how do I enable the FM receiver on my iPhone 6

wildinsalem wrote:

I read there is an iPhone fm chip but it's moot since there is no antenna and they could use headphone wiring as an antenna but they discontinued the headphone jack now so now no antenna possibilities. I wish there were both fm and broadcast tv on iPhones.

As has been noted, repeatedly, in this thread, the FM chip lack a connection to anything so a headset can't function isn an antenna.

That is actually not quite correct. If I am not mistaken, I do believe every iPhone has always had a single wireless chip, with the ability to transmit/receive over Bluetooth, WiFi, AND FM at the same time. However, that is the HARDWARE, whereas SOFTWARE is another story.

I do remember being able to buy special headphones from AT&T for my iPhone 3GS that allowed you to listen to FM radio stations(the claim, if you asked AT&T, was that while the chip in the iPhone allowed for FM radio stations, there was not an ANTENNA that allowed for that ability). This did NOT, however, work very well.

Currently, I don't think there is any official way to activate the FM reception in iPhones, although there are groups & websites that push for it.

This is one website dedicated to that purpose: http://freeradioonmyphone.org

The headphone had an FM radio in it. It did not enable the FM radio in the iPhone. Headphones like that are still available. In addition to no antenna, there is no wiring in the phone to connect the FM control terminals and the audio output terminals of the chip to anything.

Jonny_Ray wrote:

Currently, I don't think there is any official way to activate the FM reception in iPhones, although there are groups & websites that push for it.

This is one website dedicated to that purpose: http://freeradioonmyphone.org

Despite the .org domain, that site is run by radio companies. It had an entirely profit driven agenda. If that agenda and yours overlap, that's fine. But, it's important to know who and what you're dealing with. It's also disingenuous in that it accuses the carriers of somehow preventing people from using radios on their iPhones.

I do not know where you are getting your information from. There is a FM chip in all smart phones including Apple. You should check out this page: NextRadioApp.com

Also, see this trend https://nabpilot.org/work/projects/fm-radio-in-smartphones/

The FM chip is there so you can can get important emergency information when data networks are unavailable and reduce the amount of data that is used each month. All that has to be done is the manufacturer has to release an update unlocking the chip, Most all the Samsung phones have this, and it works great.

Filmfisher wrote:

All that has to be done is the manufacturer has to release an update unlocking the chip,

I don't know where you are getting YOUR information, but that is totally and completely WRONG. The chip has no connections to it - no antenna, no tuning signal, no output connection. If you activated it how would the FM signal get to it, how would you change stations, and how would you hear the audio?

You are also wrong about "most" Samsungs. A couple did several years ago. No current models do.

A little learning is a dangerous thing.

There is a company that offers an app to listen to FM Radio on the smart phones that have the FM chip activated. It is http://nextradioapp.com. It does not use any data, and it will not drain the battery like some of the uneducated people might have said it does. Apple has been reluctant to unlock the chip that is in the iPhones even though it would be a safety concern when there is no single, data or otherwise available that could happen in a major storm. Most all of the Samsung phones have their chip unlocked and the nextradio app does a very good job. for the past 7 years I and thousand others have tried to get Apple to just unlock the chip. No results. I have been a Apple customer since the very first iPhone came out, but, as many of my friends have down, looking close to going to a Samsung Galaxy just for this reason alone. It is sad that how $$$ drives a company as large as Apple thinking they my loose a few dollars from their iTunes and Music subscriptions. As a last ditch effort I have been writing to the FCC to make this a requirement for safety reasons that all Smart phone manufactures enable the FM chip. Bu the IOS 11 update coming this year, if nothing has been accomplished and the FM chip still is not activated, my next purchase will be the new Samsung Galaxy 8. You can help push this a little by going to http://freeradioonmyphone.org.

You can also find out by going here to see the trend in the past few years in activations of the FM Chip http://freeradioonmyphone.org/

This can and could have been changed by Apple back in 2010 if they had any concern for the safety of the people. The new iPhone 8 could have the connection. Samsung had the right idea. NextRadioApp works great on them.

Go check it out yourself. nextradioapp. Samsung Galaxy 6, Samsung Galaxy 5, 6 and 7 has the chips unlocked and the NexRadioApp works just fine. A friend has the Samsung Galaxy 7 edge. It works great. Go here and see for yourself http://nextradioapp.com/supported-devices/

Also. check out the trend here: https://nabpilot.org/work/projects/fm-radio-in-smartphones/

Takes you through the last several years including 2016.

You should always buy the product that best fits your needs. If having an FM capability is much more important than immunity from spyware then by all means get the product that has it. Or you could buy a $10 FM headset to use with any phone.

Go check it out yourself. nextradioapp. Samsung Galaxy 6, Samsung Galaxy 5, 6 and 7 has the chips unlocked and the NexRadioApp works just fine. A friend has the Samsung Galaxy 7 edge. It works great. Go here and see for yourself http://nextradioapp.com/supported-devices/

Also. check out the trend here: https://nabpilot.org/work/projects/fm-radio-in-smartphones/

Takes you through the last several years including 2016.

Just trying to get Apple to pull their head out of their ***. I prefer Apple. But, a few months ago a bad storm hit my area. No power, no cell reception with the onlook of more storms coming. This was a needed addition. Why put the FM chip in the phone if it is unusable?

Filmfisher wrote:

Go check it out yourself. nextradioapp. Samsung Galaxy 6, Samsung Galaxy 5, 6 and 7 has the chips unlocked and the NexRadioApp works just fine. A friend has the Samsung Galaxy 7 edge. It works great. Go here and see for yourself http://nextradioapp.com/supported-devices/

Why on earth would I want to do that? Spotify, Apple Music and podcasts have saved me from having to subject myself to FM radio stations ever again. iPhones mean I don't have to deal with the insecurity and platform fragmenting that is Android. I can't imagine giving up my iPhone just to use a 20th century technology I no longer need.

You said why? Really? Because all you mentioned above is for entertainment and uses WiFi or Data to operate. I guess you are not informed. The FM Chip is for EMERGENCIES. It does not use WiFi or Data, picks up local FM stations when there is no cell signal or WiFi like in a disaster. Most all smartphones have them, even Apple. They have not turned it on, where Samsung has.

So let's talk about emergencies. On 9/11/2001 FM stopped working. Cellular service did NOT. For hurricane Floyd in the NYC area, FM stopped working for days. Cellular service did NOT. Likewise hurricane Sandy. Similarly for other emergencies in this area. But if FM is the answer for emergencies, smartphones are definitely not the way to go. You can get an FM radio that will work for days or weeks without power. For about $10. But your cell phone will die in less than a day. If FM is important to you for emergencies, the last thing you should consider using is your cell phone.