If your Android smartphone
is acting up a bit and only works on speakerphone. There are quite a number of
possibilities what may have went wrong with the phone and this article is going
to lay them out for you. If your Android only works in speakerphone, chances
are your ear piece speaker has gone bust. Sure, there can be a software issue
where the device is unable to access the earpiece properly. But chances are,
your smartphone is physically ill. So, let’s dive into the possible solutions
and how you can at least try before sending your friend to customer support.
The Reasons
There are 2 basic reasons why
your phone can work alright on speakerphone and but fails to work regularly.
- Either
you cannot hear the other person. This is because the earpiece is damaged.
- Or
they are unable to hear you. This is because the dedicated noise canceling
mic is damaged. Rarely happens on older phones that only had one
microphone.
Possible Solutions
1. Clean the Earpiece
This is the most common
solution I found by talking to my local hardware technician. 80% of the time
it’s the little pieces of washed tissue paper clogged into the earpiece. If you
wash your clothes without emptying the pockets there is a chance that you’ve
also washed a bunch of tissue papers. The tiny paper has the tendency to
accumulate into the ports as well as the earpiece over time. So, if you’re
confident that you won’t break the earpiece grill, take a 10 or a small tweezer
and pick out the pieces that are clogging the earpiece port. If your earpiece
has a metallic grill on front, you’ll have to take it to a professional for a
thorough cleaning.
2. Clean the Mic Hole
Many smartphones come with
multiple mics these days to enable clear communication whether you are using
the standard orientation or the speakerphone. For example, the Samsung Galaxy
S7 Edge comes with 2 microphones. One is a regular one and the other is the
noise canceling one. Usually the standard microphone hole is present underneath
the smartphone near the charging ports. By using a flashlight, check to see if
it is in any way blocked or not. I do not recommend this but if you have a thin
needle, you can try to wrangle any kind of residue you see, out of the hole
yourself. After the mic hole is clean, make sure to blow on it to scatter away
the residue of dust, and don’t blow too hard though.
3. Headphone Jack is blocked
If the headphone jack is
so dirty that the smartphone thinks you have plugged the headphone, then it’s
time to clean it out. Usual moisture, grime and dirt can accommodate over time
into the headphone jack of your smartphone. If it does happen, your smartphone
will think that you plugged in the headphones and will try to route all the
sounds through the nonexistent headphone. So, pick up that flashlight again and
see if there is any debris in the headphone jack, clean it out if necessary
with a small needle but be careful not to go poking around too deep.
4. Check the Screen Protector
Sometimes an ill placed
screen protector obscures the earpiece and creates a seal. This means that any
sound coming out of your earpiece will be muffled and sometimes downright
muted. So, take a good look at the screen protector and see if it’s placed
perfectly on the screen. If it’s not, then you’ll have to get a protector that
is made for your smartphone and get someone else to apply it.
5. Cover Woes
Lastly, if you’re using a
nonstandard case or cover for your smartphone, there is a chance that it is
blocking the mic at the bottom of the phone. A lot of generic cases and covers
tend to do that, so I highly recommend getting a cover that is tailor-made for
your smartphone. I know this is very far-fetched and wouldn’t probably happen
but the shop owner I interviewed for this article specifically told me to avoid
cheap knockoff covers and cases.
Conclusion:
If all else has failed, you can
only send your smartphone back to the manufacturer, carrier or customer support
to get it replaced. If it’s not under warranty, you’ll have to take it to a
repair shop yourself and get it checked out by a professional.
kindly share to your friends...
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