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iPhone 4 Microphone not not working on voice calls but voice memos, viber, skype & facetime work just fine!! Any suggestions?

Hi Everyone,


I have encountered the following problem which I think a lot of other fellow iPhone users are also encountering however mine seems to be fairly pecuilar.

Here's the issue;


When making or receiving voice calls via my network operator's service, no one can hear me, i.e my audio input. I can hear the person on the other end of the phone fine but they can't hear me whatsoever.


However when I use the likes of viber, skype and facetime, my audio input is perferctly fine and the person on the other end of can hear me.

Note both viber and skype calls work just fine and 2 way communication is audbile regardless if I have a 3G or Wifi connection. Plus I have full singal bar strength when near a mobile tower so that elimantes antenna issues.


Also have taken alternative turns to cover both the top mic and the bottom mic during a viber or skype call and my audio input can still be heard.

I've done a reset, a hard reset of the phone and a reset of the network settings, still to no avail.

Have updated iOS to the latest version 5.1.1


Any suggestions would be much appreciated?


Thanks

iPhone 4, iOS 5.1.1

Posted on May 11, 2012 4:51 AM

Reply
17 replies

May 14, 2012 1:23 AM in response to Botsbushman

Hi there,


Tried the test you suggested and the mic on the bottom of the phone works just fine. I contacted my network operator and got through to an iPhone techie, he advised me to reset my network settings. Since then the performance of my calls has greatly improved.


To reset your network settings;

  • Tap on the settings icon
  • Go to General
  • Then Rest
  • You'll then see an option to "Reset Network Settings"


**Note: This will delete any stored Wi-fi passwords you have on your phone for Wi-fi networks that you use


Hope this helps


Cheers

May 25, 2012 5:12 PM in response to Botsbushman

There seems to be some discussion that the mic issue is a hardware issue. I'm having the same problem, but have not updated to 5.1.1. Mic works for video and facetime, but not standard calls. One forum on ifixit, related the issue to a short in the cancellation mic near the headphone jack. I guess the cancellation mic is only on during normal calling. Some user turned on "hearing aid" mode in Settings->General->Accessibility. I tried this and it worked briefly. But the audio on the reccieving side of the call dropped again. Other users have ha success cleaning pocket lint out of the phone,...but requires you to take the phone apart.

Jul 23, 2012 6:50 PM in response to Botsbushman

I have the exact same problem, I have already restored the phone and it didn't work. The microphone works with facetime, skype and the voice memos. What just doesn't make sense is that when I use my earphone's microphone when calling, it doesn't work either. If it was a hardware problem the earphone's microphone would have worked I suppose.


This is the second iPhone 4 I have. The first one shut off after 9 months so I got a replacement phone. The replacement phone lasted 10 months when the microphone stopped working. I went to the apple store and they just couldn't give me a solution. They understood my situation and told me that it was very weird but all they could offer me was that I had to pay for a replacement. This is absolutely unjust, why do we costumers have to pay for the companies mistakes.

Sep 14, 2016 4:01 PM in response to Botsbushman

I can't believe there is so many people with the same problem, and there is still not an official answer to this issue. In my case, I have a 5S. The microphone works fine on Voice Notes and Whatsapp, so I assume there is not a hardware problem. But when making and receiving regular calls the microphone does not work; same thing when using headphones with an incorporated microphone. At first, when I had the 9.3 iOS version, sometimes it works and then stopped working; after reseting the phone, the microphone starts working on calls again. After updating iOS several times (also iOS 10), the microphone stopped working at all. I will try reinstalling the iOS completly.

iPhone 4 Microphone not not working on voice calls but voice memos, viber, skype & facetime work just fine!! Any suggestions?

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