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Don't Confuse the External Speaker With a Microphone
Some people confuse the six holes near the bottom with one of the microphones. That is actually a speaker used when people play music and videos. It only plays and does not record sound.
The call microphone has three rather than six holes and is also on the bottom of your phone. The speaker is to the right of the charging port, and the microphone is to the left of it.
How to Find the Microphone for Calls
With the iPhone 11 Pro Max
The iPhone 11 Pro Max has three different microphones, with only one of them being for calls. At the bottom of an iPhone 11 Pro Max, there is a 'grill' with three small holes. That is the microphone you use during phone calls.
With the iPhone 11 Pro
With the iPhone 11 Pro, it is in the same spot and looks the same. There are three small holes at the bottom of your phone, near the connector where you charge your phone.
With the iPhone 11
It is also exactly the same for the iPhone 11. There is always three small holes at the bottom of the phone, to the left of the charger.
How to Find the Microphone for Video
With the iPhone 11 Pro Max
The iPhone 11 Pro Max has a microphone at the back, where the camera is. There is only a single small hole that picks up sound. There are three dark circles at the back of the iPhone 11 Pro Max; these are all camera lenses.
The three lenses are the wide camera, ultrawide camera, and telephoto camera. Below and to the left of these three lenses is a small hole, which is the microphone that turns on when you are recording sound.
With the iPhone 11 Pro
The iPhone 11 Pro is the same as the iPhone 11 Pro Max. There are three lenses at the back, and the microphone is a small hole below and to the left of those lenses.
With the iPhone 11
The camera and back microphone don't quite look the same on the iPhone 11. There are only two and not three camera lenses, and the microphone is to the right of one lens and above and to the right of the other. The microphone still looks the same, a small black hole that is much smaller than a camera lens.
How to Find the Microphone for Siri
With the iPhone 11 Pro Max
The front microphone is located near the top of the phone, by the ear speaker. It is underneath the top of the screen and a bit closer to the left than the right side. Unlike the other two microphones, you cannot see it - there is no visible hole.
With the iPhone 11 Pro
The microphone is in the same location, underneath the screen near the top of the phone. There is no way to see it from outside of the phone.
With the iPhone 11
The iPhone 11 is also the same. There is no visible hole, and the microphone is at the top and to the left of the center.
Are Microphones on Smartphones Powerful?
A dedicated recorder is better than a microphone on a smartphone, no matter how good the phone microphone is. If you want to do something like record music or record a podcast, you should switch to a dedicated recorder fairly early on. The sound quality a phone can record might be half decent, but a dedicated recorder is noticeably better.
Do iPhones Have Relatively Good Microphones?
Yes, iPhones have somewhat better microphones than Androids for things like recording concerts. An external phone microphone or dedicated recorder is much better than a phone's internal microphone. However, if you want to use a phone microphone to not bother carrying anything else around, an iPhone microphone is somewhat better.
How to Record Sound With a Smartphone
You can use a smartphone to record university lectures, meetings, live music, and much more. While the sound quality is basic, it is not poor, so smartphones make passably good sound recorders.
First, you need to download a recording app. A good recording app will let you adjust things like gain rates and sampling levels, plus save the files in at least a few different formats. A recording app should also let you send the sound files to your e-mail or your dropbox easily.
After you finish installing the recording app, you can simply tap a button or two to start recording. If it isn't working, you may need to go into settings and turn your microphone on.
When Did Phones Start Offering Microphones?
Microphones go back as far as the first smartphones. The IBM Simon (1995), usually considered the first smartphone, had a microphone.
What if Your Microphone Stops Working?
The first thing you should do is try a few quick fixes. For example, turning your iPhone off and on again may solve many small problems, including the microphone not working.
If the microphone is working but very poorly, clear any debris from the phone's three microphones. Sometimes, a bit of dirt gets into the small holes and makes your smartphone stop working.
You may also need to change some settings to get the microphone to work. For example, if your microphone doesn't work for a specific app, go to "settings," then to "privacy," and then to "microphone," and make sure the app has permission to access your microphone. If none of these quick fixes work, call apple support.
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