iPhone 7 Microphone Cutting Out

Hi,

I saw a lot of messages come in over the last day(s) regarding this ongoing issue.

It seems therefore good to update you again from my end. I talk frequently with an Apple care senior advisor regarding this matter. He's totally professional I must say.

I supplied him already with a lot of information. We ran tests (with special tailored Apple software installed on my iPhone7 for this issue and establishing tailore log files for Apple engineering). We made a video recording (though that had no sound, read all about that below). I had 3 log files created and sent to Apple engineering (you can read about that in more detail in previous posts).

Now they want another video for engineering to be assured there is no interfering sound in the background or that there's nothing odd with my voice (yes seriously). I told them most friendly that I am an iPhone user since the iPhone3G came available and have had all yearly new models ever since, and none of them had this problem. Also my voice has not dramatically changed going from iPhone6S to iPhone7. But ok, when they need another video, I will help again as we've come so far now already, just best to continue moving forward. 😉

For next saturday (28th of January) we have scheduled a session so we can make another video recording where he can confirm on his end the problem, he will also record sound on his end of the call itself, and simultaneously I will demonstrate on my end the problem and also on my end sound is being recorded of the space I am in (an office ebvironment that is perfectly quiet). I think that after all the work it will turn out to be an epic masterpiece!!! 🙂

I informed my absolutely cool and professional Apple care senior advisor that I am surprised - as I think it's all a bit far fetched - that Apple engineering would even consider surrounding sound interference and my own vocal qualities or interference with the mic to be the problem to this issue. But I told him:"if that's what they want now, then we go on and create it and deliver it." I better don't think of the engineering reasoning or drivers too much and just do it.

My Apple guy is researching how to technically arrange it all. Because the previous movie that he recorded, he recorded my desktop via remote-desktop technology on his end while I was visible on my desktop-mac-screen in a facetime window, and as a result without sound on his end as it was not real facetime (hmm). And even though he confirmed that the mic dropped via cellular, the result was that in the final recording, there was no sound on my end in the video nor there was a recording of the cellular-sound-dropping. And his vocal confirmation was also not included, just his written confirmation towards apple engineering.

Hmmmm basically ... it comes down to the fact that he has a video that shows me demonstrating the problem, though without sound on my end or the cellular sound-file that engineering likes to listen to.

[sigh]

But no fear ... that is going to be arranged next saturday.

I am informed that it's not that easy to arrange as none of the customer service providers have facetime enabled on their computer as I am told, they can only do this remote-desktop-viewing. That's why the first video was created in a somewhat super complicated way.

Still. I am told that Apple engineering is totally studying the 3 log files they already have now, where per log file I recreated the problem 5 times in a row. So that must already be a lot of info. Actually that should be thousands and thousands of lines that they have to go through as I am told. But hey ... when it will lead to an answer and the right fix they sure should do that. 🙂

They also have that first video in which I demonstrated all (though without sound as explained above), but they want to have a sound-version to it as well. So that is to be arranged next saturday as special actions have to be arranged for the ideal technical set-up. I'll wait and see.

And I am assured by my Apple care senior advisor that Apple is aware there is a problem to be solved as so many users are experiencing the same problem. But they seem to have difficulty recreating the problem, and ask all those 'in depth questions' and require quite some footage/material, explanations, user behaviour stuff, log files and what have you. I told them already that I am happy to explain it to their director of engineering when they fly me over to California. That's me ... always willing to help. 😉

My Apple guy also recommends in general that everybody that has this issue to contact Apple care by phone and reach out to Apple care advisors about this problem. Because the intel of the Apple care guys is most leading for Apple engineering for research and actions. So do post here, but definitely also contact Apple care over and over again. Lovely.

Basically, we are still moving forward. Fingers crossed.

In the mean time, don't shake your iPhone7 (➕) too much while calling. Guess that's currently the best advise for 'steady calling'. 😉

I am having the same problems even AFTER Apple has switched out my iPhone NOT once but TWICE within two months. It's absurd and annoying.

