Microphone on iPhone 7 lightning earpods stops working randomly

I'm having the same issue as watchra from what I can tell. Running iPhone 7 with lightning earpods on iOS 10.2.1. Microphone seems to not work occasionally when I place a phone call until I unplug, turn it over, and reseat it. Very awkward issue because the call recipient usually knows it's me trying to reach them. I sometimes have to place 3-4 calls before a connection works. I had this problem earlier and went through the hassle of going to the local Apple Store, trying to replicate the problem, replacing the earpods, etc. That seems to have worked for awhile. Now the problem is back. I've marked the upside of the plug that seems to work, just in case I'm wrong about flipping the plug as being part of the cure/issue.

Any suggestions?

Thx!

I have the exact same problem. It doesn't happen for every phone call but often enough to make it really annoying. Unplugging and replugging fixes it, but I hope it gets a real fix soon. My lightning EarPods feel a bit crippled currently..

Hello watchra,

Thanks for posting on the Apple Support Communities. I see from your post that the microphone on your EarPods with Lightning Connector sometimes doesn’t work. I know how important it is for callers to hear you. I will be more than happy to help.

First, if you happen to have another pair of EarPods to test with, that would be great. If you do not that is ok. If you want to test to see if it is in fact either hardware or software, the best way is to do a factory reset. You can find the information below. I do recommend having a back up first.

How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

Use iTunes on your Mac or PC to restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings - Apple Support

If the issue still happens after the factory reset, it would be best to bring it into an Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider. You can find locations here: Apple - Find Locations

Take care!

I have this same problem. It doesn't happen with other devices, just the Lightning EarPods supplied with the phone. Don't want to go through the hassle of a factory reset for what seems to be a problem with the EarPods.

I've had this exact problem multiple times with 10.1.1. I can be on a call with everything working fine, hang up, and for the next call, the microphone doesn't work. Hanging up and redialing doesn't fix it. Only unplugging and replugging works.

The problem is that it doesn't happen often enough to necessarily be reproducible at an Apple store, but it does happen enough that it is annoying. Particularly because when I'm answering the phone, I have no way of knowing if it is working until they say "hello? hello?" right as I'm talking.

I also have this issue. It's plagued me since day 1, and it has been impossible to reproduce on demand. It's particularly troubling as I sometimes leave longer messages on the app called Voxer... Only later to realize it was inaudible.

Well, you can hear it a little because it reverts back to the microphone on the phone, so it sounds muffled in my pocket!

Hello

Same issue here. My iPhone 7 is on 10.1.1 and still issue keeps showing (With or without battery case).

I asked some of my friends they also have this issue or bug or whatever they call it. Please fix 😟

I have this issue with my iPhone 7 Plus since day one, even after the update that was supposed to fix this. I think something is wrong with the lightning port, not the pair of earpods. The same thing happens while using the lightning to minijack converter with a pair of Koss Porta Pro KTC headphones (with remote and microphone). The headphones just randomly disconnect , cut the signal, stop responding to remote buttons etc.

I don't mind loosing the minijack on the iPhone as long as the lightning port does its job - right now IT DOES NOT!

Hi,

This happens to me on iPhone 7, too. It does not matter whether the original pair of EarPods or old ones connected via the lighting-3,5 adapter.

I hear this from other people, too.

Jiri

for now the only way is restart phone while still plug earpod