Why is it hard to hear a conversation on a smartphone?
Interference in the auditory dynamics of a mobile device can be caused by various reasons. If the phone lasts a long time, there may be physical interference in the form of dust and dirt, which accumulates over time in all mobile devices, regardless of the manufacturer and line of devices. But it happens that the speaker in the phone makes a quiet sound immediately upon purchase. In both cases, you can change this. And make the device work as needed.
You will also need to change some system settings and applications. Programs can improve the sound through the speaker. Or vice versa - interfere with talking on the phone, creating interference. Some system applications are capable of this. But you need to know which programs and settings to disable. Next, we will look at them in detail and configure them accordingly.
Reasons and motives
Someone may probably be surprised at this attitude towards things, saying “it’s easier to buy a new phone than to bother with an old one.” I have several explanations for this:
—
Firstly, this is not just a phone, but a working tool, where I have already noted the advantages of its camera.
If you read my previous review, then absolutely all the photos and videos were taken with him (in the rest of my reviews, about 50% of the photos are from him; in today’s review, Rhys’ camera is not involved, since he is a “patient” at this moment). - Secondly,
it is still too early for this phone to “retire” due to “some obsolescence”, since it is still quite suitable for professional use - it makes calls, goes online, checks email, supports messaging on social networks with Push notifications, and of course he takes good photographs.
— Thirdly,
I just like to repair.
These three pillars are the basis for the desire to continue using it as the main device until a worthy alternative appears, and since I called it a tool, then, in my understanding, it deserves care, just like any other tool in the classical sense of the word. In this case, it’s replacing a time-worn speaker.
Disabling unnecessary programs and their permissions in Xiaomi
Each installed program on a smartphone needs permissions: to access storage, manage calls, send messages, and others. They can not only be useful, but also take up important smartphone resources. Moreover, third-party applications can connect to the current call in the background and do something unnoticed by the owner. For example, recording a conversation for you (if such a utility was installed).
If you have trouble hearing your interlocutor while talking on your Xiaomi smartphone, you can get rid of it as follows:
- Open the settings of your Xiaomi smartphone;
- Find the “Applications” item in the list;
- Next, select “Permissions”;
- And click “Application Permissions”;
- In this window you need to select the following option – “Phone”;
- In the list you see applications that are allowed access to the “Phone” module. In other words, they can interfere during the conversation to the section and interfere in every possible way. In the window, you must disable all programs that are allowed access.
There is no need to worry about the performance of programs in the future. The next time you enter a particular utility, it will again ask for permission to access phone calls. And if this is important to you, then you can give it again for this program. Also, to disable the ability to interfere with system applications, select “System applications” in the menu of this window (three dots). In this case, the most complete list will be displayed where you can disable all programs that interfere with talking with the subscriber on a Xiaomi mobile phone.
This is interesting: how to disable the wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi.
Speaker does not work
An even more difficult case is when it is determined that the earpiece really does not work, but there is no way to take the device for repair: qualified technicians are either absent or are so far away that the cost of delivering the smartphone to the repair site exceeds the cost of the repair itself.
Checking Audio Output
Be sure to check the 3.5 mm audio output of your smartphone for foreign objects or dirt.
Quite often, debris gets into the port, which shorts the contacts, thereby starting to output sound to headphones that are not there.
Folk method
This method was read on one of the Russian forums and confirmed in the American one, it helped about 3 out of 10 users, and even in our practice it worked once, so we decided to talk about it.
The bottom line is that you just need to lightly tap the phone on the speaker side a couple of times against your palm or some soft surface. Remember that increasing the impact force will not improve the result, so you should not drop, throw or hit the phone on purpose. This trick usually helps for some time, during which it is better to give the phone to repair specialists.
If it is not possible to send it to service, then we proceed to disassembling the device.
Disassembly of the device
You do all actions at your own peril and risk! If your smartphone is under warranty, send it to service, otherwise the warranty will be void.
Before you start doing anything, it is imperative to stock up on an unnecessary plastic card to carefully remove the back cover of your smartphone. In addition, it is worth finding videos on YouTube demonstrating the process of disassembling your particular model .
Next, according to the instructions in the video, you should carefully disassemble the smartphone, thereby gaining access to the desired speaker, for example, the top one. Next, you should check the integrity of all its contacts. And, if necessary, clean the contacts with an eraser, and if necessary, solder or heat the soldering area with a special hairdryer - what needs to be done depends solely on the model of the device, its circuit and element base.
If everything is done carefully, you can return high-quality loud sound that previously disappeared from the speaker of your smartphone in 10-40 minutes.
Finally, we should mention such reasons for the lack of sound in the phone’s speaker as incorrect firmware. Yes - theoretically this is possible, but in practice, it is extremely rare that faulty firmware can cause the lack of sound in the speakers. Most often, the reason for the lack of sound is hardware problems rather than software problems. If there are strong suspicions about the firmware, you should roll back to the previous version, according to a well-known procedure.
