If you’re an iPhone owner, then you’re likely quite proud of owning such a high-tech and popular brand of cellphone.
However, every cell phone experiences problems from time to time, and if you are unable to hear while talking on your cellphone without being on speakerphone, then this could be a real pain.
So, what do you do if you can’t hear the person with whom you’re talking unless they’re put on the speakerphone?
iPhone Can’t Hear Caller Unless on Speaker
If you’re unable to hear the other person with whom you’re speaking and you put them on speaker, it’s possible you’re on silent mode. Another possible cause could be that your device needs to be thoroughly cleaned. Other reasons include a poor reception and your iPhone may need servicing.
1. Your iPhone Needs to be Thoroughly Cleaned
If it’s been a while since you’ve cleaned your iPhone, then there could be debris inside and outside that could be the cause of your problem.
How do you properly clean an iPhone?
First, remove any cases, screen protectors, and films from your iPhone. Inspect the speaker opening to determine if it’s blocked with debris or is visibly dirty.
Since you have an iPhone, you need to ensure the receiver is not blocked or covered with dirt.
If you find dirt and debris blocking the receiver and speaker, then use a small, soft-bristled brush, and carefully but thoroughly clean inside and around the phone.
The brush that you use should be clean and dry, as you don’t want to introduce more dirt or excess water into the ports, receivers, and speaker of your iPhone.
Instead of waiting until your device starts malfunctioning due to it being extremely dirty, why not clean it on a regular basis?
2. You Need to Ensure Silent Mode isn’t On
Your iPhone has settings that you may not be familiar with, and you may also be unaware of how certain settings got turned on and off on your device.
If your iPhone has a Ring/Silent switch, drag the said switch to the iPhone’s display. You will know when you’ve moved it enough when there is no more orange visible.
On an iPad, swipe down from the top-right corner for the Control Center to appear, making sure that the Silent Mode’s turned off. Also, ensure that Do Not Disturb is not on.
You might be surprised to find that your phone’s Silent Mode or Do Not Disturb has been turned on, but these things sometimes happen, though there’s really no explanation.
The important thing is that you found the issue, so now you can easily fix it so you can use your phone without issues again.
3. Your Reception may be Poor
If you hear sounds on your phone, try making a call with your iPhone by using the speakerphone feature.
If you have an iPad or iPod touch, try making a FaceTime call if your country supports such calls.
If you still can’t hear, or all you can hear is static or crackling, then you could be getting poor reception due to a network issue.
Try using your iPhone to make a call after you’ve moved to a different location where you know you’ve had good reception in the past.
If it continues to behave in the same manner, then you may need to call your cell phone provider and complain about being unable to make calls without reception issues.
4. Your Device may Need to be Serviced
Investigate the sound setting on your iPhone by dragging the Ringer and Alerts slider a few times for a couple of seconds.
If the speaker button is dimmed on the Ringer and Alerts button or if you can’t hear any sound, your iPhone’s speaker failed and require servicing.
In order to get your iPhone serviced, you can visit any Apple store, or stores that repair Apple devices, or you can contact Apple Support by phone in order to schedule repairs for your device.
Frequently Asked Questions about iPhone Can’t Hear Caller Unless on Speaker
If a person has an iPhone 4, can it be fixed if the speaker phone is the only way a person can hear the other party?
If you have an iPhone 4, then it’s likely not feasible or worth it to get it fixed, even if you find a professional willing to fix it. You don’t have to get the absolute latest iPhone model, but upgrading to a model that is still supported is definitely recommended.
Are there iPhone cleaning kits?
In order to make cleaning your iPhone easier and more convenient, there are iPhone cleaning kits that you can buy. But, if you want to save money, it’s not necessary to buy a pricey cleaning kit, as you can find the appropriate supplies either already in your home or at the local dollar store.
Is it a common problem for iPhones to experience problems with sounds?
It isn’t necessarily an iPhone issue, as any cell phone or tablet can experience the same issue. No phone is 100% perfect and all devices experience problems with sound and other issues all the time.
Conclusion
It’s indeed frustrating to have an iPhone that fails to work properly.
If the only time you can hear the person you’re talking to on the phone is if you have the phone on speakerphone, there could be many different reasons why this is happening.
Hopefully, you will discover the reason why your iPhone will only work on speakerphone quickly and easily, so you can resume using your phone.
