iPhone Ear Speaker Not Working? The Best Fixes for You

Daisy Raines

Jan 11, 2024 • Filed to: Manage Device Data • Proven solutions

Are you having trouble hearing your friend or loved one at the other end of your iPhone? If so, you should know how to perform an iPhone ear speaker test. Testing your iPhone’s ear speaker makes sure your smartphone is functioning properly.

iphone ear speaker not working intro

In this article, you’ll learn the different iPhone ear speaker tests experts use to fix this particular issue. Follow the troubleshooting tips below to fix your iPhone without hurting your wallet. However, if all the methods don’t work for you, this page will also recommend an alternative solution below. Explore the guide to learn more.

Part 1: How To Perform iPhone Ear Speaker Test

It’s important to remember that you should know how to test an ear speaker on an iPhone to ensure your device is always in tip-top shape. Here are the different methods to perform a phone ear speaker test to diagnose your iPhone.

Method 1: Detach the Initial Cover Over the iPhone Ear Speaker

There’s a piece of plastic that covers the entirety of your device when you purchase a new iPhone. While long-time iOS owners know this is simply for cover, new owners tend to use this as a screen protector and don’t remove it intentionally. Authorized sellers usually perform an iPhone earpiece test to confirm if the hardware of your iPhone works.

As such, removing it should improve the audio quality of your iPhone, as the plastic cover prevents dust from entering the grill.

Method 2: Increase the Ear Speaker Volume

Increasing the volume of your iPhone when performing a phone ear speaker test is ideal once you have removed the initial cover. Adjust it during a phone call by pressing the Volume Up button to increase your speaker volume.

iphone ear speaker increases the volume

Method 3: Turn Off Silent Mode

All iPhones have a ring / silent switch on the left side of the device. To perform an iPhone ear speaker test, move the switch towards you to remove the orange silent mode indicator. Refer to the image below.

 iphone silent mode

Method 4: Remove Headphone Mode

If headphone mode is turned on without connecting headphones, it can interfere when performing an iPhone earpiece test. Restart your iPhone or turn On/Off Airplane Mode to quickly turn off cellular, voice, WiFi, and Bluetooth connections.

  iphone airplane mode

Method 5: Make a Phone Call

One tried and tested method of testing an ear speaker on an iPhone is by making a call to someone. Comparing the quality of sound that’s coming out of your iPhone and another device is an easy way to perform an iPhone ear speaker test. If you find a large difference, your iPhone ear speakers may be faulty and need fixing.

Part 2: How To Fix an iPhone Ear Speaker?

Once you have done the initial iPhone ear speaker test to diagnose your smartphone, here are several solutions to fix the problem.

Method 1: Clean the iPhone Ear Speaker Grill

Cleaning the iPhone ear speaker grill is recommended if your device is a few months old. Clean it using an anti-static brush, a soft-bristled toothbrush, or a Q-tip. Avoid using rubbing alcohol since it can permanently damage the ear speaker.

  iphone airplane mode

Method 2: Deactivate Phone Noise Cancellation

Apple’s Phone Noise Cancellation feature allows you to reduce ambient noise levels and make phone calls sound clearer. However, sometimes it does more harm than good and can make your calls sound a little wonky, especially when doing an iPhone ear speaker test.

  turn off phone noise cancellation iphone

To turn off Phone Noise Cancellation, go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual and Turn off the Phone Noise Cancellation.

Method 3: Restart Your iPhone

Restarting your iPhone can sometimes fix issues when performing an iPhone ear speaker test. Hold the Side button with the Volume Down button (or hold the Side button for earlier iPhone models) and slide to power off when prompted. You can force restart your iPhone if this is not possible. Here’s how.

For iPhone 8 Models and Up

    • Step 1: Press and immediately release the Volume Up button.
    • Step 2: Press and immediately release the Volume Down button.
    • Step 3: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until you see the Apple logo.

  iphone 8 and up restart

For Earlier iPhone Models

Step 1: Press and hold the Home and Sleep/Wake buttons together until you see the Apple logo.

  earlier iphone models restart

Method 4: Inspect Your iPhone for Possible Water Damage

If you can’t find any debris in the ports when performing an iPhone ear speaker test, this could indicate water damage inside your device. Use the liquid indicators on your iPhone to know whether it has suffered water damage.