People on the other end say it sounds like I am under water and muffled. I am constantly having to rearrange the way I hold my phone but even so, that doesn't always help the caller on the other end. I am so close to returning the now third iPhone 7 plus and getting my old 6 plus re activated.

Hi JLB713281,

Your described problem is exactly what I have experienced all the time and is being worked at with my Apple care senior advisor and the Apple engineering as we speak. But when people may think it's all going a bit slow, I couldn't disagree with that. 😉

When I had the iPhone7 first in repair via Vodafone in the Netherlands I got a replacement iPhone6 and that worked perfectly again, and simply by installing it from my iPhone7 cloud-backup then. No muffled-under-water-problems at all on the other end when I used the iPhone6 for calling. Then after the iPhone7 was delivered back to me - with zero improvement - I had to turn in this replacement iPhone6.

Then I went through all the motions and actions and what have you, all as described previously. My iPhone7 has been renewed. Others have it renewed by Apple even more than twice and still experience the problem.

My previous iPhone6S already switched owner, else I would have been using that one again for sure and have the iPhone7 waiting in the box for a final fix or returned.

Though having the iPhone7 in use makes me - unwillingly - very familiar with the problem and as such I try to get it solved with Apple. It has grown into a significant project by now with a lot of communication, which is honestly quite ridiculous at the same time. Did not expect that from the beginning ofcourse.

But hey, I am connecting with some new people along the way, which is basically always nice. Though the reason why is indeed a bit frustrating one. Especially when you see a lot of iPhone7 owners experiencing this problem and as BlueEyedBull mentioned before that it's hard to believe that seemingly no Apple employee who owns an iPhone7 is experiencing this. While it seems that Apple is unable to reproduce the problem as I am told, and as such at engineering level they are stil searching for the problem itself instead of already working on the solution to this problem.

I don't have my iPhone6S anymore. If I would then I would have reactivated it already for sure. I am happy for you that you still can and kinda 'solve' this issue for you at the moment.

Success.

Yes, I have this issue too on my iPhone 7 Plus and have been following this thread to see how it is fixed. So, thanks to those who are trying to solve it.

I have noticed that when I am playing music (either on speakers or headphones), if I use some apps then the volume drops considerably, stop the app and the volume goes back up. This didn't happen on my iPhone 6.

I wonder if an app doing something in the background is affecting the sound ?

I posted on here way back at the beginning of October. I attempted a full restore, ran on iOS beta for a while hoping to see a fix in an upcoming release and no luck - whether on or off speaker, the mic would drown in and out on calls. After wanting to toss my phone off a bridge after every phone call, I finally exchanged it through Verizon at the end of November. Lo and behold, not a single issue since. New phone works perfectly. Sounds like others have run into the issue again with a new device so perhaps I was just lucky. Anyhow, wanted to post an update for my situation at least.

My wife and I both have issues. On routine calls my audio cuts out mid conversation leaving the person to ask if I am still there. They often hang up on me. I have to unplug my earbuds or switch to speaker phone or just wait in order for the issue to resolve. I took my phone to Apple and after attempting to fix the issue, they gave me a new phone. The same issue is happening with the new phone. I did a hard reset and had to reinstall everything from scratch. The issue is not resolved. I am to the point where I may switch phones after being loyal since iPhone 2 and every upgrade since. This is not good and is very annoying on professional calls.

I am having the same problem! I have the iPhone 7 plus too. Today I went to Apple Store and the phone was replaced but still people tell me they hear me on and off... I will wait the rest of the week and will go again on the weekend. Did you get to fix the problem?

Not yet Mininasol!!! Both my wife and I have a trip to the Apple Store planned for this week. It just ***** because they want you to reinstall everything from scratch vs. using a resent back up to avoid reinstalling corrupt software. It takes all day to do this for me because I have so many apps and so many accounts to log into. In addition it erases all my Apple Watch data too. It's the worst!!!!!

