iPhone 8 Speaker Not Working? Here's Why & The Fix!

David Lynch

SEPTEMBER 26, 2017

Your iPhone 8 speaker won't work properly and you don't know why. You just took your iPhone 8 out of the box and something's already wrong, which is probably extremely frustrating. In this article, I'll explain why your iPhone 8 speaker is not working and show you how to fix the problem for good!

iPhone 8 Left Speaker Not Working At All? Yes It Is!

Although the grille on the left side of the bottom of your iPhone 8 looks like a speaker, it really isn't! This grille is actually a barometric vent, which your iPhone 8 uses to measure altitude.

Apple decided to go with this confusing and misleading design because of the aesthetic symmetry it provides. Your iPhone 8 only has two speakers: one located at the bottom of your iPhone 8 under the right grille and in the earpiece near the top of your iPhone 8.

Is My iPhone 8 Speaker Broken?

At this point, we don't know whether your iPhone 8 speaker is not working because of a software or hardware issue.

Your iPhone's software (iOS) determines what sounds your iPhone 8 plays and when it plays them. If a software filed got corrupted, or if your iPhone 8 is experiencing a software crash, there probably isn't anything physically wrong with your device.

What If I Hear Static Noise Coming From My iPhone 8 Speaker?

Many iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus owners reported hearing a static noise coming from the earpiece on their new iPhone. It's important to know that there are lots of tiny components tucked at the top of your iPhone 8 near the earpiece. Sometimes, these electrical components emit static noises.

If your iPhone 8 is making static noises, keep your eye out for an iOS update. Although there's no confirmation yet, Apple will probably release an iOS update soon to resolve this issue.

If you've read everything above and your iPhone 8 speaker is not working, follow the steps below to diagnose and fix the problem!

How To Fix An iPhone 8 Speaker That's Not Working

12 Steps Total
1.

Check The Ring / Silent Switch On Your iPhone 8

You can use the Ring / Silent switch to quickly toggle your iPhone 8 ringer on or off. If the switch is flipped to the Silent side, your iPhone 8 won't ring.

How Do I Check The Ring / Silent Switch On My iPhone 8?

  1. Examine the Ring / Silent switch on the left-hand side of your iPhone.
  2. If the switch is pulled towards the back of your iPhone and you see a small orange line, your iPhone 8 is on silent.
  3. To turn the ringer on, pull the Ring / Silent switch towards the front of your iPhone 8.
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2.

Turn Ringer Volume All The Way Up On Your iPhone 8

It's possible that the ringer volume on your iPhone 8 has been set independently of the volume of other sounds. Even if the rest of the sounds your iPhone makes are getting louder, the volume of your ringer may be stuck on silent or a very low volume.

How Do I Turn Ringer Volume All The Way Up On My iPhone 8?

  1. Open up the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Sounds & Haptics.
  3. Using your finger, drag the Ringer And Alerts slider all the way to the right to turn the ringer volume all the way up.
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3.

Disconnect Your iPhone From AirPlay Devices

Disconnect from AirPlay devices to make sure your iPhone isn't streaming audio through another device (such as an Apple TV) rather than your iPhone speaker. Sometimes, your iPhone will automatically reconnect to AirPlay devices that you've used before.

How Do I Disconnect My iPhone From AirPlay Devices?

  1. Open Control Center by swiping up from below the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap the AirPlay icon airplay mirroring icon which looks like a TV. You'll know your iPhone is connected to an AirPlay device if the AirPlay icon is blue AirPlay icon when on and the name of the device (such as Apple TV) is next to the AirPlay icon.
  3. If you are connected to an AirPlay device, tap Turn Off AirPlay Mirroring.
  4. Now that you are disconnected from AirPlay devices, sounds will be streamed through your iPhone speakers.
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4.

