AirPods not working on calls? How to fix the microphone

There is a big difference between AirPods that cannot be heard, AirPods that sound bad and AirPods that do not play the call at all. Each has its own cause. In many cases the AirPods are fine, and the call is simply using the wrong microphone or an app has no permission. The steps below start with the simplest settings and end with hardware.

How to fix AirPods that don’t work on calls

Why are my AirPods not working on calls?

A call has two audio paths: what you hear, and what the other person hears from your microphone. Both must go through the AirPods. The call may use the iPhone speaker, or the iPhone’s own mic, if the route is wrong. An app may lack permission to use the microphone. One AirPod’s mic may be blocked by dirt or wax, or may be set as the main mic while you wear the other. Bluetooth may be weak, or a software glitch may be at work. Hardware faults are less common but they do happen.

What is going wrong? Match your symptom

• They cannot hear you, but you hear them: a microphone problem. Check the Microphone setting, dirt on the mic and app permission.
• You cannot hear them, but they hear you: an output problem. Check the volume, the audio route and the AirPods’ charge.
• You hear nothing and they hear nothing: the call is on another device. Choose your AirPods in the Audio menu.
• Your voice sounds muffled or robotic: weak Bluetooth, wind, or a blocked mic.
• It works in one app, not another: an app permission or a setting inside the app.
• It works with one AirPod only: the other AirPod has a hardware or battery problem.

Pick the AirPods as the call audio

During a call, look for the Audio button on the call screen, or open Control Center and tap the audio output icon at the top right of the media card. Choose your AirPods from the list. If the AirPods do not appear, they are not connected. Open the case near the iPhone, or check Settings › Bluetooth. A call that began before the AirPods connected can stay on the iPhone speaker, so choose them again, even if they seem connected. In FaceTime, WhatsApp, Zoom and Teams, the audio menu sits inside the app, so look there too.

Check the Microphone setting

With the AirPods connected, open Settings on your iPhone and tap your AirPods near the top. Find Microphone. The default is Automatically Switch AirPods, which uses whichever one is in your ear. If you picked Always Left or Always Right, and you wear only the other earbud, people cannot hear you. Set it back to automatic. A good trick is to switch it to a fixed side, make a test call, and then return it to automatic, which refreshes the setting. The name and place of this menu can change a little between iOS versions.

Allow the app to use the microphone

An app cannot use any microphone, including your AirPods, without permission. Go to Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone, and make sure the app you call with is on. If the app is missing from the list, open it and start a call, so iOS can ask. Also check the app’s own audio settings. Some apps let you pick the microphone, and may be set to the iPhone. In a video meeting app, choose the AirPods for both the speaker and the microphone.

Clean the microphones

AirPods have tiny microphone openings on the stems, or on the outside of the earbuds on some models. Earwax, makeup and lint can cover them. Use a dry, soft brush or a clean, dry cotton swab, and wipe the mesh gently. Do not poke anything into the holes, and do not use liquids or compressed air. A blocked mic is a very common reason for a voice that is quiet or muffled. Wipe the speaker mesh as well, since it can muffle the sound you hear.

Charge them, then test each AirPod alone

A low battery can make an AirPod drop out or lose its microphone mid-call. Charge both, and look at the battery levels on your iPhone. Then test each one. Put only the left AirPod in your ear, put the right one in the case, and make a test call to a friend, or record a voice memo. Do the same with the right one. If one fails, the problem is that AirPod. If both work alone but not together, look at the Microphone setting and the Bluetooth connection. If a single one fails after cleaning and a reset, it may need replacing.

Fix a weak or noisy Bluetooth link

Calls use a narrower Bluetooth mode than music, so a weak link shows up in calls first. Keep the iPhone close, and keep it in a pocket on the same side as the AirPods, not in a bag. Turn Bluetooth off and on, restart the iPhone and update iOS. Other Bluetooth devices, such as a smartwatch or a car, can compete, so disconnect them to test. If AirPods drop in and out, read the guide on AirPods that will not connect. For wind or noisy places, switch noise control to Transparency or Off, and see if the voice improves.

Update iOS and reset the AirPods

Bugs in iOS or in the AirPods firmware can break the microphone. Update the iPhone under Settings › General › Software Update. To refresh the AirPods firmware, put them in the case, close the lid, and leave them near the iPhone on power for 30 minutes. If it still fails, reset them. Forget the AirPods in Settings › Bluetooth, then put them in the case, open the lid, and hold the setup button on the back for about 15 seconds, until the light flashes amber and then white. Pair again. The steps are explained in the guide to resetting your AirPods.

Using AirPods with Android, Windows or a Mac

AirPods work as plain Bluetooth headphones with Android and Windows, but some features, such as the automatic switching, do not. On Windows, the AirPods often show two devices: one for music, and one called “Hands-Free” for calls. If your voice is not picked up, set the Hands-Free device as the input in the sound settings, and in the app. On a Mac, open System Settings › Sound, choose Input, and select your AirPods. Calls on these systems use the lower quality mode, so a thin or muffled sound is normal there.

When it is a hardware problem

If one AirPod’s microphone stays silent after a clean, a reset and an update, the hardware has failed. Water, a drop and age are the usual causes. Apple Support or an authorized service provider can test them and replace a single AirPod. Check your coverage with the serial number, and see whether AppleCare is worth it if you are weighing a plan. Ask for the price before you agree. A single replacement often costs less than a new pair, but on older AirPods, a new pair may be the better deal.

How to keep calls clear

• Wipe the microphone openings every few weeks.
• Leave the Microphone setting on Automatically Switch AirPods.
• Keep iOS up to date, and restart the iPhone now and then.
• Check app permissions after you install a new calling app.
• Charge both AirPods before long calls.