Having a problem with my Note 5, when on speaker phone, need help

[anderdea]

If this has already been covered, I apologize in advance as I am a new user to the Note 5 but not the the Galaxy Note series. On my Note 4 I never had an issue using the speaker on a phone call. When I receive or make a call on my N5 and push the speaker icon it goes to green and I can hear the other person through the external speaker but they can't hear me. I have to turn speaker off and put it back up to my ear so we can hear each other. I've been through the setting but nothing I do resolves the problem.

 

[Morty2264]

I see you are a new user - welcome to the forums!

I'm sorry you are experiencing this! If you have all of your photos, important information, etc. backed up, I would recommend doing a factory reset and seeing if the speaker phone problem persists.

Please keep us updated!

 

[underway99]

Before factory reset, try some of these. Make a speakerphone call after each step. Before you start, backup your documents, photos, and such to the cloud or PC.

1. Check the microphone hole to see if it's blocked. Blow it out with some compressed air. I've read of people using a paperclip to clear it, but I'd avoid that.
2. Turn off your bluetooth. You want to isolate the issue to just what is built into the device. Reboot and try the call.
3. Boot the phone into SAFE MODE. That will further isolate the issue to only the apps and functions that came preinstalled on your device. This doesn't delete anything. If the speakerphone works, your issue is an app.
4. If your issue is an app. then you can try first to reset your phone to factory default settings. This is different from the Factory Data Reset (FDR), and will not delete any apps or data, but will reset any customization. Use this to isolate your issue to a setting being out of position or something being turned on (or off) that shouldn't be.

If none of this clears your issue, then consider a FDR. This will wipe your device and make it like it just came from the box. If your issue remains, and you determine that it's hardware-related, you'll have to the FDR anyway when you replace the device. Verizon replaced one of my wife's Note 4 devices (she's gone through several) for a bad mic.

Good luck.

 

[B. Diddy]

If the other party can hear you when speakerphone is off, that means the primary mic is working ok (the one near your mouth). Since speakerphone often uses the secondary mic (the one at the top of the phone), focus on that mic to make sure it's not blocked or clogged, as suggested by underway99.

Also, try recording a video, and then watch the video with headphones. Is one of the channels completely silent? If so, that would support the suspicion that the secondary mic is blocked or faulty, since it also acts as one of the two stereo mics when taking a video.

 

[anderdea]

Wow, thanks for the quick responses. You've given me a lot to consider. I would prefer not to a hard reset. It took me to long to set as it up as it was when I received the phone. And since my other phone is sold it won't be as easy to transfer data. The only issue is when talking on the phone. I can use the voice recorder, and google and hear the other person via the speaker.

 

[B. Diddy]

The voice recorder might still use the primary mic. What about when recording a video, as I suggested?

 

[underway99]

If the other party can hear you when speakerphone is off, that means the primary mic is working ok (the one near your mouth). Since speakerphone often uses the secondary mic (the one at the top of the phone), focus on that mic to make sure it's not blocked or clogged, as suggested by underway99.

Also, try recording a video, and then watch the video with headphones. Is one of the channels completely silent? If so, that would support the suspicion that the secondary mic is blocked or faulty, since it also acts as one of the two stereo mics when taking a video.

Good reminder. I'd forgotten about the second microphone. That may be especially prone to being blocked when using the phone in a case.

 

[anderdea]

We'll I tried a lot of things. Finally I recorded a video. It sounded good on external speaker but when I plugged in my head phones I had the right channel only. I blocked the top microphone and spoke on video and then did a test with the bottom mic hole covered. Listened to it again with the head set and with the external speaker and sure enough, the bottom Microphone is totally dead. I tried cleaning it out but no change. I'm pissed because I paid premium $$ on eBay for a clean phone. I then went to safe mode and had the same issue.

 

[underway99]

If the mic fails in safe mode, then you've done just about all that you can do to isolate the failure to either a built-in app or hardware. I'd lean toward hardware. Hardware issues hit new, "clean" phones all the time. I had a mic fail a few years ago on a new BlackBerry Q10.

If you want to skip the repair or replacement scenario, buy a BT headset and call it good.

 

[anderdea]

I just talked to Verizon. They are going to send me a replacement phone under warranty. I hope I don't have the horror stories other people have had with refurbished phones.

 

[underway99]

Score. I like how VZW will cover a device if it has their name on it, no matter the source.

Rest easy. I've had a lot of refurbished devices from Big Red, and just one problem. I'm not sure it would have been considered an issue even on a new device. I just didn't like the color tone on a display. They replaced it for me overnight, no questions asked. I've even bought CPO devices directly from them. I've wondered if they're more reliable than a new device because they have been individually inspected rather than one in a thousand from the factory production run.

 

[anderdea]

I received my Verizon Refurbished N5 in 3 days. The Verizon tech rep couldn't have been more accommodating. I must say, the phone was like brand new. Everything seems to be working fine. What impresses me the most is the battery life. I'm going a day and a half and it's still at 52%. Granted I'm not using it 24/7 but sill I'm liking it.

 

[underway99]

That's typically been my experience with them as well. For all the complaining that people do about Verizon, their hardware support has been great for me. They're all about keeping a working device in my hand so I can burn more data.