Android microphone not working? 8 fixes to try
2 min read · 8 steps · Updated 2 October 2026
During a call, check that the microphone button on the screen is not muted. Turn Bluetooth off, so the phone does not use the microphone of a headset. Then take off the case, clean the small microphone openings and restart the phone. For one app, check its microphone permission.
If people cannot hear you, the phone is using another microphone than you think, the opening is covered, or the app is not allowed to use the microphone. A hardware fault is the least likely cause.
Menu names below are from Google Pixel phones on a recent Android version. Samsung, Xiaomi and other brands rename some of them. The pictures are simplified diagrams of the screen, not screenshots.
Step by step
Unmute the call
Look at the microphone button on the call screen. If it is highlighted, you are muted. Tap it.
Turn Bluetooth off
The phone may still be connected to earbuds in a drawer or to the car. Swipe down from the top and switch Bluetooth off for the test.
Close all apps and restart
Another app may hold the microphone. Close the open apps, then restart the phone. The steps are in how to restart or force restart an Android phone.
Remove the case and screen protector
Cases and protective films can cover a microphone. Phones have one at the bottom edge and at least one at the top or next to the camera.
Clean the openings
Wipe the microphone openings and the USB-C port with a soft, dry cloth. Do not push needles or toothpicks into the holes: the membrane behind them tears easily.
Test both microphones
Record a voice memo with the Recorder app, which uses the bottom microphone, and a video with the Camera app, which uses the top one. If one recording is silent, that microphone is the problem.
Check the app's permission
If the problem is in one app, open Settings, Apps, choose the app, tap Permissions, Microphone and allow it. Also swipe down twice from the top: if a Mic access tile is there and switched off, the microphone is blocked for all apps.
Update the app and Android
Update the app in the Play Store and install system updates: how to check your Android version and update your phone. If only that app fails, uninstall it and install it again.
Good to know
On a Pixel 7 or later, try switching Clear Calling off or on under Settings, Sound & vibration. It filters background noise during calls.
If both test recordings stay silent after a restart, back up the phone and consider a factory reset: how to factory reset an Android phone. If that does not help, the phone needs a repair.
Which apps may listen at all: how to see which apps can use your location, camera and microphone on Android.
In short: Unmute, Bluetooth off, close apps and restart, remove the case, clean, test with Recorder and Camera, permission, updates.
- Pixel Phone Help: Why can't others hear me on my Pixel phone?
Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.