Disconnect Your iPhone From Bluetooth Devices

Turning off Bluetooth is an important troubleshooting step for diagnosing sound or ringer-related iPhone problems. Often times, even though it seems like an iPhone isn't playing sounds at all, the iPhone is connected to a Bluetooth device like an external speaker or headphones, and the sound is playing through that device and not the iPhone. Turning off Bluetooth disconnects your iPhone from those devices and is an easy way to eliminate that possibility.

How Do I Disconnect My iPhone From Bluetooth Devices?

There are three ways to turn off Bluetooth:

Turn Off Bluetooth Using Siri

  1. Press and hold the Home button to activate Siri, or say, "Hey, Siri."
  2. To turn off Bluetooth, say, "Turn off Bluetooth."

Turn Off Bluetooth In The Settings App

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Bluetooth.
  3. Tap the switch next to Bluetooth. You'll know Bluetooth is off when the switch is gray.

Turn Off Bluetooth In Control Center

  1. Open Control Center by swiping up from below the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap the Bluetooth icon, which looks like a "B" made of triangles.
  3. You'll know Bluetooth is off when the icon is black inside of a gray circle.
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5.

Clean Out Your iPhone Speaker

Over the course of a day, a lot of debris can get stuck in your iPhone's speakers, especially if you keep your iPhone in your pocket. If your iPhone speakers are full of lint, dirt, or any other gunk, they may sound muffled or not make any noise at all.

How Do I Clean Out My iPhone Speaker?

  1. Wipe off the speakers using a microfiber cloth.
  2. Clean out more compact debris using an anti-static brush or a brand new toothbrush.
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6.

Make Sure Your iPhone Is Not In Headphones Mode

Your iPhone can be "tricked" into thinking that headphones are plugged in if there is gunk, lint, or other debris in the Lightning (charging) port. If your iPhone thinks that headphones are plugged in, audio won't be streamed through the speakers.

How Do I Make Sure My iPhone Is Not In Headphones Mode?

  1. One quick way to see if your iPhone is stuck in headphones mode is to press the volume buttons on the left side of your iPhone. If the notification that pops up says "Headphones" then your iPhone is in headphones mode.
  2. Using a flashlight, inspect your Lightning port or headphone jack for lint, gunk, or any other debris.
  3. If you see something stuck in your Lightning port, brush it out using an anti-static brush or new toothbrush.
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7.

Update iOS On Your iPhone

If your iPhone is running an outdated version of iOS, you may run into problems that could be fixed simply by updating to the most recent version of iOS.

How Do I Update iOS On My iPhone?

There are two ways to update iOS on your iPhone: in the Settings app and by using iTunes.

Update iOS In The Settings App

  1. Open up the Settings app.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tap Software Update.
  4. If an update is available, tap Install Now or Download and Install.

Update iOS Using iTunes (PCs and Macs running macOS 10.14 or older)

  1. Connect your iPhone to a computer using a Lightning cable.
  2. Open iTunes.
  3. Click the Phone button in the upper left-hand corner of iTunes (see image 3).
  4. Click Check For Update.
  5. If an update is available, click Download and Install.

Update iOS Using Finder (Macs running macOS 10.15 or newer)

  1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a charging cable.
  2. Open Finder.
  3. Click on your iPhone under Locations.
  4. Click the General tab.
  5. Click Check for Update.
  6. Click Download and Install if an iOS update is available.
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8.

Reset All Settings

Many iPhone problems are caused when Settings isn't set up correctly or by corruption within individual Settings app files. Restoring the Settings app back to factory defaults doesn't fix every iPhone software problem, but it is a go-to fix for Apple technicians because it does solve a lot of problems that would be very difficult to to track down by hand.

How Do I Reset All Settings?

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll down and tap Transfer Or Reset iPhone.
  4. Tap Reset.
  5. Tap Reset All Settings.
  6. Enter your passcode, if prompted.
  7. Tap Reset All Settings again to confirm your decision.
  8. Your iPhone will shut down, complete the reset, and turn itself on again will automatically turn back on when the reset finishes.
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9.

