How To Fix Bottom Speaker On Iphone 7

iPhone 7 Speaker Not Working? Here's The Real Reason Why & Fix!

When an iPhone 7 speaker is not working, a lot of the functionality that makes the iPhone 7 so great suddenly disappears. Speaker problems can be the result of hardwareor software issues, so troubleshooting this problem isn't always the easiest — but I'll walk you through the process, step by step. In this article, I'll show you why your iPhone 7 speaker is not working and how to fix your iPhone 7 speakeronce and for all.

My Left iPhone 7 Speaker Isn't Working At All! (Yes It Is!)

One of the biggest misconceptions about the iPhone 7 speakers has to do with the grilles at the bottom of the iPhone 7. When people have problems with their iPhone 7 speakers, they immediately notice thatno sound is coming from the left grille on the bottom of their iPhone 7. However, although itlooks like a speaker, the left grille on the bottom of your iPhone 7 is actually a barometric vent, which helps your iPhone 7 measure altitude.

When Apple removed the headphone jack from the iPhone 7, they thought the symmetry of having two grilles on the bottom of the iPhone would be more visually appealing for the user. So while it looks nice, having two identical grilles with different functions can be a bit confusing. The second speaker is located in the earpiece of the iPhone 7.

Is My iPhone 7 Speaker Broken?

At this point, we can't be sure. To figure out why your iPhone 7 speaker isn't working, it's important to know that both your softwareand hardware are involved any time your iPhone 7 makes a noise. The software is responsible for determining which sounds to play and when to play them. The hardware is responsible for converting instructions from the software into the sound that you hear from the built-in speakers located in the right grille at the bottom of your iPhone 7 and in the earpiece of your iPhone 7.

How To Fix An iPhone 7 Speaker That Is Not Working

10 Steps Total

Check Your Ring/Silent Switch

The Ring/Silent switch is used to quickly and easily turn your ringer on and off. If your switch is flipped to silent, your iPhone won't ring.

How Do I Check My Ring/Silent Switch?

Take a look at your Ring/Silent switch, which is located on the left side of your iPhone.
You'll know the your iPhone is on silent when you see a small, orange line because switch is pulled away from the screen.
To turn your ringer on, pull the switch towards the screen.

Applies To: iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

Turn Your iPhone Volume All The Way Up

If the volume on your iPhone is too low, you may not be able to hear audio output from your speakers or headphones. It's easy to flip the silent switch or accidentally turn the volume all the way down on your iPhone, especially if you're using a big, bulky case.

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

There are three ways to turn up volume on your iPhone:

How To Turn Up The Volume Using The Volume Buttons

Unlock your iPhone.
Tap or hold the volume up button which is located on the left side of your iPhone.

Turn Up The Volume In The Settings App

Open theSettings app.
TapSounds & Haptics.
Use theRinger and Alerts slider to turn the volume all the way up.
If you don't hear anything, you may have a problem with your iPhone speaker.

Turn Up The Volume Using Siri

If you're already listening to something on your iPhone, you can turn up the volume using Siri.
Home button until Siri appears, orsay, "Hey Siri."
To turn up the volume say, "Turn up the volume."

Applies To: iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

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?

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.
Using a flashlight, inspect your Lightning port or headphone jack for lint, gunk, or any other debris.
If you see something stuck in your Lightning port, brush it out using an anti-static brush or new toothbrush.

Applies To: iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

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

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

Turn Off Bluetooth In The Settings App

Open theSettings app.
Tap Bluetooth.
Tap the switch next to Bluetooth. You'll know Bluetooth is off when the switch is gray.

Turn Off Bluetooth In Control Center

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

Applies To: iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

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?

Applies To: iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

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.

clean iphone 8 lightning port with antistatic brush

use-antistatic-brush-to-clean-lightning-port-1

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

Applies To: iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

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

If you have a WiFi connection, you can back up your iPhone using iCloud.
Open theSettings app.
Tap on Your Name at the top of the screen.
TapiCloud.
Scroll down and tap oniCloud Backup.
Make sure the switch next to iCloud Backup is on. You'll know the switch is on when the switch isgreen.
TapBack Up Now.
A status bar will appear to tell you how much time is remaining.

Backup Your iPhone Using iTunes

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

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

Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a charging cable.
Open Finder.
Click on your iPhone underLocations.
Click the circle next toBack up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac.
ClickBack Up Now.
When the backup is complete, you'll see the time and date updated underLatest Backup.

Applies To: iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

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?

Watch our DFU restore video walkthrough on YouTube, or follow the steps below:

Using a Lightning cable, plug your iPhone into a USB port on your computer.
OpeniTunes 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.
On an iPhone 6s or older, press and hold the Home button and the power button. On an iPhone 7, press and hold the power andvolume down button.
After 8 seconds, release the Power Button, butcontinue to hold the power button (iPhone 6s or older) thevolume down button (iPhone 7).
Let go of the power button or volume down button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
Your iPhone's display will be completely black if you've successfully entered DFU mode. If it's not, try again from the beginning.
Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.

Applies To: iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

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

Visit Apple's support website to begin the online mail-in repair process.
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

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!)
When you arrive, go to the Genius Bar to check in for your appointment.
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.

Applies To: iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

10.

Upgrade Your iPhone 7

With a wide selection of new smartphones available, you may want to consider upgrading your iPhone 7 instead of having it repaired. iPhone 7 repairs can get expensive, especially if more than one component is broken.

Your money may be better spent as a down payment on a new phone. Some carriers will even give you huge discounts on the latest smartphones when you switch!

New phones have many improved features that your iPhone 7 doesn't. They have faster processors, longer better life, better cameras, facial recognition software, and much more!

upphone compare cell phones tool

sort by brands phone comparison tool

Click here to head to the UpPhone phone comparison tool.
Sort the tool by selecting brands, models, storage capacities, operating systems, and more!
Click on the name of a phone to learn more, or view compatible plans by clicking on the "# plans" button.

Applies To: iPhone 7

Your iPhone 7 Speaker Is Working Again!

Your iPhone 7 speaker is making sound again and you've fixed the problem for good. This isn't always the easiest problem to diagnose and fix because there are many reasons why an iPhone 7 speaker can stop working. You should feel good about what you've accomplished! Thanks for reading and if this article helped, please share it with your friends! If you have any questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you in the comments section below.