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Where are your iPhone's microphones located in all models

by Chelsea Bruhl on Jul 16, 2024

Where are your iPhone's microphones located in all models

Ever wondered about the location of your iPhone's microphones? Check Where are your iPhone's microphones located in all models in this article.

This article describes where the microphones on your iPhone are located. There are various microphones incorporated into your iPhone. Knowing where your device's microphones are placed can be incredibly valuable for numerous troubleshooting issues. 

For example, if your mics aren't working properly, you may need to identify them on your iPhone and remove any debris from the holes to resolve the issue. This tutorial is useful because the placement of the microphone varies depending on the device.

The microphones on your device perform a variety of critical purposes. They are used for noise cancellation and stereo video recording, for example. You won't be able to make phone calls or FaceTime calls if your microphones aren't working, and Siri won't be able to recognize your voice.

The microphone is a tiny hole placed in a larger pinhole. This is why it may be difficult to find. Integrated, or built-in, microphones are frequently found near the top and bottom of your iPhone's display. Check Where are your iPhone's microphones located in all models in this article.

Related: iPhone System Haptics, What They are, Enable or Disable

Where are your iPhone's microphones located in all models - Explained

Where is the microphone located on iPhone 13?

Where are your iPhone's microphones located in all models

As previously stated, your iPhone 13 comes with more than one microphone, regardless of the model that you are now using. These microphones are located on various sides of your phone. Check Where are your iPhone's microphones located for iPhone 13.

They are fairly capable of capturing your voice on a call during a video call or a conventional (Audio) call, as well as recording sound while shooting a video in an effective and quick method to provide consumers with clear audio. 

  • Built-in microphone (Front Side)

The notch on the iPhone 13 is smaller than on previous iPhones released by Apple. However, this does not imply that Apple has deleted some of the components. All they've done is reduced the size of the microphone by improving the tools and its capabilities. The notch is still visible on the top of your iPhone, and it also has built-in stereo speakers and a built-in microphone, exactly like the other iPhone series.

The primary function of the front-side microphone is to pick up your voice when chatting on FaceTime. Even if you aren't wearing earphones or earbuds, it captures your sound clearly and delivers it precisely to the other end. It is very important when you ask Siri to execute a task. When necessary, it can also work in tandem with other microphones.

  • Bottom side microphone (Bottom Edge)

Another microphone is located on the bottom of the iPhone 13 models, to be more specific, at the edge of your device. If you're not sure where to go? Take a peek at the iPhone's bottom. There you will notice a series of holes on the bottom edge of your phone.

The microphones are situated just behind those openings. One on each end of the lightning connector, there are two distinct microphones. These mics' principal function is to capture your voice during ordinary audio calls. They also function in tandem with other microphones to capture your voice during FaceTime chats and while capturing Siri-related commands.

  • Camera Microphone (Backside Near to Camera)

Finally, there's the rear-side microphone. In their technical documentation, Apple makes no mention of the location or purpose of their microphones. However, following many teardowns, it has been revealed that iPhone 13 models contain a backside microphone.

Your iPhone's camera system includes a rear microphone. Its major function is to record audio while the video is being recorded. It also works in tandem with other microphones on the device to record audio while the video is being recorded. Because of this, you may receive crystal clear, smooth music on the iPhone 13 series.

Where is the Microphone on iPhone 12/iPhone 12 Mini?

where is the microphone on iphone 12

Among all iPhone 12 versions, the iPhone 12 Pro/12Pro Max is one of the most popular choices among Apple fans and is small with screen sizes of 6.1" and 6.7", although this doesn't make much of a difference when compared to simple hardware add-ons.

The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max likewise have three microphones located in distinct places. Check Where are your iPhone's microphones located for iPhone 12.

  • Built-in microphone

This microphone is in charge of receiving Siri commands, thus we can say it is dedicated to Siri and a few other purposes. When you give Siri a command, this microphone will activate and work as expected.

  • Bottom side microphone

The bottom microphone is used to send your voice to the other end of the conversation; if this microphone is damaged or inactive, the other person on the call will be unable to hear you.

  • Camera Microphone 

When you record videos, the back microphone picks up the sound and adds it to your recordings, as the name implies. You won't be able to receive background music/voice in the videos unless you have a camera microphone.

Where is a microphone located on iPhone 11?

where is the microphone on iphone 11

The iPhone 11, like previous iPhones, has a variety of microphones for various purposes. When you use Siri, the microphone in the ear speaker activates. Check Where are your iPhone's microphones located for iPhone 11 in the picture above.

When making calls, the bottom speaker, which is located on the right side grill near the lightning connector, is used. Finally, the camera microphone is situated apart from the rear camera to record sounds while recording videos.

Where is the microphone located on iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, SE, 6, 6+, 6s, 6s+, 7, 7+, 8, 8 Plus, X, XS, and XR?

where is the microphone on iphone 6

Like the previous two models, all of the models on this list include several microphones for a variety of uses. When you utilize Siri, the microphone in the ear speaker activates. Check Where are your iPhone's microphones located in the above picture

When making a call, utilize the bottom speaker on the right side grill near the lightning connector. Finally, the camera microphone is disconnected from the rear camera to record sounds while the video is being shot.

