When your smartphone’s audio is distorted or inaudible, you’ll find it difficult — or even impossible — to hear notifications on the device, listen to music, and make calls. The phone speaker is designed in a sophisticated manner to combat this audio problem arising from dust and debris. Phone speakers will likely become damaged over time or wear out under heavy usage. Now, how do I fix distorted sound on my phone?
8 Ways to Fix Distorted Audio Effectively on Phones
Below, we look at eight fixes to try out when your Android phone’s speaker sounds muffled:
1. Book phone repair at Carlcare Service
Carlcare Service offers phone repair services not only to solve your phone's distorted sound but any phone problem you may encounter. Book your phone repair for a genuine phone repair service by our technicians.
2. Check your smartphone’s audio levels
Use this procedure without a headset to check the built-in speaker of the mobile device.
- Press the volume up button at the side of your device and set it at the maximum.
You may also use the volume sliders for setting individual volume levels.
- To do so, press the side volume up or down button
- Expand the volumes by tapping the drop-down button beside the slider
3. Issues with your phone’s software
If your smartphone’s software is outdated or has stopped working, the device may send the wrong signals to its speaker — a malfunction that makes your phone calls sound garbled. Fortunately, you can fix most software issues of this sort by carrying out a software update or reinstalling the OS.
4. Gently clean the speaker net
With constant use over time, your Android speaker net will accumulate dirt. This hampers the phone’s ability to play sound resulting in distorted audio.
You can clean the speaker net by making use of compressed air or blowing air into it. One of the simplest and most effective ways to clean it is by scrubbing it with a cotton swab or an old brush gently.
5. If your phone speaker is wet, dry it.
It’s very common to experience speaker sound damage when your phone falls into the water. If you encounter this issue, immediately dry the phone.
To do so, put the device in a bowl of rice, blow hot air, or put it in a bag containing moisture-proof packs. Alternatively, download the Speaker Cleaner app from Google Play. This software will release a vibrating sound which helps to unclog and shake the dirt and water away from your speaker.
6. Restart your phone or do a hard reset
One of the simplest ways to fix any problem with your Android is to restart the device. To do this, press the power/lock button for a few seconds, then slide the second option to reboot.
If that step doesn’t fix the problem with your phone’s audio system, carry out a hard reset. You can do this without losing any of your device’s data by first backing up all your phone’s data or using the Reset app preferences option.
To do the latter, open the Settings app > System > Reset options. Here, tap Reset app preferences.
7. Turn off the “Do not disturb” mode
When looking for tips on how to fix distorted audio effectively on the phone, don’t overlook the fact that you might have inadvertently enabled the “Do not disturb” mode.
- Swipe down the Home screen to access the Quick Setting menu
- Tap the “Do not disturb” icon to disable the mode
You can access “Do not disturb” preferences by opening the Settings app > Sound.
8. Switch off Bluetooth
Your device may be connected to an external device via Bluetooth.
- Swipe down the Home screen to access the Quick setting menu
- Tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it off
If none of the seven methods on how to fix the problem of the phone speaker crackling explained above works, then we recommend seeking professional help from Carlcare technicians.
How to Know If a Phone Speaker is Damaged
Various tell-tale signs show your phone’s audio quality has issues. Here are the most common ways to detect there’s a problem with your handset’s speaker:
- Inability to hear the music playing on the device
- Inability to hear what your caller is saying during a phone call
- The phone’s speaker sounds muffled or distorted
- Inability to hear notifications on the device
- Phone calls sound garbled
- No audio in your game apps or other mobile apps
Using the tips given in the preceding section, you should be able to fix these issues.
How to Test Ear Speaker on Android
There are different ways to test your smartphone’s ear speaker depending on your phone’s maker and model. Here are two methods you can try out:
1. Use of hidden code
This code works for many Infinix, TECNO, and itel models.
- On your phone’s dialer, type *#*#0289#*#*
- This code allows you to carry out an audio test for your phone
- If the audio works fine, you should hear a sound
2. Use of the app
If the first technique is ineffective for your specific phone model, this second test will work:
- Download the Speaker Tester & Cleaner app on Google Play
- This software will automatically carry out an audio test on your phone to help detect any problems
Generally, once you can’t hear the music playing on your device, or you notice any of the signs outlined above, that means your phone audio has a problem. Luckily, this guide on how to fix distorted audio effectively on a phone will help you out.
Wrapping Up
Perusing the tips provided in this post, you’ll be able to learn how to fix a broken speaker on a phone. Audio problems on Android have various causes.
While some of these issues are from the hardware, others are software-related. In any case, this article on how to fix distorted audio effectively on a phone addresses the issue comprehensively.