I recently got a pair of AirPods and was excited to be able to take phone calls while on the go. Unfortunately, I soon realized that I couldn’t actually talk on the phone with them. I was frustrated, so I decided to do some research and testing to figure out why this was the case. In this blog post, I’m going to share what I discovered and the solutions I found. Hopefully, this will help anyone else who is having the same issue.
Likely reasons why you can’t talk on the phone with your AirPods are that your AirPods are muted on your phone, your AirPods are not allowed on the app, dirty AirPods, broken AirPods, or there is a connection issue.
| Key Takeaways and Tips |
|---|
| – Possible reasons for not talking on the phone with AirPods are muted AirPods, prohibited access, dirty or broken AirPods, or connection problems. |
| – To fix the issue, ensure that your AirPods are connected to the correct device, clean the microphone grill, reset and reconnect your AirPods, charge them, enable microphone access in the app’s settings, and update your AirPods. |
Why can’t I talk on the phone with my AirPods?
Below are common reasons why you can’t talk on the phone with AirPods.
Read more: why do my AirPods sound echoey?
Your AirPods are actually connected to another device
The reason could also be that your AirPods are actually connected to a different device. It would help to make sure that your AirPods are not currently connected to any other devices and to see if it works then.
It would also help to see if your AirPod’s mic works on a different device. If your AirPods do work on a different device, it would suggest that there is actually a problem with the device you are using.
Broken AirPods
It could be the case that the mic on one of your AirPods is broken. However, only one mic is actually used at a time to record your voice. So, you could try using the other mic to see if it is due to a hardware fault.
To fix this try the following:
- Go to settings
- Go to Bluetooth
- Click the “i” next to your AirPods
- Click “Microphone”
- Change it from “Always left” or “Always right”
Dirty
It might be the case that your AirPods mic is dirty. The problem is that metal filings can easily get into the filing grill which can make it harder for the mic to hear your voice. To fix this do the following:
- Get some Blu-Tack
- Firmly press it into the microphone grill several times
Alternatively, just get a cotton swab and rub the microphone grill using that.
Your AirPods need to be reset
Another possible reason is that your AirPods need to be reset and reconnected with the device you are using.
To reset and reconnect your AirPods, do the following:
- Forget the AirPods on the device you are using
- Put your AirPods in the case
- Press the button on the case for 15 seconds
- Wait 30 seconds
- Open the lid and hold the button on the case
- Reconnect your AirPods to your device
A connection issue
It is also possible that there is an issue with the connection that your AirPods have with your device. It would help to try connecting your AirPods to a different device and to see if the mic is still quiet when using that device.
It would also help to disconnect your AirPods from all the other devices that they have a connection with in case their connection has been interfering with your AirPods.
Low battery
If your AirPods are on low battery, it can sometimes cause the mic to not work properly. It would help to try charging your AirPods and to see if that helps.
A software issue
AirPods do receive software updates and it might be the case that your AirPods need an update.
To update your AirPods, you need to put them in the charging case, connect the charging case to a power source and move your Apple device (iPhone, iPad or MacBook) near to your AirPods.
Your mic is not allowed on the app’s settings
It could also be the case that you need to enable microphone access in your app’s settings.
If you have tried all of the above and you are still unable to get your AirPod’s mic to work, the best option for you would be to take your AirPods to an Apple Store and to see if they can fix or replace your AirPods.
Your AirPods are muted on your phone
It could just be the case that you have muted your AirPods on your phone. It would help to make sure that your AirPods are not muted and that it is not the phone’s mic that is selected.