iPhone unmutes built-in mic when headset is muted

Question

iPhone unmutes built-in mic when headset is muted

I have Sennheiser PC 360 headset with a boom mic. The headset automatically mutes when the boom mic is raised. When making phone calls with my old iPhone 3G running iOS 4.x, this worked as expected. I recently upgraded to iPhone 4s and I am seeing undesired behavior. In particular...

When the head set is plugged in and boom mic is lowered, people on the call can hear me clearly. When I raise the boom mic, I hear a pop, during which the incoming sound in the headset shortly cuts out. At this point, if I speak, people can still hear me, but more faintly. After some investigation, I've discovered that iPhone turns on built-in mic when I raise my headset's boom mic. This is obviously highly undesirable behavior as I now have to explicitly press the mute button on the call screen.

This seems to be a new "feature". Either a software issue in iOS 5 or a hardware issue in iPhone 4s. Has anyone else seen this problem? I imagine it should reproduce with any headset with a hardware mic mute. Any workarounds? Any way to report this to Apple?

- Konstantin

iPhone 4S, iOS 5.0.1

Posted on Dec 14, 2011 4:58 PM

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Answer 1

fromsouth

Level 5

4,945 points

Dec 14, 2011 5:19 PM in response to konstantin.from.woodinville

Kostik, apple.com/feedback. Before you do that, I would try to reproduce that with another headset. Yours may have developed a short. Second I would factory restore the phone. Only third I would report to apple.

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Answer 2

Dec 14, 2011 5:45 PM in response to fromsouth

The headset is fine. It works as expected with my computer and other phones. I can repro the same behavior with my wife's iPhone 4s, so I don't see a factory restore doing anything to address this issue.

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Answer 3

fromsouth

Level 5

4,945 points

Dec 14, 2011 6:06 PM in response to konstantin.from.woodinville

This seems to be a new "feature". Either a software issue in iOS 5 or a hardware issue in iPhone 4s. Has anyone else seen this problem? I imagine it should reproduce with any headset with a hardware mic mute. Any workarounds? Any way to report this to Apple?

Factory restore reinstalls you iOS. So it eliminates software part of your question.

I can repro the same behavior with my wife's iPhone 4s, so I don't see a factory restore doing anything to address this issue.

Another reason to look at your headset.

All of that is just my not so humble opinion. You are free to do what you desire, as well as complain. Address was

provided at the beginning.

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Answer 4

e.moji

Level 1

0 points

Dec 2, 2013 7:20 PM in response to konstantin.from.woodinville

I'm replying 2 years late, so I'm not sure if anyone will see this.

Now with iOS 7 on an iPhone 5s, the issue described above still occurs. I have tested with a Sennheiser PC 360 and a Logitech G430.

With the PC 360, when the boom mic is raised, the mic appears to powers off entirely, rather than simply being muted. iOS 5 and later detects that the mic is no longer present and reenables the iPhone's internal mic.

With the G430, when the inline mute switch is activated, the mic appears to mute but remain powered on. iOS detects no change and does not reenable the iPhone's internal mic.

I have tested these headsets with my mid-2009 MacBook Pro running OS 10.9 (using the 3.5mm headphone port, not USB), and muting works as desired for both the PC 360 and the G430. Unlike iOS, OS X does not detect that the PC 360's mic has powered off, and therefore does not reenable the Mac's internal mic.

It seems that OS X detects the presence of a mic only at the event of a 3.5mm jack being plugged into the headphone port.

As a result, if the PC 360's mic is raised (powered off) when I plug it into the Mac, then OS X will not detect the mic, and it will leave the Mac's internal mic enabled. Lowering and powering on the PC 360's mic after at this point has no effect, and OS X does not respond to its input. It is necessary to unplug and reconnect the PC 360 (with the mic powered on) for OS X to recognize the mic.

Connecting these headsets via USB changes the situation somewhat, but unfortunately that isn't an option for the iPhone.

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