new antenna switching could be the cause. nope.

turning bluetooth off. no change.

tried a diffferent sim card, tommorow i will be replacing the sim card just to completely eliminate the question.

changing options with siri.


it is clear so far that it is not a carrier issue (or any difference between CDMA and GSM), it is not a proximity issue. Currently there are a few strong possibilies, such as Siri could be changing the way the microphone is used and incorrectly feeds the signal back through the call or perhaps it is just a launch hardware issue (decreasing in chance though). I personally believe it is a software issue and related to some part of the noise cancellation that is meant to run in the background.



TLDR: now using a 3rd handset, apple still doesn't know anything, wants to replace it again but make notes about the echo until the new phone comes.

Oct 28, 2011 10:43 PM in response to Themacguyver

I'm having the same problems with iPhone 4S and I actually have tried it on both a iPhone 4S 16GB White (which I returned) and also on a iPhone 4S 32GM Black, which got when I returned what I thought was a defective first iPhone 4S.


I make a call, it is crystal clear and about 5-15 minutes into the call, I get an echo or static on the line which both me and the caller can hear. At first I thought it was bad reception, but now I realize that it was only happening when using the earbuds. I can get it to stop (temporarily) by pressing the speakerphone button and then toggling back.



Pretty much this and the rapid battery lose make this iPhone 4S the most disappointing iPhone I have yet to own.



Thankfully, I still have my iPhone 4 and will return the iPhone 4S (again) once these problems are resolved and I still within my 30 days. Praying for a software upgrade for this and battery issues so I don't have to return another phone.


--Jeff

Oct 28, 2011 11:36 PM in response to Themacguyver

Same problem, also without using the headset.

I have a 64GB white (unlocked from Canada) and I am moving from an iPhone 4...

The three biggest concerns I noticed are:


1. Echo when making calls, happens around 40% whenever I make a call

Solution: I will not exchange the iPhone or restore it since many said that it won't make a difference, I will just apply the speaker for a second then it will go back to normal...

2. Quick back heating, I don't know how to fix this...

3. Battery goes quickly, I am thinking of disabling Apple dignostic feedback since some people are saying it drains the battery!

Oct 29, 2011 9:21 AM in response to Themacguyver

I am experiencing the same echo problems on my iphone 4S, black 16GB and AT&T is my service provider.. I have noticed it mainly when using my earbuds, cant recall if it has happened when just using the handset or not. I haven't tried to switch to speaker phone and switch back as of yet, but i will as soon as the problems occurs again. Every time the echo problem has occurred my signal strength was fine and i have had to end the call just to turn around and call the other person back once again. This problem has occurred when talking to several people in my contact list and not just certain people..


When reading most of the post in this thread it sounds like it is a consistent problem with the iphone 4S, people from several other countries (UK, Canada, USA) and several service providers (Sprint, Verizon, Vodaphone, AT&T...etc)



Please Apple get this problem fixed ASAP

Oct 29, 2011 10:18 AM in response to bjh11780

Got the problem resolved! Woohoo!


Went to the genuis bar and he ran a diagnostic on the phone. It came up with several "corrupted" apps and other things on the phone. So, he suggested that, instead of restoring from the backup of my iphone, we start as if it was a new phone all together. He did his magic to do that and then we put back on the data of the contacts, notes, etc. from iCloud. I lost the history of my calls & texts and I have to reorganize all my apps on the phone and put them back in all the folders. But, the good news is that I have talked on the phone for about an hour now and there has not been this echo problem yet. I'll let you know if it comes back. But, so far, so good! Yippee!

Oct 29, 2011 10:32 AM in response to SMUzta

I'm happy that this seemed to resolve your issue, but there are lot's of others on this thread who have tried the same thing, and even tried swapping to a new phone and then setting up as a new phone, and it still won't fix it. I hope that's not the case with you, however, it doesn't seem to be the full solution to this problem for the majority of the people on this thread.

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

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.