Phone Speaker Not Working: How to Find the Cause and Fix It

Why Is My Phone Speaker Not Working?

Your phone speaker stops working for one of five reasons: a setting, a connected device, software, a blockage, or hardware damage. Samsung's troubleshooting guide groups speaker problems the same way.

• Settings: the volume is down, the phone is muted, or Do Not Disturb is silencing alerts.
• Connected devices: sound is going to Bluetooth headphones, a car or a speaker.
• Software: an app or a bug is interfering with audio.
• Water or dust: the speaker grille is blocked.
• Hardware damage: the speaker or its connector has failed.

How to Fix a Phone Speaker That's Not Working

Work through these 8 fixes in order, from the quickest to the most involved.

1. Check the volume and mute settings. Raise the media volume while something plays, turn off silent mode, and check Do Not Disturb.
2. Turn off Bluetooth. A connected device can take the sound without you noticing.
3. Remove the case and any screen film. Samsung lists third-party cases and films as a cause of sound problems.
4. Restart the phone. Turn it off for 30 seconds, then on.
5. Update the software. Install any pending system update.
6. Test in Safe mode (Android). If the speaker works in Safe mode, a downloaded app is the cause.
7. Clear water and dust. Run the free speaker cleaner with the speaker facing down.
8. Run a speaker test. Use the speaker test or, on Galaxy phones, the diagnostics in Samsung Members.

Is It a Software or a Hardware Problem?

It's probably software if the problem changes with apps or settings, and probably hardware if it stays the same everywhere.

Rattling or buzzing at every volume is a hardware sign; see phone speaker crackling.

Phone Speaker Not Working After Water

If your phone speaker stopped working after water, the grille is likely blocked or the phone is still wet inside. Dry the phone first; follow the steps to dry a wet phone. Then run the speaker cleaner for up to 3 cycles.

Phone Speaker Not Working on Calls Only

If the speaker fails only on calls, the earpiece at the top of the phone is the likely cause. Switch the call to speakerphone. If the caller sounds clear on speaker, clean the call speaker with the earpiece cleaner.

Should You Factory Reset a Phone for a Speaker Problem?

It depends, but treat a factory reset as the last software fix. A reset can clear a stubborn software fault. It also deletes all your data and settings, so Samsung advises backing up first. Try every fix above before you reset.

When Should You Get the Speaker Repaired?

Get the speaker repaired when the 8 fixes don't bring the sound back. Watch for these signs:

• No sound after all 8 fixes, including Safe mode.
• Buzzing or rattling after the phone has dried for 24 hours.
• Crackle at every volume, in every app.
• Visible damage to the speaker grille or the phone's frame.

If the sound is weak rather than gone, see phone speaker muffled first. If lint is the problem, learn how to clean a phone speaker grille.