Oliver Haslam on November 10, 2017, 11:41 am

Experiencing Muted Mic Issue On Galaxy S8, Note 8, Pixel 2? Try This Fix

In a world where our smartphones are more highly portable, personal computing devices than actual phones, it is sometimes all too easy to forget that the core functionality of a smartphone remains being able to make phone calls when needed.

Of late, a number of Google Pixel 2, Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 users have noted that the microphones on their devices are a little on the muted side, making it difficult for callers to make out what they are saying. Thankfully, there appears to be a simple, free fix that can be applied to restore everything to its former glory, and it’s something anyone can do at home.

While the cause of this particular issue is unknown, the fix certainly is not. According to a few users who have experienced the issues themselves, simply blowing into the microphone sorts the problem right out, instantly reminding us of the times older gamers had to blow on game cartridges when they got a little too dusty to work properly – nostalgia at every turn, apparently!

Of course, even if you do not make phone calls this issue could still present itself. Yes, the microphone is used for phone calls but with things like “OK, Google” also requiring that microphone to work flawlessly, being confident that your smartphone can hear you at all times is an important consideration. Unfortunately, if the old blowing the microphone trick doesn’t sort things out for you, then there may well be only one way to go – the dreaded RMA process.

Hopefully, it won’t come to that, so be sure to try the microphone fix first – on the Pixel 2, the microphone is located behind the bottom speaker grille, with the Samsung handsets housing their microphone at the bottom of the phone near the USB-C port.

(Source: Google Product Forums, Samsung Community [1], [2])