Time Needed : 15 minutes

Based on our experience, this problem can be pretty minor but if it’s a hardware issue, then you may need to have the device checked by a technician. But here’s what you need to do to try and fix it…

1. Force restart your phone

   In troubleshooting a smartphone that’s bugged by an unexplained issue or a problem that started without apparent reason or cause, you must always rule out the possibility that it’s just due to a minor firmware issue. With that being said, the first thing you need to do is the forced restart. It is a simulated battery removal that refreshes your device’s memory and reloads its apps and services. Here’s how you do it: 1. Press and hold the volume down button and the power key for 10 seconds. This will force your phone to power itself down and turn back on. 2. When the logo shows, release both keys and wait until the device has finished rebooting. Once the restart is finished, open Messenger and try doing a video call to know if the microphone now works properly.

2. Test the microphone

   Before moving on to troubleshooting the app, what you have to do next is to check if the microphone is working fine on its own. So launch the voice recorder app and then try to record your voice for a few seconds. After which, play it and see if there’s audio. Or, you may also record a video of yourself speaking. If the phone captures your voice, then the microphone is working fine. So move on to the next procedure, otherwise, it’s possible that the problem is with the hardware. But I would still suggest you finish this guide and see what happens.

3. Check the apps permissions

   Perhaps, the reason why the microphone isn’t working during video calls on Messenger is because the permissions were changed. That’s what you need to check because if the app isn’t allowed to use the microphone, then it follows that other users won’t be able to hear you during video conferences. Here’s how it’s done: 1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to pull up the app drawer. 2. Go to the screen where the Messenger app is located. 3. Tap and hold on its icon until options show. 4. Tap App info. 5. Scroll down to find Permissions and tap on it. 6. The next screen will show you the services that the app is allowed to access. 7. Make necessary changes and then try using Messenger again. After making sure the app is allowed to use the microphone and it’s still not working as it should be, then move on to the next solution.

4. Reset Messenger

   After making sure the problem isn’t due to a minor glitch and that the microphone is working fine, then it’s time to clear the cache and data of Messenger. This will reset the app back to its default settings and configuration. If it’s just one of those minor app-related issues, then this procedure will fix it: 1. Go to the screen where the Messenger icon is located. 2. Tap and hold on the Messenger icon until options show. 3. Tap App info. 4. Touch Storage. 5. Tap Clear cache. 6. Now, tap Clear data and touch OK to confirm. If the problem remains after this solution, then try the next one.

5. Reinstall Messenger

   At this point, it’s better to simply remove the app from your phone to also delete all possible corrupt cache and data files. After which, download a fresh copy of the app from the Play Store to make sure you’re using the latest version. 1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to pull up the app drawer. 2. Go to the screen where the Messenger app is located. 3. Tap and hold on its icon until options show. 4. Tap Uninstall and confirm it. 5. Once the app is successfully uninstalled, launch the Play Store. 6. Search for ‘Messenger ’ and tap the Messenger  app. 7. Tap Install and wait until the phone has finished installing the app. Assuming that this isn’t a hardware problem, then these solutions will be enough to make the microphone work on Messenger again during video calls.