You make a call — and they can't hear you. Or they hear you, but with a crackle, as if you're talking from a tin can. It also happens that the person on the other end sounds quiet, barely audible. All these are symptoms of one large group of iPhone speaker problems, and we see such cases every week at iClub.
The ear speaker and the bottom speaker are different things
First, you need to understand which speaker is failing. iPhones have at least two: the ear speaker at the top — the one you put to your ear — and the loudspeaker at the bottom, for music and speakerphone. If you can't hear the person well during a regular call, the problem is likely with the top one. If there's crackling during music or video, it's the bottom unit. Diagnostics start with this distinction.
Why the sound crackles or disappears: common causes
Clogged speaker grille
The most common, yet very frequent story. Grilles — especially the ear speaker at the top — get clogged with dust, pocket lint, or makeup. Sound starts breaking through this "filter," crackles, and loses volume. We had an iPhone 12 Pro brought in where the owner suspected a blown speaker — but it turned out the grille was completely clogged with face powder. Five minutes of cleaning, and everything worked.
Moisture ingress
Even with IP67 and IP68 water-resistant models, speakers remain a vulnerable spot. After swimming, being in the rain, or just from sweat in a pocket, the membrane absorbs water. A characteristic symptom is a bubbling or muffled sound immediately after getting wet. Usually, it goes away on its own in a few hours, but if the phone was in salt water or submerged for a long time, the membrane may be irreversibly damaged.
Mechanical damage to the membrane
Dropped it — now it crackles. A classic case. Upon impact, the speaker membrane can tear or shift. In this case, the crackle is constant and doesn't depend on the volume level. The bottom speaker suffers more often — it's closer to the corner of the case, which usually takes the hit first.
Software glitch or settings
Sometimes sound disappears after an iOS update or settings reset. Check if mono audio is enabled, if the ringer slider is turned all the way down, or if there are volume limits in "Screen Time." It sounds funny, but every month phones are brought to us with a "broken" speaker that was simply turned off in the settings.
Wear and tear of the flex cable or the speaker itself
Over time, contacts oxidize, and the flex cable can break — especially in older iPhones or those that have already been repaired. This is a hardware issue that cannot be solved without opening the device.
What you can try yourself
- Check the volume and settings: "Do Not Disturb" mode, mono audio, and the ringer slider in "Sound Settings."
- Gently clean the speaker grille with a soft toothbrush. Never use needles, pins, or sharp objects.
- If the phone got wet, let it dry at room temperature for several hours. Not with a hairdryer, not in rice. Just time.
- Restart your iPhone and update iOS to the latest version.
- Reset settings via "General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset All Settings" — data is not deleted, but sound sometimes returns.
When you definitely need a technician
We had an iPhone 13 brought in — the owner dropped it in the sink, and the speaker crackled for three days. We cleaned it and dried it with professional equipment, but it didn't help. The ear speaker membrane turned out to be damaged. The replacement took about 40 minutes and cost 1 200 рублей. The phone works like new.
It's worth seeing a specialist if:
- crackling or silence appeared after an impact or fall;
- sound didn't return several hours after getting wet;
- DIY cleaning and settings didn't help;
- the problem is gradually worsening for no apparent reason.
Don't wait. A crackling speaker isn't a catastrophe yet, but moisture and mechanical damage tend to progress. The earlier we look at it, the cheaper it will be.
If none of the above helped — come to iClub at Kommunisticheskaya 35. Diagnostics are free; after the check, we'll explain the cause and agree on the repair cost.