iPhone 11 series speakerphone cutting out during phone calls issue persists even after iOS 14 update

Users have been facing speakerphone issues on their iPhone 11 series device for quite sometime now, wherein the voice keeps cutting off intermittently during phone calls.

The Apple forums have seen multiple complaints as a result, the earliest known reports dating back to July 2020. Some of them have been given below.

iPhone 11 keeps cutting out during phone conversations using the speakerphone. Everyone complains that I keep cutting out and they can’t hear what I am saying or they only hear every second or third word.
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I have the same issue. I’m on my second iPhone 11 since late July. It cuts out esp on FaceTime and any speaker calls. Sometimes it sounds crackly and almost like I am in a hollow room. They sent me a replacement and same problem. Apple said it was a carrier problem. Verizon just sent me a new SIM card today which I installed and I still have the problem. This is so frustrating because I am getting nowhere
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Upon a deeper insight, it appears that the bug behaves in two different ways. Some users face it only if the other end has an iPhone 11 series device as well. Others are affected by it randomly.

The issue seems to plague the entire iPhone 11 lineup, namely the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and the 11 Pro Max.

Moreover, the issue was first reported on iOS 13. But fast-forward to November 2020, and complaints still keep pouring in. This shows that the problem has still not been addressed with the latest iOS 14 update.

The bug also isn’t limited to the main phone app alone, as complainants have stated that calls through other apps like FaceTime cause similar problems.

And as apparent via these two comments (1, 2), it is safe to say that the issue is not from the carriers’ side, due to the fact that reports have originated from multiple carrier networks.

So that isolates the iPhone as the sole culprit. This leaves users wondering whether the issue is indeed a software bug, or perhaps hardware-related.

The latter does not seem to be the case though, as the following comment suggests otherwise:

I’m on my 4th IPhone 11 Pro . The fifth one arrived today. Each one of the first four have exhibited the same problem, cutting out while on speakerphone. I don’t even know if I want to waste the time going through this again. Apple still hasn’t offered a solution, or admitted it was a problem, even when I’m having the issue while on the phone talking to them for hours. I just purchased a Bluetooth speakerphone that clips on to my shirt, and guess what? It works!

The issue persists even after multiple device replacements, which is just sad. One can only imagine how frustrating it must have been for the above user to shift themselves and their data between five devices!

For now, there doesn’t seem to be much that a user facing this bug can do, apart from making sure that a case isn’t covering any of the device’s outlets resulting in interference. To make sure of that, try making a call on speaker after taking off the case.

You can also try the following:

I notice that if I pick up my phone and hold the microphone to my mouth that it seems to work better but the purpose of using the speakerphone is to be hands free.
Source

Hopefully, Apple will address the issue soon. For now, you can try giving feedback to Apple via this link. Perhaps if enough reports go through, Apple will be forced to address this serious matter.

Also, be sure to check out our dedicated iOS 14 bugs and issues tracker.

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