Hi Compatriots Who, Like Me, Can't Always Be Heard By Those To Whom We're Speaking,

After getting a replacement 7+ phone, and continuing to have the same inexcusable problem, I've done 4 things, 3 suggested here, and one suggested elsewhere:

Attempted Fixes and Checkups:

1. Under Accessibility, Phone Noise Cancellation OFF.

2. Under Cellular/Data Options, LTE enabled for data, but unchecked for voice. (This turns off HD voice, which only works in HD zones between - for me - AT&T phones that both have it.)

3. Under phone, wi-fi calling off

4. I checked to see if I have an AT&T SIM card that is HD-voice capable. Apparently I do because the 9th & 10th digits of the SIM card number (ICCID number) are 27 (or could have been 28), so apparently, that's not a problem.

It does seem that the not-being-heard problem is happening less frequently now, since making those 3 changes, but I'm not sure, because the problem, of intermittently not being heard, has always been unpredictable.

I want to advance a new theory. First, a bit more factual information. The problem happens not only during regular voice conversations, but also:

1) During hands-free Bluetooth conversation in the car, when - as I understand - the phone's microphones are NOT in use, and

2) When pressing keypad numbers to communicate with an automated phone system, again at a time when the phone's microphones - as I understand - are irrelevant.

So my new theory is that perhaps the problem is a weakness in either the phone's antenna, or in the phone's transmitter. As I understand, transmitting requires more signal strength than receiving, so I'm thinking, even though receiving and hearing someone else's voice from another phone works fine, the transmitting could still be inadequate.

For technically-knowledgable folks, is my theory a possible explanation for the problem we're having? And Apple senior advisors, engineers, & corporate officials - who, I assume, are paying some attention to these discussions, hoping this serious problem doesn't get major coverage in the mainstream media - can you consider jumping into this conversation too, and letting us know:

1) Is my theory possibly correct, and

2) What's your guesstimate about when you'll be able to get our phones working?

Same issue for me. Brand new iPhone 7, have had it less than a week. Straight out of the box I'm having the same issue. I can hear the caller perfectly but they have periodic trouble hearing me, saying my voice gets quiet, staticy and cuts out.

Badger that stinks. I did take the advice of Ebulient from the previous post and coincidentally a colleague of mine made the same recommendation to turn off Phone Noise Cancellation. I had a long call today with someone and no issues. Fingers crossed.

Go to setting>general>accessibly and turn off Phone Noise Cancellation

I had this same issue and went to the apple store and got a new phone and then started using it without installing anything on it and the problem started again. What I figured out was that when I took my phone out of the case (Pelican Marine) the replacement phone worked without any issues. I would suggest trying to remove your phone from the case and see it that solves the issue with the microphone. I got a new case and I haven't had any issues thus far.

My husband is having the same problem with his phone. We got the new iPhone 7 a week ago and he is on his second one already. Mine has worked fine. He has the pelican marine case. I may take it off today and see if that helps him. Has your phone continued to work fine since taking the case off? I am trying to figure this out before the 14 days window ends with Verizon and we are stuck with a bad phone. If we can't get one that works may have to go with something other than an iPhone.

Contact Verizon. If they don't help you file a complaint with the BBB, which I did. They eventually said they would replace my iPhone 7 with whatever phone I wanted for free. I stuck with my iPhone 7 thinking the problem had been resolved. Still bad reception, but not as bad as it use to be.

It has worked perfect since I ditched the case and know I have a screen protector and a bodyguardz case that doesn't cover the microphone. The sales guy at AT&T said that the Pelican Marine case was newer when I took it back. I always used the Lifeproof cases on previous iphones due to the water protection and complete coverage, but the sound was so muffled that I always had the speaker as loud as it would go and it there was any background noise it was impossible to hear. The Pelican said that it had enhanced sound which is why I chose it.