Cant Hear Calls Unless Switched To Speakerphone? 2023

Cant hear calls unless switched to speakerphone? It is a problematic issue and a great compromise for anyone’s privacy. The person with a phone with this issue feels a lot of embarrassment when in public because they can’t receive a call there. And if picking up the ring, they can’t hear what the person at the other end is saying.

Don’t worry; in this article, we are discussing various methods of fixing this problem. Whether you use an iOS or Android phone, getting rid of this issue is possible.

But before moving towards the solutions, we’ll first talk about what causes it.

Table of Contents

Natural Causes of Cant Hear Calls Unless Switched to Speakerphone:

The software or hardware of your phone can be the culprit of this problem. If the software is causing the issue, then there is no need to consult a professional; you can quickly solve it at home.

But if the hardware prevents you from hearing on earpiece mode, don’t try to repair it yourself. If you feel that the hardware problem is not that severe and you can handle it conveniently, only then take the risk.

Otherwise, seeking professional assistance will be the right decision.

Carefully examine the mobile and identify whether it is the actual issue, hardware, or software. If something is wrong with the software and you repair the hardware, it is of no use and vice versa.

So, when you are confirmed about the exact cause, you can quickly solve the problem in a couple of minutes.

First Solution: Increase the Call Volume:

It might seem a very childish solution, but it is sometimes the actual cause of this problem. You can’t hear calls unless switched to speakerphone because the call volume of your phone is low.

All you have to do is tap the button to increase the volume. If you keep on tapping the volume button but still no sense no change in volume, do the following steps to let the volume rise high.

For Android Phones: (Cant hear calls unless switched to speakerphone?)


Click Settings on your Android phone and then tap: Sounds and Notifications. 
From there, click Volumes and check how loud the volume is. If the slider’s dot stands at a low volume, move it towards the top to turn the volume high.

For iOS Phones: (Cant hear calls unless switched to speakerphone?)


Click Settings > Sound and Haptics. 
If you can’t find the option mentioned above, select the Sound option. 
Put off the option: Change with Button.
Now, you can raise the slider’s dot to the upper limit to increase the phone’s volume.

Second Solution: Clean the Earpiece Port:

Another cause of this problem could be the accumulation of dirt in the earpiece port, which prevents you from listening to the calls.

When you keep your mobile inside your shirt’s pocket where lint of clothes, washed tissues, and dirt debris reside, they can clog the earpiece.

Put the flashlight at the earpiece and examine it carefully. If you can see the accumulated debris or any other minute dirt particles, remove them through the tweezer.

Professional cleaning is ideal for a metallic grill over the earpiece—no need to clean it on your own.

Third Solution: Headphone Port Cleaning:

The headphone port is where you plug in your headphones on the mobile if your headphone port accumulates lots of dirt, and the dirt blocks it entirely.

The cell phone considers having headphones in the port. Resultantly, it transmits all the calls to the headphone, which is not existing actually.

For checking, is it the headphone port causing the problem? It would help if you raised the phone’s volume high.

If the headphone symbol appears at the top of your screen, it is proof that dirt in the headphone port is not letting you listen to the calls directly.

It is relatively easy to clean the port. Use a cotton bud or needle to clean the headphone thoroughly. You can use a toothpick instead of a hand for cleaning purposes.

Fourth Solution: Update the Software:

If it has been too long since you updated your phone’s firmware, it may be the root cause of this issue.

Keep a check on your firmware because outdated firmware can let you experience problems in hearing the calls through earpiece mode.

Update the firmware to its modern version; it is lengthy and utilizes much data. When it updates, reboot the phone and check whether it is working.

Fifth Solution: Rebooting the Mobile:

A minute bug may make you listen to the calls through speakerphone rather than earpiece mode. Sometimes a tiny bug interferes with your phone’s volume software.

Fixing this problem is a challenging process. Just reboot your mobile phone and ask any friend to call you to check your phone’s volume.

Sixth Solution: Turn On and Off the Airplane Mode:

If the earpiece mode is not working correctly, turn on the airplane mode and, after a while, turn it off. This turning on and off process may fix the problem.

Though it’s a straightforward process, it helps you eliminate this issue in a few seconds.

Seventh Solution: Resetting of Network Settings:

If you follow the steps of the previous solution but still can’t hear calls unless switched to speakerphone, try this one. Resetting the network settings is an efficient solution.

But remember, resetting your phone’s network settings can remove the previous ones. You have to reset the settings once you successfully complete this process.


Go to the Settings of your phone and click General Management. 
Then choose Reset Settings. 
As the resetting completes, reboot your mobile phone. Then check, if it worked or still the problem persists.

Eighth Solution: Switch Off Bluetooth:

Sometimes people need to avoid de-linking their cell phones from Bluetooth devices. These Bluetooth devices could be your Bluetooth earbuds or your car’s Bluetooth.

If Bluetooth is on these devices, all your calls will be connected to these devices but not to your mobile’s earpiece. Turn off Bluetooth or pick up calls on your mobile earpiece through Bluetooth.