Cleaning your smartphone speaker if you can’t hear your interlocutor during a call
If the settings do not help improve the sound quality from the hearing speaker, most likely it is simply clogged. And needs careful cleaning. This process is not as complicated as it seems. For this you will need cotton swabs and rubbing alcohol. It can be replaced by alcohol-containing liquids. Most new smartphones from Xiaomi have a non-removable battery.
If your device is one of them, you will have to clean the speaker only from the outside. Devices that can be disassembled with removable rear covers are easier to clean.
The end of the cotton swab must be moistened so much that the liquid does not drain from it. Each time you dip the end of the stick in alcohol, squeeze it to the maximum. Then walk along the surface of the protective mesh. It is best to do this with the smartphone turned upside down. So that the affected particles of dirt and dust can come out. Periodically, the mesh can be blown out to get rid of particles that have settled more deeply. You can pry up the sewage with a needle or any other thin metal object. Sometimes this helps to cope with the problem if, while talking on a Xiaomi phone, you have difficulty hearing your interlocutor at the other end of the line.
The cotton pad can be moistened more generously, but after this you need to dry the speaker with a hairdryer. After cleaning, allow the device to dry completely. Along with the hearing aid, clean the other speakers, as well as the openings on the phone body.
Main causes of failure
The most common reasons for the speaker not working on Xiaomi are:
- Mechanical damage caused by a fall, impact or other physical impact on the smartphone. If there is physical damage to the speaker, then the best option is to contact the Xiaomi service center, since you will have to disassemble the device and install a new element.
- Failure to solder contacts, which is quite “delicate” and can break from shock or strong vibration. It is also unlikely to solve the problem at home, since special equipment is required.
- Water getting inside the housing. The presence of liquid will be indicated by wheezing, an intermittent signal, and unstable operation of the device itself. In this case, you can first try drying your smartphone with hot air. If restoration measures do not help, again, it is better to seek help from specialists, since restoring functionality will require cleaning the contacts.
- Ingress of dirt or dust. The easiest way is to blow out the inlet with a hairdryer or use a can of compressed air.
Boosting sound in Xiaomi mobile phone settings
Each Android mobile device has more detailed settings for any parameters and modules. But in order to manage them, you need to become a superuser or get root rights. To do this, you need to download one of several applications that allow you to “root” your device. For example, follow the link on the 4PDA forum. The link can be found in the topic description. After obtaining superuser rights in the device, you will need to find the parameter responsible for the sound from the auditory speaker.
A hacked device will open up endless possibilities for customizing your smartphone. With these parameters you can increase the power of the main speaker and listen to music even louder.
Self-check for physical damage
Before looking for problems in applications and the OS, it is recommended to check the sound device itself. It may not function due to debris or drops of water that have gotten into the MK hole. If the gadget is dropped, the microphone wire may come off or move out of place.
To make sure that the sound device is located correctly and is working, you need to launch the hidden functions of the phone.
To open the desired tab, use 2 methods:
- in the “Settings” menu, launch the “About Device” window, and then click on the “Kernel Version” item 5 times and turn on the “Single Item Test” inscription;
- the same tab is opened from the keyboard with 2 different combinations - *#*#4636#*#* or *#*#6484#*#*.
After this, select ring testing of the MK by clicking on the “Microphone” section, insert the headset and speak something into it. The gain of the audio device is displayed on the screen, and the voice is heard in the headphones.
A negative response from the test indicates that the phone is mechanically damaged. Below is how to fix it yourself.
In some modern models, you need to find a MK launch test - it is called and goes differently. For example, in Mi 9 SE it is Main MIC, and in Xiaomi Mi 5 it is Main MIC Speaker Feedback Test.
When entering the menu, the user sees a volume scale with an arrow. On the 9th model, you just need to put it on the table and say a phrase.
In Xiaomi Mi 5 the test is done differently. You should put the smartphone to your ear and say any phrase.
The speaker on Xiaomi is wheezing
If during a conversation you notice that the speaker is wheezing, this may be due to four reasons:
- Bad connection. To eliminate this point, make several test calls to other subscribers and observe the sound, if it stops wheezing, then everything is fine with Xiaomi, the problem is related to a specific subscriber;
- Software error. Reboot Xiaomi and make a few calls, check if the wheezing is still there;
- Dirt in the protective grille. Clean the protective grille;
- Dirt or water has penetrated the protection and reached the speaker. If you have made several test calls, cleaned the grille, and the wheezing does not stop, there is a high probability that water or dirt has reached the speaker and the phone will need to be disassembled and diagnosed. Depending on which, a deep cleaning will be carried out, or the speaker will be replaced at a service center.
Return to content
