Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Work out why a speaker went quiet, muffled, crackly or completely silent, then fix it in the right order: settings first, cleaning second, repair shop last.

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A phone lying speaker down on a towel while a cleaning tone playsTroubleshooting

Phone Speaker Muffled? Fix It in Five Minutes

Sound gone dull and distant? Seven checks in order, from the free thirty second one to the last resort, so you stop guessing and fix it.

September 9, 20267 min read
A phone showing a muted volume slider next to a list of diagnostic checksTroubleshooting

Phone Speaker Not Working? A Fault Finding Order That Works

Silent phone, working everything else? Do not start with the speaker. Work down this ladder from the five second checks to the ones that need a screwdriver.

August 14, 20269 min read
Close up of a phone speaker grille with a sound wave clipping at its peaksTroubleshooting

Why Your Phone Speaker Crackles at High Volume

Three very different noises get called crackling. Learn to tell clipping from rattle from real damage, and you will know in two minutes whether you need a repair.

July 30, 20269 min read
A hand holding a phone while a test tone plays, with a finger covering the bottom speaker grilleTroubleshooting

How to Test If Your Phone Speaker Is Damaged in Two Minutes

Run these nine checks in order and you will know whether you have a blocked grille, water, a software problem or a failed driver before you pay anyone to look at it.

July 2, 20268 min read
A phone held in landscape with fingertips over each of the two speaker grilles in turnTroubleshooting

One Speaker Louder Than the Other? Here Is Why

Some imbalance is built into the way phones do stereo. This guide shows you how to test each channel properly and which causes are worth worrying about.

June 18, 20268 min read
Close view of the earpiece slit at the top of a phone screen beside a soft brushTroubleshooting

Speaker Muffled Only During Calls? Check the Earpiece

Music perfect, calls terrible? Calls run through a different speaker and a different volume path. Five checks that separate your hardware from their line.

May 7, 20268 min read

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