The crackle could be the speaker, its openings or the call
- Phone got wet? Dry it before you clean or test anything.
- Take off the case and any screen protector, and check the speaker openings. Brush out any dirt gently with a clean, dry, soft-bristled brush.
- Drag the Ringtone and Alerts slider, then make a speakerphone call. If only the call crackles, try it again later or from a different location.
- No sound, a dimmed speaker button, or sound problems that won't go away? Contact Apple Support to set up service.
We'd dry the phone first if it got wet, clean the openings next, and only then run the sound test. Water or dirt in an opening can affect the sound, so a test you run before ruling them out won't tell you much.
If it got wet, dry it first
On iPhone 7 and later, water in the speaker or microphone opening can affect the sound until it evaporates. Set the phone speaker-side down on a lint-free cloth and see if any water drips out.
Wipe the outside with a soft, lint-free cloth. Then follow Apple's drying steps (opens in a new tab): tap the phone gently against your hand with the charging connector facing down to get excess liquid out, and leave it somewhere dry with some airflow. A fan blowing cool air into the connector might help it dry.
Clean the speaker openings
Take off the case and any screen protector or film, and look at the speaker and receiver openings for dirt or anything blocking them. To clean one, unplug any cables and turn the iPhone off (opens in a new tab) first, then go over the opening gently with a small, soft-bristled brush (opens in a new tab) that's clean and dry.
Keep moisture out of the openings and don't use compressed air. Skip anything abrasive too, since it wears down the phone's fingerprint-resistant coating and might scratch it.
Keep it to a gentle surface clean. If something in an opening doesn't clear easily, stop there and leave the cleaning to a service provider.
Play an alert, then make a speakerphone call
With the phone dry and the openings clear, run Apple's speaker check (opens in a new tab) in this order:
- Turn the phone back on and make sure Silent mode and Do Not Disturb are off.
- Open Settings > Sounds & Haptics (or Sounds) and drag the Ringtone and Alerts slider back and forth a few times. If you hear nothing, or the speaker button on the slider is dimmed, the speaker might need service.
- If the alert plays, make a call and turn on speakerphone.
If the call still crackles, your network or reception could be the issue. We'd try the call again later or from a different location before booking a repair.
Still crackling? Get it checked
If the sound problem is still there after drying, cleaning and both tests, contact Apple Support to set up service (opens in a new tab). Tell them which test brought on the crackle, since that says more than a general description of bad sound, and whether the phone got wet recently.
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