Phone with no sound or no audio on calls: what it could be

First: find out which sound is missing

The first step to know phone with no sound: what to do is to separate the problem, because each sound comes out a different way. Ringtone and music use the speaker, the call voice uses the earpiece (the small speaker at the top) and your voice goes in through a microphone.

Writing down what fails saves time. If only the music is missing, the cause tends to be simpler than when nothing makes a sound.

The four most common cases

5-minute tests you can do at home

Start with the simplest things, because most cases of phone with no sound are fixed in the settings. Follow the order below and stop when the sound comes back.

1. Turn the volume up with the side buttons and then in the control panel. Ringtone volume and media volume are separate.
2. Check that the phone is not in silent mode, in "Do Not Disturb" or in any focus mode.
3. Turn off Bluetooth. The sound is often going to a headphone, a speaker or the car, and not to the phone.
4. Unplug any cable or adapter in the charging port and in the headphone input.
5. Take off the case and the screen protector, to see whether they are covering the sound outlet.
6. Restart the phone. A temporary software fault often goes away when the phone is turned off and on again.
7. Install any pending system updates, with the phone charged and on Wi-Fi.

Test with more than one app

Play a video, a song and a voice message. If only one app is silent, the problem is in that app and not in the phone. Update or reinstall that app and check its permissions.

No audio on calls

If the phone rings normally, but on a call you cannot hear anyone or the other person cannot hear you, the fault is in the phone's earpiece or microphone, and not in the main speaker. Both are small parts, in different places on the phone.

You cannot hear the other person

Turn on speakerphone. If you hear well on speaker, the speaker works and the problem is in the phone's earpiece, the small speaker near the top edge of the screen. Dust or grease on its grille is a common cause; in some cases the part has burned out or come loose.

The other person cannot hear you

Record a voice memo and listen to it later. If the recording is silent or quiet, the microphone is blocked or defective. Phones often have more than one microphone, and an opening clogged with dirt is enough to cause problems. See also our service page for phones with no sound or no audio on calls.

It only fails with a Bluetooth headset or a cable

When the sound disappears only with an accessory, the fault may be in the accessory itself or in the pairing. Forget the device in the settings and connect it again. If the cable port is dirty, cleaning the connector often fixes it, as in the case of a cable that does not fit or a phone that does not charge.

Dirt and water in the sound outlet

The speaker grille collects dust, pocket lint and grease, and this muffles the volume little by little. If the sound got low and crackly before it disappeared, dirt is the number one suspect.

Safe cleaning at home

• Turn the phone off before you touch it.
• Use a dry brush with soft bristles, with light strokes over the grille.
• Do not poke it with a needle, toothpick or paper clip: they can puncture the protective mesh of the speaker.
• Do not blow with strong compressed air and do not put alcohol directly on the grille.

When the phone got wet

After contact with water, muffled sound may only be moisture in the grille, but it can also be corrosion if liquid got inside. Turn it off, do not charge it and take it in soon, because the damage grows over time. The guide phone got wet: what to do in the first 10 minutes explains the steps.

When it is a part or board defect

If the settings checks and the cleaning did not bring the sound back, the problem is hardware: the audio part, the cable that connects it to the board, or the board itself. The difference between the three changes the repair and the price.

Faulty audio part

This is the most direct cause. The speaker, the earpiece or the microphone may have burned out, come loose or lost strength after a drop or from wear. Replacing the part is usually a simple workshop service.

Flex cable or loose connector

Hard knocks can loosen the cable that carries the audio signal. The sign is often sound that cuts out and comes back when you press or move the phone. Reconnecting or replacing the cable fixes it, when the rest is fine.

Board problem

When the new part still has no sound, or when only part of the audio system fails, the audio chip or the board traces may be damaged. This repair is done with micro-soldering. Help Cell specializes in board repair, and you can learn more in What board repair is and when it is worth it.

When the defect comes with other problems

Sound that disappears together with other symptoms, such as restarting on its own, a camera that fails or a signal that drops, points to the board. On iPhone, an audio failure together with another sensor defect may be related to the board; see the similar case in Face ID stopped working: causes and what can be fixed.

What not to do with a phone with no sound

Some well-meant habits make the defect worse. Avoid the four below until a technician has looked at the phone.

• Opening the phone without tools or experience: audio cables are thin and tear easily.
• Turning the volume all the way up for a long time when the sound is failing.
• Putting the phone in a bag of rice or using a hair dryer: they do not fix anything and can damage the screen and the battery.
• Following tutorials that tell you to do a factory reset without a backup: if the problem is a part, a reset will not fix it, and you also risk losing data.

How the workshop service works

Help Cell checks the phone, finds out which part of the audio failed and explains the repair before starting. The price depends on the model and the type of defect, and it is agreed on WhatsApp, with no fixed number before we see the phone.

What helps speed things up

• Tell us the model and what stopped working: speaker, call earpiece or microphone.
• Tell us if the phone was dropped or got wet before the defect.
• Make a backup, if the phone still turns on and opens.
• Bring the phone without its case, with the screen unlocked if possible.

The shop is at Floripa Shopping, in Florianópolis, and repairs phones of all brands, with our own in-house technicians.

Frequently asked questions about phone with no sound