How to Clean iPhone Speakers

Plug in headphones. If there is sound coming out of the headset after you reset the phone, there is a good chance that there is debris in the headphone port. These debris send the wrong signal to the phone that a headset is plugged in, so no sound is coming through the speaker. You need to remove the headset from the front speaker to clean the connection port. ^[5]

Use cotton swabs. You hold a cotton swab in one hand, and use your thumb and index finger in the other hand to pull one end of the cotton ball off the stick and throw the tip away. Continue clamping the tip of the cotton swab, but this time looser. Twist the cotton swab around to wrap some loose cotton in the stick. Insert the tip of the cotton ball into the headphone jack. Rotate the cotton swab a few times and then remove it.

• Check if the speaker is working properly. ^[6]
• Cleaning the headphone jack with a cotton swab is the easiest and most common way to clean the headphone port.
• Do not immerse the tip of the cotton swab in water or rubbing alcohol. Damp cotton tips can damage iPhone.

Use a compressed air spray. Place the phone on a flat surface with the headset port facing you. Aim the nozzle of the compressed air toward the headphone port from the distance recommended on the sprayer’s instruction label. Gently squeeze the handle and then release. ^[7]

• Oxygen spray is a popular tool used to clean computer components, which you can buy at your local computer or electronics store.
• If the above steps still do not fix the iPhone jack error, check to see if there is a foreign object stuck inside the headphone port. The jammed object should be carefully removed with a long, thin tool such as a paper clip or a straw.

Check speaker settings. Go to the Settings menu, then select Sounds. Drag the Ringer And Alerts slider to increase the volume. If you still can’t hear the sound, you’ll need to contact Apple’s support team. ^[8]

• If you can hear the sound after adjusting the Ringer And Alerts slider, check the Ring/Silent switch on the side of the phone. If the switch is in a position that shows a small orange dot, the device is in silent mode. You need to flip the switch in the opposite direction to activate the ringer mode.

Restart iPhone. If the device speaker is already working properly after you check the speaker settings, we can restart the iPhone using the built-in virtual key sequence. This process will power off the iPhone and turn it back on. To restart your iPhone, hold down the power and home buttons until the Apple logo appears. ^[9]

• Check the sound after the phone has restarted.

Remove the phone case. If you use a phone case, there is a chance that the iPhone is obstructed, preventing sound from coming through the speakers. Remove the phone case and try playing music or sound. ^[10]

Update iPhone. Sometimes audio problems are caused by outdated drivers or firmware. To update your iPhone, connect your phone to Wi-Fi and access the Settings menu. Click General and then select Software Update. Finally, click Download and select Install. ^[11]

• If during the update process, your phone asks you to temporarily delete some apps, just tap Continue. Then the apps will be reinstalled.
• You may be asked to enter a password. Enter your phone passcode when prompted.
• Before proceeding with the update, you should create a backup of your phone by connecting to a Wi-Fi network, going to Settings, and selecting iCloud. Then, tap Backup and swipe the iCloud Backup switch to the On position if it’s not already on. Finally, you click Back Up Now (Back up now).
• To check if the update is complete, go to Settings > iCloud > Storage > Manage Storage and select your phone. The backup file, size and creation time will be displayed here. ^[12]

Contact Apple. Head to an Apple store to speak to a capable technician. If there are currently no Apple stores in your locality, you can visit its support website at https://support.apple.com/contact. To get started, click “Set up a repair” and then select “iPhone”. ^[13]

• Next, select “Repairs and Physical Damage” and click the “Unable to hear through receiver or speakers” option.
• On the next screen, click “Built-in speaker”.
• At this step, you have many options including chatting, scheduling a call and sending the device in for repair. Choose the action that suits you best.