If your microphone isn’t working, then people can’t hear you talk on your phone, and this is obviously an issue that requires an immediate solution.
In this article, I will show you how to diagnose and troubleshoot problems with the microphone on your Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ smartphone so that you can go back to using your phone for phone calls, and other things that you use your phone’s microphone for.
As is usual with smartphone problems, there are two basic possibilities behind any particular issue. One, the problem is being caused by broken or defective hardware, and two, the problem is being caused by a software glitch.
If the problem is being caused by hardware, then your recourse as an end-user is limited.
There are a couple of causes of microphone hardware malfunctions that you, the end-user, can fix or attempt to fix, but most hardware problems require a qualified technician.
If the problem is being caused by software, however, there are more options.
It is generally a good idea to rule out user-fixable hardware problems first, as they are usually simple to check.
LOOK AT YOUR PHONE ACCESSORIES
If your phone has a Bluetooth headset or headphones, then there could be hardware conflicts between those add-on devices and your phone’s built-in microphone.
To troubleshoot this problem, disconnect your headphones/headset and then off Bluetooth on your Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ to see if that clears up the problem. Once you turn off Bluetook your microphone should immediately start working as normal.
CHECK FOR DEBRIS IN YOUR PHONE’S MICROPHONE
It isn’t common, but is there Debris, dirt, or grit in your microphone to the point of blocking it from functioning correctly?
If so, a quick blast or two of compressed air from a can of compressed air sold for the purpose of cleaning out keyboard gunk will clear up the microphone problem for you.
TURN YOUR PHONE OFF THEN BACK ON AGAIN
There’s a reason that tech support always tells you to reboot the computer, and a smartphone is just a small computer.
For many software problems, a restart of the phone is sufficient to resolve whatever was wrong and get things working properly again.
To ensure a complete reset of your phone, remove the SIM card and the battery, let the phone sit for 30 seconds or so, then reinsert the SIM and the battery and turn the phone back on.
Then test the microphone to see if the restart resolved the issue.
CHECK FOR THIRD-PARTY PROBLEMS ON YOUR PHONE
If everything was working fine, and then you installed the GoopMasterBlaster app and suddenly your microphone stopped working, then there’s about a 99.9% chance that the new app is the source of the issue.
You can either uninstall the app immediately or test the theory that is responsible by booting your phone into Safe Mode (which blocks third-party apps from running) and seeing if the problem goes away.
If it doesn’t go away in Safe Mode, then the problem isn’t the new app. If it does go away, then you can uninstall the app and resolve the issue.
An alternative way to test whether it’s a particular app causing the problem is to temporarily uninstall the app, restart your phone, then test your microphone. If your microphone works, then that app was likely the cause. Make sure to try just the reboot method above without uninstalling any apps, before you try to determine if an app is the cause of the problem.
TO BOOT YOUR PHONE INTO SAFE MODE:
- Turn off your phone
- Press and hold the Power button down
- Release the button when “Samsung Galaxy S8” or “Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus” shows on the screen
- Press and hold the Volume Down button immediately after that until your phone finishes restarting
- You should see the words “Safe Mode” at the bottom of the display
- Release the Volume button
Your phone will now be booted up in “Safe Mode.”
CLEAR YOUR PHONE’S CACHE
The cache on your phone is a storage area devoted to the operating system or individual apps. Sometimes if the cache becomes damaged or corrupted, this can cause issues with the operation of the phone, including your microphone.
This TechJunkie article on how to clear the cache on a Galaxy S8 And Galaxy S8 Pluswill walk you through the steps on how to clear your phone’s cache.
BACKUP YOUR PHONE THEN DO A FACTORY RESET
The last resort is to backup your phone’s data and applications and then do a factory reset. This will resolve any possible software issue. It is important that you back up first, however, as a reset is going to erase all the data on your phone. Then you’ll need to restore your phone’s data from backup.
This TechJunkie article on how to factory reset your Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus will show you how.
If despite all of these steps, your microphone is still not working, then the bad news is that there is probably something physically wrong with your microphone and your phone will need to be repaired by an authorized technician or replaced by the retailer or service provider you bought it from.
One final possible workaround: there are both wired external microphones and wireless external microphones available on the market so you could buy one of those, and if your built-in microphone won’t work but repair or replacement aren’t options, then one of these solutions may be the answer.
If you found this article useful, you might also find this TechJunkie tutorial about the Battery Percentage Display On Galaxy S8 And Galaxy S8 Plus and this one on How To Find out How Much GB Storage your Samsung Galaxy S8 Has.
Do you have any other suggestions on fixing problems with the Samsung Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus microphone? Share them with us in the comments section below if you do!
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