Speaker grilles collect whatever your pocket or bag contains: lint, dust, sand, skin oil and make-up. It builds up slowly, so you rarely notice the volume dropping until calls become hard to hear. Cleaning it takes five minutes and needs nothing special, as long as you are gentle. The mesh behind the grille is thin and tears easily.
Find the speakers first
Most phones have two. The main speaker is on the bottom edge, usually on one side of the charging port. The matching holes on the other side are often just a microphone. The second speaker is the earpiece, a thin slot at the top of the screen, which on many phones also acts as the second stereo speaker.
What you need
- A soft, dry brush. A clean, unused soft toothbrush or a small paintbrush is ideal.
- A microfibre cloth.
- Good light, and a torch if you have one.
- Optional: reusable adhesive putty, the kind used to hang posters.
Step by step
- Switch the phone off and take off the case.
- Brush across the grille. Hold the phone so the speaker faces down and brush lightly from side to side so debris falls out. Do not press the bristles in.
- Lift out what is left. Warm a pea-sized piece of adhesive putty in your fingers, press it gently against the grille and pull it straight off. Lint comes away with it. Do not push it into the holes, and stop if the putty starts leaving residue.
- Wipe the surrounding area with the microfibre cloth.
- Shake the rest loose with sound. Turn the phone on, raise the volume, point the speaker down and run the tool in Dust mode for 60 seconds. The rapid pulse vibrates fine particles that the brush cannot reach.
- Repeat for the earpiece. Brush gently, then use the Ultra mode on the main tool, since the earpiece cannot reproduce low tones well.
What not to use
Avoid
- Pins, needles and toothpicks. They puncture the mesh, and a torn mesh lets dust and water straight in.
- Compressed air cans. The pressure can damage the speaker and microphone. Apple specifically advises against it.
- Liquids and sprays. Alcohol or cleaner poured into the grille carries dirt further in.
- Vacuum cleaners. Too strong, and they build static.
Safe
- Soft dry brushes.
- Adhesive putty, pressed lightly.
- A barely damp cloth on the outer surface only.
- Sound, at normal maximum volume.
If the grille is sticky
Dried juice, tea or sweat leaves a film that a dry brush cannot shift. Dampen the very tips of the brush with a little 70% isopropyl alcohol, flick off the excess so the bristles are barely moist, and brush across the grille. The alcohol evaporates in seconds. Never drip liquid directly onto the phone.
How often to clean
Every month or two is enough for most people. If you work somewhere dusty, carry the phone in a pocket without a case, or use it at the beach, a quick brush every couple of weeks keeps the sound clear.
If the speaker is still dull after cleaning, go through the other causes in why a phone speaker sounds muffled.