Poor Voice Quality on Wireless Calls

Audio issues like calls cutting in and out, distorted and unclear calls, or one-way audio may be fixed with some of the troubleshooting steps below.

Note: If you’re experiencing dropped calls instead of audio issues, please visit our support page for dropped calls.

Step 1: Clear any debris or dust.

The first thing to do is to ensure there is nothing obstructing the speaker or microphone area of your phone. If you’re using a phone case, remove it and use a dry tissue to wipe down the phone. Make a test call to see if this fixes the issue.

Step 2: Check coverage map.

Please visit our coverage map to check the wireless coverage in your area.

It’s best to test your phone in a full coverage area but if you’re in a low coverage area, you can use WiFi calling if you have a phone that supports it. Learn more about how to set up WiFi calling.

If you’re in a full coverage area but with a weak signal on your phone, please visit our poor signal support page

Step 3: Disconnect your headset if you have one.

If you use a wired or Bluetooth headset, disconnect the headset and test if the audio issues persist. If the problem is resolved, it may indicate an issue with the headset.

Step 4: Try a call on speaker phone.

Make a call and put it on the speaker of your phone. If the problem is resolved, that would suggest an issue with your phone. You can then perform a Factory Reset to attempt to fix the audio issues.

Note: This step will wipe everything on your phone. You can back up your phone, but it is important to test the phone first before proceeding with a factory reset.

Android

Note: every Android is slightly different, however most will follow this basic formula.

  • Select Settings.
  • Select General Management. (Sometimes called System on different software versions.)
  • Select Reset.
  • Select Factory Data Reset.

Step 5: Verify if the issue is happening both indoors and outdoors.

If the issue is happening indoors only, your cellular service could be obstructed by concrete, metal, or multiple walls. If you go outside and audio is much better on calls, then this may be the case. If this is the case, your best option is to use WiFi calling if you have a phone that supports it. Learn more about how to set up WiFi calling.

Step 6: Try your SIM card in another phone.

To confirm the audio issue is not related to your actual device, insert your SIM card into another phone and see if the audio issues persist. If you confirm that the issue is within the phone itself, please continue to the factory reset of your phone.

Step 7: Visit our Network Help & Outages page.

If the steps above have not fixed your audio issues, please visit our Network Help & Outages page, where you can ask our virtual assistant Anna about outages or other network issues.