LG G5 users can’t hear during calls even with volume turned all the way up [Troubleshooting Guide]

It seems that many LG G5 (#LGG5) owners have been complaining about not being able to hear the person on the other end of the line during calls while others said their callers cannot hear them. Being a flagship and a premium device, expectations are high for the G5 especially for people who are used to having LG devices instead of more popular counterparts.

In this post, I will tackle these issues and draft a troubleshooting guide so that you will have a shot at fixing your device, if there’s really a problem, without seeking assistance from a technician. This troubleshooting guide may save you from a lot of trouble going to the store and waiting in line while the tech is checking it for you.

Before going any further though, if you have other concerns with your phone, make sure you visit our LG G5 troubleshooting page where we list down every problem we address each week. Find issues that are similar or related to yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you need further assistance, then feel free to reach out to us by completing our Android issues questionnaire.

Troubleshooting LG G5 possible earpiece issue

When using your G5 in taking phone calls, two components are expected to work without a hitch–the earpiece and the microphone. In this section, let’s deal with the possible earpiece issue.

The earpiece is actually a small speaker that you place near your ear so you can hear the voice of the person on the other line. It can also suffer from damages that are typical to speakers like being damaged due to wear and tear, etc.

If you can’t hear the other person during calls, it doesn’t necessary mean it’s an earpiece issue but it’s possible. That’s why we need to do some troubleshooting to determine what really is the problem. However, if it really is an issue with the earpiece, please note that there’s nothing you can do to fix it except bring the phone to a shop and have a tech take care of the problem for you but before that, here’s what you should do:

Step 1: Disconnect headsets

This is to make sure the voice isn’t channeled to other components. As you know, when a headset is plugged in, the voice will not be heard through the earpiece but through the speakers of the headset. If you’re using a wired headset, then it’s obvious why you can hear the other person during calls through the earpiece.

That being said, the same thing happens if a Bluetooth headset is paired or connected to your phone. As far as headsets are concerned, this one is more likely to cause the problem than when using a wired set since you can’t immediately determine whether a headset is in play or not. So, it’s better that you disable Bluetooth on your device when troubleshooting a problem like this.

Step 2: Try using headset during calls

While I wanted you to double-check a headset isn’t causing the problem in the first step, at this juncture, I want you to use a headset during a phone call. The purpose is to know whether you can hear the other person through the headphones.

There’s a mini amplifier inside the phone in a form of a chip and it’s responsible in channeling audio through the earpiece and the headphones. So, if you can hear just find while using a headset, then the problem might be in the earpiece, otherwise, it might be a serious hardware problem.

Step 3: Enable the speakerphone during calls

This is another way to determine whether the problem is with one of the important components or not. When in speakerphone mode, the same amplifier is responsible in channeling the audio through loudspeakers. So, if the speakerphone works fine, it will point to the earpiece to be the one that’s having issues, otherwise, you should  bring the phone to the shop already, although I suggest you reset your device before doing so.

1. Press and hold the Volume Down and Power keys. (Follow the order of the key’s to be pressed to avoid the device from booting normally at this time.)
2. When the LG logo displays, quickly let go of the Power key but hold it again while you continue holding the Volume Down key.
3. When ‘Factory data reset’ appears, use the Volume Down button to highlight Yes.
4. Press the Power key to confirm the reset.
5. When prompted with ‘Erase all user data and restore default settings,’ use the Volume Down key to highlight Yes.
6. Press the Power button to confirm your action.

Troubleshooting LG G5 possible microphone issue

If I’m not mistaken, the G5 only has one microphone. That’s the one it’s using during typical phone calls and recording audio. So, if your caller can’t hear during calls, immediately troubleshoot your phone for possible microphone issue.

The microphone is located at the bottom of the device. Find the little hole and try to see if there’s something blocking it. A grain of sand is more enough to cause this problem. My point is, if something is blocking the hole where the mic is located, then it’s possible that it’s what’s causing the problem. You may take it out if you can without damaging your device or simply find a technician that will fix it for you.

On the other hand if you’ve verified there’s nothing blocking the microphone, then try these steps:

Step 1: Try to record an audio

If you can actually record an audio without and play it without having issues, then the microphone is safe. However, if the sound seems muffled or not clear, then double-check that nothing is blocking it because it seems something is.

Step 2: Boot the device in safe mode

This step will tell you if a third-party app has something to do with the problem. Booting in safe mode will rule that possibility out so it’s worth doing it:

1. With the screen on, press and hold the Power key.
2. In the options menu that displays, press and hold Power off.
3. ‘Restart in Safe mode’ prompt will display.
4. Tap OK to restart in Safe Mode.
5. Device will display ‘Safe mode’ at the bottom of the screen.

While in this state, try to make a call and see if the person on the other end can hear you well because if so, then there’s an app that’s causing the problem, otherwise, you have no other option but to reset your phone.

Step 3: Record a video

Recording a video will tell us once again if there’s a problem with the microphone. At least, do this prior to the reset. But if all else fails and you decide to bring the phone to the shop, then reset your phone first.

1. Press and hold the Volume Down and Power keys. (Follow the order of the key’s to be pressed to avoid the device from booting normally at this time.)
2. When the LG logo displays, quickly let go of the Power key but hold it again while you continue holding the Volume Down key.
3. When ‘Factory data reset’ appears, use the Volume Down button to highlight Yes.
4. Press the Power key to confirm the reset.
5. When prompted with ‘Erase all user data and restore default settings,’ use the Volume Down key to highlight Yes.
6. Press the Power button to confirm your action.

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