How to Fix a Quiet Ear Speaker on Your Phone
Why callers sound quiet or far away, and how to clean and test the earpiece safely.
Key takeaways
- Call volume can only be changed during a call. Raise it while someone is speaking.
- A blocked earpiece mesh is the most common cause. Clean it dry.
- Try speakerphone to tell an earpiece fault from a network problem.
Try the tool. Not sure which speaker is the problem? Test left and right separately.
Open the stereo sound testWhat the ear speaker is
The ear speaker, or earpiece, is the small slot at the top of the screen that you hold to your ear on calls. On many phones it also acts as the second speaker for stereo sound. It is the smallest grille on the phone and the one most often pressed against skin, which is why it is usually the first to block.
Raise the in-call volume
Call volume is separate from media and ringer volume, and on most phones you can only change it during a call. Ring someone, or your voicemail, and press volume up while the other end is speaking. It is easy to lower this by accident with the side of your hand.
Tell an earpiece fault from a call problem
During a call, switch to speakerphone.
- Loud and clear on speaker, quiet on earpiece: the earpiece is blocked or faulty. Keep reading.
- Quiet or broken on both: the cause is the network, the other person’s phone or a call setting. Try a call over Wi-Fi or to a different person.
Check for a cover over the slot
Screen protectors that are slightly out of line, protective films left on a new phone and thick case lips can all cover part of the earpiece. Look closely under a light. If a protector overlaps the slot, replace it with one that has the correct cut-out.
Clean the earpiece mesh
Skin oil and make-up build into a film across the mesh that muffles sound long before it is visible.
- Switch the phone off.
- Hold it so the earpiece faces down.
- Brush gently across the slot with a soft, dry, clean brush.
- Press a small piece of cleaning putty onto the slot and pull it straight off. Repeat with a clean surface.
- Wipe with a dry microfibre cloth.
Do not use pins or compressed air. The earpiece mesh sits close to the surface and tears easily. The general method is in the guide to cleaning phone speakers without damage.
Check call audio settings
- Noise reduction or voice isolation. These can thin out quiet voices. Switch them off as a test.
- Hearing aid compatibility. This changes earpiece behaviour on some phones. Turn it off unless you need it.
- Bluetooth. A connected watch, car or headset may be taking the call audio.
- Balance. Make sure the left/right balance in accessibility settings is centred.
Test it
Hold the phone sideways and run the left and right sound test. On phones that use the earpiece as a stereo speaker, one side plays through it. Compare how loud it is against the bottom speaker. The earpiece is normally a little quieter, but it should not be faint.
If it got wet
Run the water eject tool with the top of the phone pointing down. Two or three cycles, then let it dry.
When to repair
If the earpiece is silent in the test, or still faint after cleaning with nothing covering it, the part has failed. Earpiece replacements are usually quick. Until then, speakerphone or a wired or Bluetooth headset will keep you reachable.
Related help
Work through the full checklist for fixing a phone speaker, or use the device guides for iPhone speakers and Android speakers.