Back Up Your iPhone

It's important to back up your iPhone before doing any major restores (such as a DFU restore). If something goes wrong while you're trying to fix your iPhone, having a back up means you won't lose any of your data (such as contacts, photos, apps, and more). Restoring from a back up is a lot more convenient than having to go and reenter all the information that was saved on your iPhone.

How Do I Back Up My iPhone?

There are a few different ways to back up your iPhone:

Backup Your iPhone Using iCloud

  1. If you have a WiFi connection, you can back up your iPhone using iCloud.
  2. Open the Settings app.
  3. Tap on Your Name at the top of the screen.
  4. Tap iCloud.
  5. Scroll down and tap on iCloud Backup.
  6. Make sure the switch next to iCloud Backup is on. You'll know the switch is on when the switch is green.
  7. Tap Back Up Now.
  8. A status bar will appear to tell you how much time is remaining.

Backup Your iPhone Using iTunes

  1. Plug the Lightning connector on your Lightning cable (charging cable) into the Lightning port on your iPhone.
  2. Plug the other end of your Lightning cable into a USB port on your computer.
  3. Open iTunes on your computer.
  4. Click on the iPhone icon in the upper left hand corner of iTunes.
  5. Click the circle next to "iCloud" or "This computer" to select whether you want to backup your iPhone to iCloud or your computer.
  6. Click Back Up Now to backup your iPhone.
  7. When the backup is complete, you'll see the time and date updated under Latest Backup.

Backup Your iPhone Using Finder (Macs Running Catalina 10.15 or newer)

  1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a charging cable.
  2. Open Finder.
  3. Click on your iPhone under Locations.
  4. Click the circle next to Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac.
  5. Click Back Up Now.
  6. When the backup is complete, you'll see the time and date updated under Latest Backup.
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10.

DFU Restore Your iPhone

A DFU restore has the potential to fix software problems by completely erasing the code which may be causing your problem. The code is rewritten as if your iPhone is brand new, so the software problem may get solved.

Think of it like a house that has cracks in the foundation. Rather than try and fix the cracks, we are building an entirely new foundation.

If you can, back up your iPhone before completing a DFU restore. Any time you do a restore, it erases everything from your iPhone. However, after the restore is completed, you restore all your backed up data back onto your iPhone.

How Do I DFU Restore My iPhone?

How To DFU Restore An iPhone SE, 6s, Or Older

  1. Using a Lightning cable, plug your iPhone into a USB port on your computer.
  2. Open iTunes if you have a PC or Mac running Mojave 10.14 or earlier. Open Finder if you have a Mac running Catalina 10.15 or newer. It doesn’t matter if your iPhone is on or off.
  3. Press and hold the Home button and the power button simultaneously.
  4. After 8 seconds, release the power button, but continue to hold the Home button.
  5. Let go of the power button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
  6. Your iPhone’s display will be completely black if you’ve successfully entered DFU mode. If it’s not, try again from the beginning.
  7. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.

How To DFU Restore An iPhone 7 Or 7 Plus

  1. Using a Lightning cable, plug your iPhone into a USB port on your computer.
  2. Open iTunes if you have a PC or Mac running Mojave 10.14 or earlier. Open Finder if you have a Mac running Catalina 10.15 or newer. It doesn’t matter if your iPhone is on or off.
  3. Press and hold the power and volume down button simultaneously.
  4. After 8 seconds, release the power button, but continue to hold the volume down button.
  5. Release the volume down button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
  6. You'll know your iPhone is in DFU mode if the display is completely black.
  7. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.

