Is your iPhone 12 earpiece not working? Here’s how to fix your iPhone 12 ear speaker and get the sound coming through again.
You use your iPhone’s earpiece all the time: to make and receive phone calls. But what can you do if you think your iPhone 12 earpiece is not working?
Is there an iPhone speaker test you can use to check the problem? And how can you fix your iPhone 12 ear speaker?
Under some circumstances, you’ll need to visit Apple directly if your iPhone 12 ear speaker is not working. But before you do that, we have a few tips to fix your iPhone 12 earpiece.
See also: iPhone 12 earphones not working? Fix
If you are having trouble hearing others on calls with your iPhone 12 using the earpiece, follow along for how to fix your iPhone 12 ear speaker.
Please Note: While this article is about iPhone 12 earpiece not working, all of these fixes also apply to iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. So, even if you don’t own an iPhone 12, if you’re having trouble with your ear speaker, this article may have the solution. Without any further delay, let’s get started:
The iPhone Speaker Test: How to Check If Your earpiece Is Working
The first thing that you’ll notice when your iPhone 12 ear speaker isn’t working is that you are not able to hear the person on the other end during a phone call. This means that you’re routinely unable to conduct calls because the voice of the person on the other end isn’t being heard.
So, how can you tell whether you have a problem with your ear speaker (i.e., most likely a hardware issue) or with the volume? Before we run through some troubleshooting steps, narrow down where the problem is with this simple ear speaker test.
Connect your headphones by plugging them in or connecting via Bluetooth. See this article if your iPhone 12 won’t connect to Bluetooth. If you can hear someone during a phone call through them but not when you disconnect them, there’s likely something wrong with your ear speaker.
Turn Up The Volume When Making A Phone Call
During a phone call, press the volume up button. You should hear a sound. If you don’t hear anything, there’s definitely something wrong. You’ll probably need to visit your nearby Apple store.
Remove the Plastic Cover that’s Over the Ear Speaker
When you purchase a new iPhone, there is a small plastic cover sitting on the grill which may block the caller’s voice during a call so, make sure to remove it. It’s very basic advice but you’ll be surprised how by how many people who don’t notice this plastic cover.
Force restart iPhone
Performing a force-restart can clear up small software glitches. To do this, quickly press Volume Up followed by Volume Down. Then press and hold down the Side button until you see the Apple logo.
Give your iPhone time to reboot, then try making a call to see if this has sorted the issue.
See also: iPhone 12 not able to make calls? Here’s The Fix!
Update iOS
If you find your iPhone 12 earpiece not working after trying the above solutions, then checking for an iOS update would be the next logical step. Check if your software is up-to-date by going to Settings > General > Software Update. This rules out any temporary glitches in the OS.
Check for iPhone Bluetooth Devices
Perhaps your ear speaker is fine, but the sound is going through another device. If you have Bluetooth enabled, your iPhone might send everything to a hands-free unit in your vehicle, through AirPods, or similar.
Go to Settings > Bluetooth to see a list of connections. Disable any Bluetooth headphones, speakers, or other devices that you don’t want to play through.
You can also turn Bluetooth off altogether by toggling the button at the top. However, this will cut off other connections, such as smartwatches. Tap a connected device to disconnect it, or select the i on the relevant device and choose Forget This Device to prevent it from pairing in the future.
Use Speakerphone on Your iPhone
During a call, hold your iPhone away from your face so the screen lights up. Tap the Speaker icon in the upper-right of the grid. This will let you participate in a conversation without holding your iPhone to your ear. If you’re connected to a separate speaker through Bluetooth, a popup menu will appear, allowing you to select where you want to hear the call audio.
If you want all calls to go through your speakers by default, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Call Audio Routing. You can then switch from the default Automatic to either Speaker or Bluetooth Headset. You can undo this at any time; when you want to take a private call, hit the Speaker icon in the grid to toggle it off.
See also: iPhone 12 Not Showing Contact Name On Incoming Calls? Fix!
Clean Your iPhone ear Speaker
Most of the time, a faulty earpiece speaker on iPhone 12 is caused by dust, skin/oil, makeup, and other debris trapped on the speaker grill which blocks audio from coming through. Try out the steps below to see if you can fix your iPhone 12 ear speaker:
- Grab a clean toothbrush (or an electronic device brush)
- Gently brush the earpiece speaker (at the top of your iPhone) to remove debris
- If needed, use canned air to blow across the speaker (don’t blow air directly into it)
- Make a test call to see if your iPhone 12 earpiece issue is fixed.
Reset All Settings
If you find your iPhone 12 earpiece not working after trying the above steps, resetting all settings may be necessary. A reset can help resolve issues with your phone if it’s suffering from problems you can’t identify.
Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings.
What If Your iPhone 12 earpiece Speaker Still Don’t Work?
If you’ve done everything we’ve advised above, and your iPhone 12 ear speaker still don’t seem to work, we have bad news. There’s likely something wrong with your phone, meaning you’ll need to reach out to Apple support.
iPhone 12 earpiece not working: Fixed
Your iPhone 12 earpiece is working and now can make phone calls again. Now share this article with friends and family to teach them what to do when their iPhone 12 ear speaker is not working. If you have any other questions, drop a comment and let us know!
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