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how do I enable the FM receiver on my iPhone 6

how do I enable the FM receiver on my iPhone 6

Posted on Apr 27, 2015 7:35 AM

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129 replies

Jan 21, 2016 8:39 AM in response to leaping

It was explained a year ago, why it is not practical to do so. I suggest you read my post, and Lawrence Finch's explanation I linked to.


FM radio is not something cell phone makers are wanting to keep including. Even Samsung has stopped enabling the FM receivers in their phones.


You can try to track down an external tuner if you really require FM reception. Something like:.

http://allputer.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=16_140&products_id=20 86

Jan 21, 2016 10:35 AM in response to Phil0124

I agree with leapingJan 21, 2016 11:12 AM.

I did take a look at the Allputer ad-on for the iPhone and wouldn't touch it with a 10' pole because the cost is way to high for a connector, diode pack and poorly thought out case. The case uses the scrawny Lightning connector to hold the 2 together. I can imagine the connector breaking off in the phone if dropped.

So, for me, this is not a solution. For this product, the case should be designed such that it offers back support or cradles the bottom of the phone offering mechanical support to prevent easy breakage.


Apple, et. al. need to think about the consumer a lot more. Maybe, the vast majority of people wouldn't use the FM radio section on a daily basis, but, as an early emergency responder, I know that cell towers are taken out of service post event so that emergency crews have clear and available lines to communicate through. So, with the use of FM radio, news organizations or emergency reports can be conveyed in a timely way through the FM bands out to people with cell phones only in or post a disaster such as Katrina, Sandy and other events.

Jan 21, 2016 11:26 AM in response to warrens50

warrens50 wrote:



Apple, et. al. need to think about the consumer a lot more. Maybe, the vast majority of people wouldn't use the FM radio section on a daily basis, but, as an early emergency responder, I know that cell towers are taken out of service post event so that emergency crews have clear and available lines to communicate through. So, with the use of FM radio, news organizations or emergency reports can be conveyed in a timely way through the FM bands out to people with cell phones only in or post a disaster such as Katrina, Sandy and other events.

Which is why it's still a good idea to own a proper radio, that gets decent reception and preferably can be recharged via hand crank. A cell phone that requires frequent charging is not something to be relied upon in situations where power goes out.

Feb 28, 2016 6:49 AM in response to warrens50

I kept hearing about this supposed FM receiver, thanks for the education. I also have a new iPod, which does have an FM receiver that works pretty well with the earphones plugged in as antenna - not great but adequate anyway. It is no substitute however for even a retail $10 AM/FM portable radio, those have a much better preset function, AM, and other features the iPod does not offer. But it's a nice convenience in the iPod just the same, its mini size and weight are a big plus.

Feb 28, 2016 7:17 AM in response to leaping

leaping wrote:


I don't have the answer to this question but am really disappointed that it actually has an FM receiver. Just that it is not activated. Even if it doesn't, I'm still feeling disappointed. What is Apple's issue? Really, it is not logical. I need to rely on apps to listen to the radio. Often, what you hear is a few second late. It is impossible to participate in any radio show. And if you transition between wifi and data, you get cut off. Just activate it or put the receiver in. Is it that big a deal?


So buy a radio if that is so important to you. Or a phone that has one.

Sep 2, 2016 12:26 PM in response to warrens50

As with most things this problem is mostly about money. The companies that make smart phones and provide cell phone service are not going to spend money to enable and support a feature that would allow customers to use less of their data plan. ie Lower the chance that they would go over or decide to upgrade their data plan. Likewise the organizations pushing for this are representing radio broadcasters trying to encourage people to listen to radio stations more. Thereby increasing their ratings and allowing them to make more money from advertisements. If you want this for emergency situations then a battery or hand crank radio would be a much more feasible option. If your trying to use less data there are a few companies that offer unlimited plans and some that allow streaming music services to not count against your data plan.

Oct 7, 2016 7:06 AM in response to Thierry Boufflet

NAB is a lobbying group for the broadcasting industry. The self-serving article is short on tech on long on politics. As Meg said hardware is more than just a chip. Putting the other requisite hardware will change the design and technical requirements of the phone as it is now.


As has been stated before on this thread, if you feel this is so important to you:


1). Buy a phone that has that functionality, and suits your needs.

2). Give feedback to Apple as indicated elsewhere in the thread.


Arguing here with people who cannot do anything about it is pointless.

Oct 7, 2016 1:39 PM in response to Thierry Boufflet

Thierry Boufflet wrote:


Will this link be enough to convince you that Apple has deliberately desactivate the FM fonction ? It is not a technical issue.


Appart from a ship with FM capability, an antenna (generally un the cable of the headphones, not in iphone 7) and a sound system. Averything is already in the phone, doesn't it?

Quoting directly from the article you linked to "To create a reliable and direct FM audio feed, the iPhone would need to incorporate a built-in antenna, which could add bulk to the handset."


No, Apple's not going to do that.

Oct 7, 2016 1:51 PM in response to Thierry Boufflet

Thierry Boufflet wrote:


Will this link be enough to convince you that Apple has deliberately desactivate the FM fonction ? It is not a technical issue.


Appart from a ship with FM capability, an antenna (generally un the cable of the headphones, not in iphone 7) and a sound system. Averything is already in the phone, doesn't it?

No, the link is from someone with an agenda, and it leaves out the fact that everything is NOT in the phone. First, you need an antenna (which it does mention). Which is traditionally the headset cord. As most iPhone users have BlueTooth headsets, there is no headset cord for those users. Next, the chip is there, but the pins for the antenna, tuning the radio, and for getting the audio out of the chip are not connected to anything (I've reviewed the spec sheet for the chip). So it would be necessary to redesign the logic board. And, as the audio is analog, and the iPhone 7 has entirely digital audio, there would be no way to ever implement it in an iPhone 7.


For $4.99 you can buy a headset cord with a built in FM radio. That is a practical solution that will not add manufacturing cost to the iPhone (which would be passed along to all users, even though only 10 people will ever want it).


While we are on links, will this link convince you that people have been abducted by aliens?

how do I enable the FM receiver on my iPhone 6

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