Are you experiencing a crackling sound from your phone speaker? If so, you’re in the right place to learn how to fix crackling phone speakers. Before getting it repaired by a professional, you can try different fixes. 

These solutions include cleaning the speaker, restarting your phone, checking the audio settings, testing with different audio services, updating your phone software, and resetting your phone settings. This will might help you regain a clear sound on your device.

Effective Tips to Fix the Crackling Speakers of Your Phone

The following are the best tips to fix crackling phone speakers:

1. Clean The Speaker

Dust, pocket lint, and debris often collect in the speaker grills and can block sound output, leading to crackling. Small things like pocket lint and other particles could block the speaker holes and change the sound.

Use a soft-bristled brush, like a cosmetics or clean toothbrush, to gently remove any obvious dirt from your phone speaker. Carefully clean the area around the speaker grills with a cotton swab slightly dampened with rubbing alcohol to remove tough dirt. 

Note: Make sure your phone is turned off while cleaning, and avoid using sharp objects that could harm the sensitive speaker parts.

2. Restart Your Phone

Restarting your phone can resolve temporary software glitches that affect sound quality. This process clears the RAM and shuts down any running apps that could stop your speaker from working.

For iPhones with Face ID, press and hold the side button and either volume button, then slide to power off.Once restarted, test your speaker again with music or a call.

3. Check Audio Settings

Sometimes, incorrect audio settings cause speaker distortion. Review your phone’s sound settings to ensure everything is properly configured.

  • Open the Sound or Audio section in your phone’s settings. 
  • Ensure volume levels are appropriate and audio enhancements or equalizers aren’t causing distortion.

Certain phones feature equalization settings that might lead to problems with audio quality if they are not set correctly. If in doubt, reset things to their default settings. Additionally, disable any Bluetooth connections temporarily, as these might interfere with speaker output if your phone tries to route audio to a paired device.

4. Test With Different Audio Sources

Try playing audio from several sources to see if the crackling is a device-wide problem or specific to the app. Test videos, system sounds, music from various apps, and phone calls.

If the issue is isolated to one app, clear its cache or update it via the app store. Persistent issues across all audio sources suggest a deeper system or hardware issue.

5. Update Software

Outdated operating systems can cause various issues, including phone audio problems. Here’s how you can do it:

  • Go to Settings > System > Software Update (depending on your device) to check for updates.
  • Install any available update, restart your phone, and test the speaker again. 
  • In many cases, bug fixes in newer versions resolve audio glitches.

6. Reset Your Phone Settings

If these troubleshooting methods have not fixed the crackling sound, a more precise approach may be required. You can resolve configuration problems by resetting your phone’s settings (not a factory reset) without deleting your personal information. To do this: 

  • Navigate to the “Reset Settings” option in your phone’s menu. 
  • Although each device has a different path, it usually falls under System or General Management. 
  • Then, select the “Reset all settings” option to restore your phone’s settings to their original state without erasing any apps or private information. 
  • Following the reset, you must adjust display settings and Wi-Fi connections, among other preferences. 

7. Seek Professional Help

If you’ve tried every method and the speaker on your phone is still buzzing or crackling, you should call an expert. Persistent audio issues, even after applying basic solutions, indicate hardware damage.

You can take your device to a reliable phone repair shop like GadgetFix for a thorough diagnosis and repair. Professionals can replace damaged speakers, clean internal components, and safely open your device. 

Why Does a Phone Speaker Make Popping Sounds?

A loose or dirty connection or an interrupted electrical current (audio signals) causes the speaker to pop and crackle. The irritating pops and crackles you hear result from audio signals that can’t pass through your device’s audio system smoothly.

A number of things can cause these disruptions. Physical damage may cause the speaker membrane to move incorrectly, producing distortion. Signal issues can also result from software disputes between programs vying for audio control. High volume settings may be too much for your phone’s speakers to manage, which could result in distortion or popping noises at audio peaks.

Conclusion

You don’t always need professional help when fixing your crackling phone speakers. Instead, you can apply solutions at home, from simple maintenance like cleaning speaker grills to software troubleshooting, such as restarting your device or updating your operating system, resetting your phone settings, and testing with other audio devices. 

If nothing works, you should take your phone to a trusted shop because expert technicians can diagnose the exact problem, repair your phone, and replace damaged parts.