How to fix your phone's low earpiece volume fast for 25 cents

[RV_]

Having trouble with your phone getting hard to hear on?

Excerpt:

"If calls on your smartphone are getting quieter, instead of dropping hundreds of dollars at the repair shop, or buying a new phone, let us show you how a cheap little brush available at any drugstore might be all you need.

Chances are if this scenario hasn't happened to you already, it will eventually: You're taking a phone call and raising the volume because the person on the other end is way too quiet. Then you realize, the volume is already maxed out. 

You think there must be something wrong with your phone's earpiece. While it's entirely possible there is a more complex electronic issue with your device, this problem is far more frequently caused by the bane of electronics everywhere: dirt.

The microscopic holes in your iPhone or Android smartphone's earpiece can easily become clogged with dust and debris, even if you're meticulous about smartphone hygiene. 

Luckily, there's a quick, easy fix that will cost you about a quarter, and could prevent the need for a very expensive, wasted trip to the smartphone repair shop.

How to restore the earpiece volume of an old iPhone or other smartphone

• Materials needed: An interdental brush, and a cleaning cloth or some compressed air.
• Estimated time: 2 to 3 minutes
• Estimated cost: Per brush, 25 cents or less. Most packs of interdental brushes sold in drug stores and online cost $4 to $10.

The tool

The key to this trick is a small piece of dental hygiene equipment called an interdental brush. These brushes are designed to perform the same duties as dental floss, and are especially useful for those with braces and orthodontic appliances.

What makes them ideal for our purposes is the fact that their bristles are only about 0.02mm to 0.03mm wide, far smaller than most electronic cleaning brushes, and thinner than most human hairs. Their minuscule diameter makes it possible for them to get into the almost-microscopic perforations in your phone's earpiece, where few other brushes can reach. 

Best of all, you can find bags of 15 to 75 of these for $4 to $10, depending on the brand. This makes the cost per brush less than 25 cents in most cases. You can even reuse them multiple times before you have to toss them out."

The article has pictures and even a video here:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-fix-your-phones-low-earpiece-volume-fast-for-25-cents/?ftag=TRE-03-10aaa6b&bhid={%24external_id}&mid={%24MESSAGE_ID}&cid={%24contact_id}

                                                                                                                                                                                         

I use a shark electronics vacuum attachment tool set after brushing the embedded crud with a stiff toothbrush. You still need to have a stiffer brush to scrape the crud loose first then I use the vacuum. Big difference. I am going to buy some of the brushes mentioned above. They will come in handy for any small repair projects.

YMMV, not for internal use, do not eat. (joke)

Edited September 11, 2022 by RV_

[Ray,IN]

Good tip, thanks Derek!

[RV_]

YW Ray!

The article prompted me to clean our phones and tablets the day I posted. Although the tablets collect just dust not pocket and her purse lint like our phones. The brush is needed. My toothbrush could easily damage the speaker underneath if used roughly. Less chance with the tiny brushes recommended.

[Lou Schneider]

Victron Multiplus inverters have a similar problem.  They have a 1/8" headphone style jack that's used with optional remote current sensors.  The jack has a set of contacts that signals when a plug is inserted so the display software uses these values instead of reading the internal sensors.

The problem is the contacts get dirty over time and fool the Multiplus into thinking a remote sensor plug is inserted when it's not.  The software then displays the (non-existant) readings from it so the display shows current and power readings that are zero.

The fix is to insert a 1/8" plug in and out of that socket several times to exercise and clean the contacts.

 

Edited September 13, 2022 by Lou Schneider

[RV_]

Lou we forget these days that stuff can be fixed, sometimes very simply. Good tip.