Did you ever have trouble hearing the other person during calls on your iPhone? Or did you notice any dip in your iPhone’s overall audio quality? If you have, then one of the main reasons for this could be that your iPhone’s microphone speaker grilles have accumulated a lot of dirt. So, in this informative guide, we will find out how to clean microphone on iPhone.
Most newer iPhone models have three built-in microphones and speakers. Two of them are located beside your front and rear camera, and one of them is located at the bottom of your iPhone as multiple circular holes. All of them are protected by a metal grille that stops any dirt from entering your iPhone. However, they might not enter your iPhone, but they can build up on the grille and clog the area. There are several methods for cleaning your iPhone microphone, and we will go over each one.
How to clean microphone on iPhone by using a toothbrush or paintbrush
If you have an old toothbrush that is also clean, you can use it to clean the microphone on your iPhone. However, you should make sure that the bristle of the toothbrush is soft because the rough bristle may damage the metal grilles on your iPhone.
Also, you can use a soft paintbrush instead of a toothbrush if you have that lying around. Although you can try cleaning all three iPhone microphones with your toothbrush, you can only effectively clean the top one located beside the front camera.
Here’s how to apply a toothbrush to clean your iPhone’s microphone:
- You should gently apply the toothbrush over the top-front microphone to remove any debris.
- Then blow some air on the microphone grille to clean out the dirt that has been dislodged by your brushing.
- Also, apply top-to-bottom or left-to-right brush strokes on the microphone grille multiple times to properly clean your microphone.
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How to clean microphone on iPhone using alcohol
We all know that rubbing alcohol is a great cleaning agent. You can use it to clean not just your iPhone’s microphone but its screen, body, and charging port. The only issue you need to be careful of is putting too much alcohol agent on your iPhone. Too much alcohol agent in your iPhone may cause some damage.
There are two ways how you can apply alcohol as a cleaning agent for your iPhone’s microphone. The first one is used for the top-front microphone, and the second one is for the bottom and the rear microphone.
First, take a small piece of cloth or tissue paper and pour a few drops of alcohol on it. Then you should gently apply the wet tissue across the full length of the microphone to clean it out.
Second, pour a few drops of alcohol on the bottom or rear microphone grilles. Then take a toothpick covered in cotton and then put it inside the speaker holes to dislodge and remove any debris.
How to clean iPhone speaker and microphone using compressed air
Compressed air or air dusters are very popular when it comes to cleaning your everyday electronic devices. And you can use it to clean your iPhone speakers and microphone. However, this comes with a risk of its own. You see, if you don’t apply the compressed air properly, then it might damage the sensitive parts inside your iPhone.
Here’s how to clean your iPhone microphone with compressed air:
- You need to spray the compressed air on your iPhone speaker and microphone from a few inches away. This will lessen the force of the air impacts on your microphone grille.
- Do not spray the compressed air straight at your device. You should always try to apply the spray at an angle. So, the pressure of the force is distributed over a large area.
- Also, spray the compressed in multiple short bursts instead of one long one. This way is more effective and less damaging to your iPhone.
How to clean iPhone microphone using a toothpick
If you don’t have a toothbrush around, then you could try using a toothpick to clean your iPhone microphone. A toothpick can go places where your toothbrush cannot reach. You can use the toothpick to clean all three microphone holes.
However, you should be careful when using a toothpick to clean your microphone, as rough usage may break the toothpick and leave behind tiny splinters inside your iPhone. Also, you could damage the vulnerable metal grille of your microphone speakers.
Here’s how to clean an iPhone microphone with a toothpick:
- Be slow and gentle in dislodging and cleaning out any debris from your iPhone’s microphone.
- When you are cleaning the bottom metal grilles, keep rolling the toothpick slowly to capture dirt.
- You can wrap cotton around the toothpick to remove any debris more efficiently.
- Also, you could apply rubbing alcohol for effective cleaning.
How to clean microphone on iPhone using a tape
Another more obscure method to clean your microphone is using masking tape. With this method, you can only effectively clean the top-front speakers. However, you could also try cleaning the other speaker grilles.
The idea behind this method is to use the adhesive part of the tape to take all the dirt from the microphone. However, you need to make sure that there is no glue on your microphone grille, as this will attract even more dust and dirt to your iPhone.
Here’s how to clean microphone on iPhone using a tape:
- Take a small part of the tap and place its sticky part over your iPhone’s top-front camera. After a few moments, slowly remove the tape, and you’ll notice dirt stuck on the sticky part. Try it a few more times for better results.
- Next, take a small strip of tape and roll it into a narrow cylinder shape with the sticky side on the outside. Then use it to clean the small metal speaker grilles or any dirt. Any dirt clogged into the holes should come out. You should try repeating this entire process with smaller cylinder-shaped tapes.