Speaker Cleaner › Earpiece Cleaner
Earpiece mode · top edge downEarpiece Speaker Cleaner: fix low call volume
Earpiece Speaker Cleaner plays a 150 to 200 Hz sweep (120 to 400 Hz on the Extended setting) with the phone held top edge down, so water and loose dust can fall out of the call speaker slot. Low call volume is usually caused by skin oil and dust in the earpiece mesh, which needs a gentle dry clean after the run.
- For the call speaker
- No app, no microphone
- Free
Volume to maximum and hold the phone with the top edge facing down. On phones with stereo speakers the earpiece plays the sweep too.
Standard is the default because low frequencies move the speaker furthest, and that movement is what pushes water out. A 150 to 200 Hz sweep is the range a phone speaker can actually play loudly. Dust mode pulses the same 165 Hz tone.
Does your speaker sound clearer?
Ready. Tap Start cleaning.
Low call volume with normal speakerphone volume points to the earpiece rather than the main speaker. Skin oil and dust collect in the narrow earpiece mesh over months of calls, and the slot often looks grey or shiny before the volume drop becomes obvious.
Signs your earpiece needs cleaning
The earpiece is a separate, smaller speaker from the one at the bottom of the phone.
- Callers sound quiet only when the phone is at your ear; speakerphone sounds fine.
- The thin slot above the screen looks grey or shiny with oil.
- Voices sounded muffled right after rain or a shower.
How to clean the earpiece
- Top edge downHold the phone upside down so the earpiece slot faces the floor.
- Volume to maximumOn phones with stereo speakers the earpiece plays media too.
- Press StartPlay the 30-second sweep, up to 3 times for water.
- Clear the meshBrush the slot with a soft dry brush or dab it with adhesive putty.
To clean a phone earpiece, hold the phone with its top edge facing down, play a low-frequency speaker cleaner sweep at full volume, then gently brush the earpiece slot with a soft, dry brush. Skin oil builds up in the earpiece mesh over time and is the most common cause of low call volume.
Browsers cannot choose which speaker plays sound. On phones with stereo speakers the earpiece plays the cleaning sweep along with the bottom speaker. On single-speaker phones, Earpiece mode guides a top-edge-down hold and a manual mesh clean instead.
Stereo phones vs single-speaker phones
Web browsers can't choose which speaker plays sound, so results depend on your phone's speaker layout.
| Phone type | What Earpiece mode does |
|---|---|
| Stereo speakers (most mid-range and flagship phones) | The earpiece plays the sweep too, so the vibration helps clear it |
| Single bottom speaker (many budget phones) | Browsers can't route sound to the earpiece, so the mode guides a top-down hold and a manual mesh clean |
Still quiet on calls?
Check that call volume (not media volume) is turned up during a call, and remove any screen protector that covers the earpiece slot. If calls are still quiet, read why your speaker sounds muffled. To clear the bottom speaker instead, eject water from the main speaker.