Where is the microphone located on iPhone 4 and 4s?

where is microphone on iphone settings

The iPhone contains two microphones and two speakers, one on the bottom and the other on the top. Check Where are your iPhone's microphones located for iPhone 4 and 4s.

Bottom microphone

The microphone is the grille to the left of the dock connector port; the grille to the right of the port is a speaker. During a call, this makes it simple to speak into the bottom microphone.

When you hold the iPhone up to your ear, you're listening through the other speaker, which is located near the top of the front face of the iPhone; if you rotate the iPhone up at an angle so that the bottom left corner of the iPhone is near your mouth, your voice naturally enters the bottom microphone. The same is true when you're making a voice memo or conversing with Siri.

Top microphone

The top microphone is a little hole adjacent to the headphone jack. When you bring the iPhone up to your ear during a phone call and talk into the bottom microphone, the top microphone is used to accomplish some noise cancellation magic.

Because the top microphone is much further away from your mouth than the bottom microphone, the device can assume that what it hears through the top microphone is mostly background noise and what it hears through the bottom microphone is mostly your voice, and it can invert the noise input and mix it with the voice input to reduce the noise component and make your voice clearer.

Where is the microphone located on the Older iPhones?

where is the microphone on iphone

The older iPhone models (1st generation, 3G, and 3Gs) have a single microphone at the bottom of the device.

Should I use an External Microphone with my iPhone?

If you want to utilize one, you can use your iPhone 13 with an external microphone. These top External microphones for iPhone are plug-and-play devices. To effectively connect with the device when plugging in a microphone, you may need a few more adapters, such as a 3.5mm TRS-TRRS adapter or a 3.5mm Jack to Apple Lightning converter.

You may daisy-chain many adapters together to connect an XLR microphone to your phone. We also want to provide you with some internal counsel. Never use a Chinese adaptor or an adapter from a different manufacturer.

It's not that a cheap product won't be of high quality; rather, the Lightning Connector port is a particularly vulnerable location. Additionally, most of those adapters aren't made to be bi-directional. Therefore, if it doesn't fit in and harms the port, it could lead to your issue. While attempting to conserve money, you could end yourself losing a lot of it.

How to Fix & Troubleshoot Microphone on iPhone

Regardless of the iPhone model you currently own, you can use these basic troubleshooting procedures if your device's integrated stereo microphone stops working for any reason.

Clean Your Microphone

When your microphone stops working properly, the first thing you should do is check the microphone grill at the bottom of your iPhone. Examine the area for dust accumulation and, if necessary, remove the debris with a toothbrush or cotton swab.

If your iPhone recently got wet in the rain or if you put it in the sink by accident, place it with the speaker side facing down to drain excess water and then let it dry for a few minutes.

Disconnect All Bluetooth Devices

Now that you're certain it's not a hardware problem, make sure you're not linked to any of the nearby Bluetooth devices. This is because Bluetooth connections to adjacent Bluetooth speakers, headphones, and other devices can disable your iPhone's built-in microphone and replace it with the microphone on the Bluetooth peripheral. To do so, go to the iOS Control Center and, if Bluetooth is enabled, tap on it once. 

Disable Phone Noise Cancellation

This is a feature that comes standard on all iPhones. Its purpose is to decrease background noise on phone calls when you hold the receiver to your ear. Disable this feature and see if that resolves your microphone issue for the time being. Navigate to Settings -> General -> Accessibility -> Audio/Visual.

Reset All Settings

This should be your final resort. Try resetting your iPhone to its factory default settings to see if that fixes your microphone problems. To do so, go to Settings -> General -> Reset and select "Reset All Settings." Although this does not erase all of your iPhone's data or apps, it does delete all of your saved Wi-Fi passwords.

Should I Clean the Microphone on my iPhone?

Generally, you don't need to clean the iPhone 13's microphones. However, doing so is not problematic. To clean your mics, you can utilize online tools. We advise you to opt to occasionally clean the iPhone's bottom and backside microphones to keep the feature functioning properly.

To clean your iPhone, you can also seek assistance from the nearby Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. If you don't know what you're doing or are unsure of it, it could injure you more than help.

Therefore, it is always preferable to seek professional assistance; otherwise, you can adhere to the instructions provided on Apple's official support website.

How can I test my iPhone microphone?

Follow the given step to test the microphone:

Step 1 Open the Voice Memos app on your iPhone.

Step 2 Tap on the Record button.

Step 3 Speak at the bottom mic and record it.

Step 4 Stop the recording.

Play back the voice memo you recorded to see if the voice is clear. Additionally, you can test the audio via the microphone using Siri or a Facetime call.

Where are your iPhone's microphones located in all models - Conclusion

You now have more understanding about your iPhone’s microphones after learning about their many features. This article on Where are your iPhone's microphones located in all models will also help you in troubleshooting if you have any problems in the future.

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