We may be in the era of 5G and our smartphones are more advanced than ever. However, many users continue to face the classic problem of “They cannot hear me when I speak on my mobile” on a daily basis. This failure can range from a simple solution that we can carry out ourselves in seconds, to a more complicated fix that will require the hand of a specialized technician.
We listen but they don’t listen to us. A classic phone call problem that comes up every day. However, apart from a specific problem related to coverage, the situation becomes more worrying when we cannot be heard in any way, not even hanging up and re-establishing the call , which on other occasions has been successful.
Solutions to listening problems in calls
For that reason, we are going to take a look at the best solutions that work most of the time. In this way we can do tests, rule out guilty parties and try to be heard again during calls.
Restart the mobile
Mobile phones can go weeks or months without restarting or shutting down. The recommendation is to do it from time to time to improve performance. Yes, the classic “turn off and on” continues to work and will be the first test we must do. Once the mobile is restarted, we will make a call to check if the problem has been resolved.
Mute button pressed
It is another of the most common causes and one that many users do not repair. The options of the call when we are in the middle of one, include options such as putting the hands-free, but also activating the “mute” or “silence”. This mode is activated many times unintentionally. We must check if it is activated since it will be the cause of not being heard during calls.
Start in Safe Mode
Safe mode is a perfect test bed for finding problems or ruling out culprits. This mode starts the system without the applications installed by us, which means that if any of them are interfering with the correct operation of calls or the microphone, we will be able to know it. We can start safe mode by holding down the shutdown button and touching OK when restart to Safe Mode appears.
Once inside, we will try to make a call. If we are heard correctly, we must look for an installed application, from the most recent to the oldest, that may be causing the problem. The strategy is to delete one by one and try again outside of safe mode, until you know which one was causing the problem.
Headphones plugged in
On occasion, if we have been using the headphones via 3.5mm connection, the system may have trouble recognizing its disconnection. It is a known failure and one that usually causes these problems. The solution is as simple as inserting and removing the headphones again . A restart of the mobile also works well in this case.
Audio effect
There is a system application called “Audio Effect” responsible for the correct functioning of many of the sound-related system parameters. A failure in this file can cause failures during calls and that the interlocutor does not hear us. To solve it we go into Settings / Applications and look for “Audio Effect” . We can also find it directly from the search box. Once done, we must click on “Force stop”. Later we enter storage and click on delete data and cache. Then we will only have to restart the mobile and try again.
Other tests
- Mobile testing : brands such as Samsung, Huawei, OPPO, Xiaomi, Motorola and others have their own diagnostic tool to test if any hardware element has problems. After carrying out these analyzes, we will be able to know if the microphone of our mobile has a problem.
- WhatsApp and the sound recorder : it is a way to ensure or rule out that the microphone may have a problem. It is about sending a voice note by WhatsApp or recording with the system recorder. If once done we can reproduce the audio without problems, we can breathe easy that it is due to a hardware problem.
Dirt on the mic
We are facing another of the most common causes of the problem. Dirt in the hole of the mic can cause us to hear very low, or as in this case, not hear us at all. The microphone hole is very small, but we can try to clean it with a very fine instrument such as a needle or pin, dragging the dirt out . Blowing hard can also work, although it is often discouraged.
Recent hit?
If our mobile has suffered a recent blow, it is possible that the microphone has suffered the consequences . These can range from a simple internal “disconnect” to damage to the microphone itself. In this case we will be able to do little, except associate the problem with a fall or blow that may have taken place before having a problem in the calls.
If all of the above fails
Factory reset
We must not throw in the towel, since a factory reset can be the solution to almost any problem, as long as it is related to the software of our mobile. Therefore and once our personal data is safe, we must click on Settings / System / Reset to factory values. Once the process is finished, we will perform the test again to see if the problem has disappeared.
Make an appointment with the technician
If all of the above has failed, we can almost confirm that we have a problem with the microphone, which can only be resolved by disassembling our terminal. At this point, it may be necessary to go to the Technical Service so that a specialist technician can detect the problem precisely and offer us a solution.