Asking yourself, ‘why can’t people hear me on my iPhone?’? There could be several reasons for this frustrating problem, and thankfully most of them are relatively easy to resolve. If you want to find out how to troubleshoot and resolve or repair these issues on your own, we will go through what you need to know below.
At imFixed, we answer your burning questions – like if it’s worth fixing a MacBook screen, what new MacBook users should know, and if your MacBook battery can be repaired, or get in touch with us for phone repairs in Bury, Rochdale, Manchester, Oldham, and beyond.
You can also learn how to fix your iPhone’s broken power button and poor sound quality in calls, find out why your iPhone battery is draining, why your iPhone isn’t charging, or what to do if a software update fails.
Quick Solutions to Try When People Can’t Hear You on Your iPhone
Before you get too frustrated with your device, try out some easy fixes and troubleshooting to see if you can find the issue. Depending on the age of the device and other factors, there could be more than one issue at play.
Turn Bluetooth Off
Bluetooth can impact sound and general phone use, and might make it so that people can’t hear you when you are talking. Sometimes there is a glitch, too, and you may need to re-enable it to get the system working properly again.
All you need to do for this is as follows: Settings → Bluetooth → toggle off
Is it on Headphone Mode?
If you are making a call with your headphones, this could be preventing people from hearing you on your iPhone. Depending on the phone you have, your headphones might not be plugged in properly, or your AirPods might not be connected via Bluetooth.
The cord of your headphones might be damaged, too. Try making the call with a different set, or without any headphones, and see how it goes. If people still can’t hear you after checking these, the issue probably lies with your headphones and you should get a new pair.
Turn off Noise Cancellation
Your iPhone’s noise cancellation feature could be causing trouble, as there have been several reports of this being the case. This feature is supposed to cancel out other sources of noise in order to make your calls clearer, but they can sometimes cause problems of their own, so it’s worth checking out.
If you have noise cancellation turned on, you should turn it off and see if this helps get other people to hear you on your iPhone. To do this, just follow these steps: Settings → General → Accessibility → Phone noise consolation → toggle it off.
NOTE: iPhone 13 models do not have the noise cancellation feature.
Check Your Phone Case
One of the most common issues when people can’t hear you on your iPhone is simply due to your iPhone case. If you got the case recently and only then started experiencing these issues, then the case could be the problem.
The wrong phone case might block the microphone or receiver, which will negatively impact calls and potentially cause others not to hear you when using the device. Remove the case and test it out again – if others can hear you with the case off, then you need to get a new case that is for the correct phone model.
Why Can’t People Hear Me on My iPhone? Other Solutions
None of the above worked for you? There are a few more solutions to try out that could do the job, so work through them.
Check the Receiver
If there is an issue with your voice on calls, it’s a good idea to inspect the receiver and test it out. Do this by following these steps:
- Open Voice Memos app
- Record a short audio of your voice
- Play the recording by tapping the speaker icon
- Listen out for any crackling or other noises on the recording
If the recording is clear, there is no issue with your receiver, and you should try the other fixes to get your device working properly.
Hard Restart Your Device
Sometimes a simple restart is all that’s needed to jumpstart the correct processes in your iPhone. Depending on the iPhone model you have, you will need to take different steps to force restart your device.
For iPhones that Support iOS 16 or Later
- Quickly press the volume up button and release
- Quickly press the volume down button and release
- Hold down the side button
- Release the side button when the Apple logo shows
For iPhones that Don’t Support iOS 16 (iPhones 6, 7, 8 and SE (1st Gen)
- iPhone 6 models and iPhone SE (1st Gen) – Hold down the home and sleep/wake button at the same time, then release the buttons when you see the Apple logo
- iPhone 7 – Hold down the sleep/wake button and volume down button at the same time, then release the buttons when you see the Apple logo
- iPhone 8 and iPhone SE (2nd Gen) – Quickly press the volume up button and release, then do the same with the volume down button. Hold down the side button, and release it when you see the Apple logo
Check for Software Updates
An iPhone will typically update without any issues, but this isn’t always the case. If you are struggling to update your iPhone, you can update your iOS in Recovery Mode. To do this, you will need the latest version of iTunes on a Windows or Mac laptop/PC.
Follow these steps:
- Connect your Windows/Mac device to the phone
- Do a force restart (steps outlined in an above section) to get your phone in Recovery Mode
- Don’t let go of the buttons until the phone screen has the Recovery mode screen (a charging cable with an arrow pointed at a laptop)
- Select ‘update’ when the option to restore or update on your computer shows up
- Confirm, then follow the instructions given to you (it can take up to 15 minutes, so have some patience)
- Your phone will restart on its own once you’re done
If this doesn’t work, you can try updating your iOS in DFU Mode. This mode is more complex than Recovery Mode, and varies depending on the device model you have, follow these steps to effectively go through the process.
Just be aware that DFU will restore iOS to a clean slate while bypassing iBoot, which Recovery Mode uses. As such, make sure you back up all your important data before proceeding.
If There’s Still an Issue…
If all else fails, you will need to get in touch with a professional like us, or Apple. There is a good chance that your phone is in need of a repair, and we would love to help you out to get your device working how it should.
imFixed Can Help You
If you are experiencing other technical difficulties, a water damaged iPhone, an iPhone that won’t detect your SIM card, won’t vibrate, or even won’t turn on, we have guides to help you. We can also talk you through how to fix your speaker problems, and tell you what you need to know about iPhone screen repairs – anything you need to know, we have covered it!
At imFixed, we offer local repairs in and around Manchester, and also sell accessories for your devices such as cases and holders, headphones and adapters, Apple screen protectors, chargers, and cases, so you can get everything you need from us.
Now that you have an answer to ‘why can’t people hear me on my iPhone’, hopefully you have found a solution to your troubles. If you can’t seem to fix it, why not come by, and we can have a look at your device?
