Echoing and background noise on iPhone calls

A number of readers have reported an issue where the iPhone generates echoing and background noise on the receiving end of phone calls. Most users reporting this problem describe a situation where “everyone can hear themselves in the background.”

Interestingly, the receiving end echo can sometimes be resolved by using the included headset mic, but may result in a situation where the iPhone user instead hears an echo.

Note that this issue has been extant with other phones as well, generally attributed to an issue with the carrier (AT&T in this case) rather than the device. In these cases, the problem is simply a bad connection, resolved by hanging up and initiating a new phone call. However, the echoing in particular appears consistent for some iPhone users regardless of connection quality.

One iPhone Atlas reader writes:

“I’ve read that the volume of the speaker on the iPhone is low - so is mine. But, when I turn up the speaker volume, it seems to turn up the gain on the microphone as well. Recipient s of calls from me complain that there is a lot of background noise.”

There are a few less-than-ideal workarounds:

• Turn down the iPhone volume
• Avoid cupping the bottom of the iPhone with your palm when not using the headset
• Use a Bluetooth headset

Experiencing a similar issue? Please let us know.