S21 Ultra - Noise Reduction on video/phone call

[SJ91]

When video calling via Duo + Messenger and also normal phone calls the person I am speaking with is struggling to hear me. I've been told I sound muffled and extremely far away from the phone. Microphone is clear from any obstructions. The phone is within arms length. The background noise such as a TV or my toddler can hardly be heard also.

I had an S10 previously and had no issues. I saw a Reddit article where others had the same issue and it was just put down to the phone.

Any others have the same issue?

The phone is just a week old purchased outright.

[VueeyLe]

Hey there,

Has your phone been recently wet or submerged in water?

Have you checked if any dust is covering up any of the Mic holes?

Otherwise, I recommend backing up your phone and do a Factory Reset to clear any corrupted files.

My recommendation is to use compress air or something that can blow some air onto the holes to hopefully remove the dirt that's covering the mic.

If this doesn't work, then I recommend contacting Samsung Support.

[mattwellerphoto]

Something funny must be going on, i would probably take it to the Samsung Service Center to get checked out.

For example, my mother had a phone from a competing brand a couple of years back and had a similar issue to yours. The mic would work fine in normal phone calls, however if i tried a video call with her via FB messenger/WhatsApp it wouldn't work at all.

As VueeyLe suggested, a factory reset might correct a software anomaly if one exists, however I think a warranty replacement will be your best bet (also for your peace of mind)

[SJ91]

Thank you both. We noticed it day 3 of owning the phone as my husband works away. I contacted Samsung customer care and they did a whole lot of troubleshooting and I created an error report of which resulted in do the same thing or take it into Samsung. I'm going to take it back to JB HI-FI which is where I purchased it from as a Samsung store is a bit of a drive. No water. No dust. When I video/voice record it sounds fine. It's just video/voice calls. Hopefully will get it sorted today.

[SamsungLaura]

Hi @SJ91, I'm sorry to hear you've had issues with your new phone. It sounds like you've already done most troubleshooting steps I can offer. 

Another step to confirm the issue could be the diagnostics tool in the Samsung Members app to hear the feedback from your microphone. 

To do this:

Samsung Members > Get help > View tests > Microphone.

If the audio feedback is muffled, I recommend for you to head into your nearest authorised service centre with your proof of purchase so that we can take a closer look into this. Please be aware that due to our Privacy Policy, your device may be factory reset before being assessed. I highly recommend backing up your device via Smart Switch, OneDrive and/or Google to ensure none of your data is lost.

For more information on how to back up your device: https://www.samsung.com/au/support/mobile-devices/back-up-samsung-device/

To book an appointment prior to heading in-store or to drop off your device via Australia Post: https://www.samsung.com/au/support/your-service/main 

To find your nearest store: https://www.samsung.com/au/samsungstore/

[SJ91]

I took it back to JB hi-fi where I purchased and they called me and could hear the issue straight away and gave me a new phone.
So that was super lucky. Hubby has said that it's much better, but it's definitely not as good as the S10 I previously had. Which is a shame considering.

[Okeefe1234567890876]

Thanks friends 💓