iPhone Users Complain of Low Volume on Calls

We’ve seen an uptick in complaints from iPhone users about low volume on phone calls and the issues seem to be impacting a wide range of iPhone models on various versions of iOS 17.

Those affected by the issue claim the volume suddenly becomes extremely soft when making a phone call. In some cases, users are unable to hear the person on the other end of the line.

Users claim the issue is isolated to phone calls and doesn’t impact volume anywhere else. We’ve been unable to replicate the problem on our devices, but this indicates an issue with the iPhone’s ear speaker.

We’ve seen complaints from iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 users which means the issue isn’t isolated to a specific model.

Furthermore, users are saying the problem appeared immediately after installing a new version of iOS 17. And that includes Apple’s most recent version of iOS 17, iOS 17.3.1.

While manual fixes have worked for some iPhone owners, some users have been told to bring their device in for a diagnostic check.

At that point, some are being told they need to replace the ear speaker which can cost quite a bit of money if the device isn’t covered under a warranty.

Before spending money on a new ear speaker, iPhone users should try and fix the issue at home. Here are a few potential fixes to try:

• Use a toothpick or an old toothbrush to lightly scrub the ear speaker at the top of the iPhone
• Make sure Do Not Disturb is turned off
• If your iPhone has a Ring/Silent switch, move the switch forward so that orange isn’t showing
• If applicable, remove the screen protector, film, or case
• Update your phone to the latest iOS 17 software

We also recommend going into the Settings app. Tap Sounds/Sounds & Haptics and now drag the Ringer and Alerts slider back and forth a couple of times.

If there’s no sound coming from the iPhone, or the speaker button on the Ringer and Alerts slider is dimmed, the device may need to be serviced.

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