Open the SIM card tray and look for a small white tab inside. The tab turns red, pink, or orange when it comes into contact with liquid. Don’t use rice to dry your iPhone if it’s liquid-damaged; it risks making matters worse by leaving harmful residue behind.

Method 5: Update Your iOS

If you’re running an older iOS software version, it may be the main reason your iPhone is experiencing issues. To update your iPhone’s iOS, go to Settings > General > Software Update and tap Download and Install when prompted.

  update iphone ios version

Method 6: Reset All Settings

You should reset all the settings on your iPhone if none of the methods above fixed the issue when performing an iPhone ear speaker test. To do this, go to Settings > Reset > Reset All Settings and enter your passcode if prompted. Doing this method will erase all the existing settings on your phone and will likely fix your device if the ear speaker isn’t working.

Part 3: Repair Your iPhone Ear Speaker Using an Alternative

If you don’t know how to test an ear speaker on an iPhone, using an alternative such as Dr.Fone – System Repair (iOS) can be the perfect solution for you. The app has a nifty Phone Verification feature that can check for any issues on your iPhone’s hardware.

  dr.fone main program window

Key Features

You should know about the key features of Dr.Fone – System Repair (iOS).

  • Fix all Kinds of iOS System Issues – Dr.Fone can fix most iPhone issues without data loss, including being stuck in recovery mode, black screen, boot loop, white screen of death, and more.
  • Upgrade/Downgrade your iOS Without iTunes – The software can upgrade or downgrade your iPhone without jailbreaking it if you’re having problems with your device.
  • Fast Processing Time – Performing a system repair on your iPhone is fast and easy. It doesn’t require advanced skills and finishes within less than 10 minutes.

How To Fix an iPhone Ear Speaker With Dr.Fone – System Repair

If the ear speaker is still unresponsive after performing various phone ear speaker tests, here are the steps to solve it using Dr.Fone – System Repair (iOS).

    • Step 1: Download and install Dr.Fone – System Repair (iOS) on your computer. Launch the program and link your iPhone with a connector.

fix ear speaker using dr.fone 01

    • Step 2: Select your iPhone model to download the appropriate firmware package.

fix ear speaker using dr.fone 02

    • Step 3: Follow the on-screen instructions provided in the main program window. Click Fix Now to start the process and wait for your iPhone to return to normal.

fix ear speaker using dr.fone 0

Pricing

Dr.Fone – System Repair (iOS) has different price plans depending on your budget.

  • Quarterly License (1-5 Mobile Devices) - $6.65/Month – With Auto Renew
  • 1 Quarter License (1-5 Mobile Devices) - $7.32/Month – No Auto Renew
  • 1-Year License (1-5 Mobile Devices) - $4.99/Month – No Auto Renew
  • Perpetual License (1-5 Mobile Devices) - $79.95

Part 4: Check the Overall Condition of Your Phone Using Dr.Fone – Phone Verification

Now that you know how to check and resolve the ear speaker issue with the traditional methods and Dr.Fone – System Repair, you might also be eager to learn the overall condition of your iPhone. Wondershare Dr.Fone is the right tool to check the condition of your iPhone’s hardware, thanks to its handy Verification Report.

  dr.fone phone verification report 01

Once your iOS device is linked to the program, click on the Verification Report button to see the condition of your hardware. While it cannot check the status of your ear speaker, it can inspect the overall health of your iPhone. It can be a great indicator of problems when performing an iPhone earpiece test.

  dr.fone phone verification report 02

safe Downloadsafe & secure

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Conclusion

When your device is malfunctioning when performing an iPhone ear speaker test, you should find out if it’s fixable under warranty. However, expect it to be an expensive repair if your iPhone isn’t covered anymore. Fortunately, there are plenty of methods you can do to fix it, many of which require only some basic troubleshooting.

Lastly, you can verify the status of your iPhone using Dr.Fone’s Phone Verification feature to make a report on the hardware. After that, you can use the System Repair function to fix your iPhone to normal if needed.

Daisy Raines

staff Editor

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