How To DFU Restore An iPhone 8 Or Newer

  1. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a charging cable.
  2. Open iTunes (PCs and Macs running macOS 10.14 or older) or Finder (Macs running macOS 10.15 or newer).
  3. Quickly press and release the volume up button.
  4. Quickly press and release the volume down button.
  5. Press and hold the side button until the screen goes black.
  6. When the screen goes black, press and hold the volume down button while continuing to press and hold the side button.
  7. Hold both buttons for five seconds.
  8. After five seconds, release the side button while continuing to hold the volume down button.
  9. Keep holding the volume down button until your iPhone appears in Finder or iTunes.
  10. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.
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11.

Upgrade Your iPhone 8

There are plenty of reasons to upgrade from an iPhone 8 to a newer iPhone or Android. iPhone 8 repairs can get expensive very quickly, especially if you don't have an AppleCare+ protection plan.

Rather than paying to have your iPhone 8 fixed, you could put that money towards a brand new phone! Although new smartphones can be expensive, many wireless carriers offer special discounts, especially when you switch.

New phones have awesome features like facial recognition software, faster processors, better battery life, and much more.

How Do I Upgrade My iPhone 8?

  1. Visit UpPhone's cell phone comparison tool.
  2. Use the filters in the tool to compare phones by brand, model, features, and more.
  3. To learn more about the phone, click on it in the tool. To see plans compatible with the phone, click the # Plans button.
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12.

Repair Your iPhone With Apple

Apple repairs iPhones at the Genius Bar in Apple Stores and through their online mail-in repair service. Apple repairs are high-quality, but out-of-warranty repairs can be much more expensive than third-party solutions. If you're looking to save some money you're not covered by Apple's warranty, you may want to check out our other recommendations.

How Do I Repair My iPhone With Apple?

How To Repair Your iPhone With Apple's Mail-In Service

  1. Visit Apple's support website to begin the online mail-in repair process.
  2. Alternatively, call 1-800-MY-APPLE (1-800-692-7753) to set up a repair.

How To Repair Your iPhone At The Genius Bar Inside Your Local Apple Store

  1. Visit Apple's website to make a Genius Bar appointment before you go into the store. Apple Stores are extremely busy, and if you don't have an appointment, you may have to wait for hours or end up being turned away. (Editor's note: I'm a former Apple tech and we're not exaggerating — please, do yourself a favor and make an appointment first!)
  2. When you arrive, go to the Genius Bar to check in for your appointment.
  3. Genius Bar appointments always include free diagnosis. If you're under warranty, many repairs can be done on the spot, but it all depends upon which parts are in stock. If you're not under warranty, the Genius will give you a quote for the cost of a repair.
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iPhone 8 Speaker: Working

You've fixed the problem with your iPhone 8 speaker and sounds are playing crystal clear! Make sure to share this article on social media so your family and friends know what to do when their iPhone 8 speaker is not working. Thanks for reading and leave a comment below to share your thoughts about the iPhone 8.

AUTHOR

David Lynch

David Lynch is an expert on cell phones, cell phone plans, and other tech. After using a flip phone into his early 20s, he learned the ropes about iPhones and Androids from a former Apple employee. Today, his articles and videos are read and viewed by millions, and he has been cited by major publications including Reader's Digest, Wired, CMSWire, Consumers Advocate, and more.

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Jan
Jan
1 year ago

I had an issue with my I phone 8X model, when I use wired earbuds to listen to radio or watch videos, the sounds cut out intermittently, it seems always lagging behind the video pictures. having googled for advices and done much of the adjustments, i suddenly find out that it was the original flat ear piece plug which was making all the problems. I just need to flip upside down and insert again, the problem is gone. try this, if your sound is cutting off every 10 seconds, maybe it is your wired earphone plug is doing the tricks… Read more »

Charles Sutherland
Charles Sutherland
2 years ago

I upgraded to an iphone8 from a 6s and used the Otterbox for the 6s, turns out my speakerphone issues were being caused by that case, once I removed the phone from the case it started working perfectly, while in the case nobody could hear me at all while on speaker!

So the first item to try is to remove from the protective case and see if the problem goes away!

Cuddles
Cuddles
2 years ago

Thanks!!