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Computers and Electronics
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Audio Speakers
Complete Guide to Cleaning Your iPhone Speakers without Damage Download Article Learn how to clean your iPhone's speakers to fix sound issues Co-authored by Mitch Harris and Hannah Dillon
Last Updated: December 11, 2025 Fact Checked
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Cleaning iPhone Speakers
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Cleaning Other Ports
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Troubleshooting iPhone Volume Issues
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Q&A
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Things You'll Need
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This article was co-authored by Mitch Harris and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Dillon. Mitch Harris is a Consumer Technology Expert based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mitch runs his own IT Consulting company called Mitch the Geek, helping individuals and businesses with home office technology, data security, remote support, and cybersecurity compliance. Mitch earned a BS in Psychology, English, and Physics and graduated Cum Laude from Northern Arizona University. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 574,110 times.
Are your iPhone speakers dirty or clogged? Over time, your device may collect dust, lint, and other particles that you might not notice. You might notice your sound quality diminishing or have trouble connecting cables and audio jacks. Luckily, you can clean your speakers with supplies you may already have around your house. This wikiHow will show you the best ways to clean out your iPhone speakers and port to get it functioning like new again.
Ways to Clean Your iPhone Speakers
Start with a soft-bristled brush and sweep away any dust in your speakers. You can also use painter's tape or a toothpick to remove more debris. Gently blow air across the speaker with an air blower to dust away small particles.
Steps
Section 1 of 3:
Cleaning iPhone Speakers
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1 Brush the speakers with a soft-bristled toothbrush. If the sound from your iPhone is muffled or hard to hear, you can try gently brushing the speaker ports using a brush with very soft bristles. Make sure the brush is clean and dry, as you don't want to introduce any dampness to the speaker.[1]XResearch source
Make sure to brush away from the speaker so you can sweep dirt and dust out of it. Just scrubbing the brush across the speaker will allow the dust to fall right back into it.
2 Use painter’s tape. Painter’s tape is a blue tape used when painting walls. It has a pressure-sensitive adhesive, which makes it perfect for cleaning iPhone speakers.
Tear a short piece off and roll it into a cylinder with the sticky side facing out. The cylinder should have a diameter about the width of your index finger.
Slip the tape over your index finger, then press it into your iPhone speaker.
The tape should pick up all the grime and bits that have accumulated in the speakers.
Check the surface of the tape after each application. If you see lint and grime stuck to it, remove and discard the used tape, roll another small cylinder, and repeat.
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3 Use a toothpick to get out large chunks of debris. If there's debris stuck inside the speaker, you can use a toothpick to break it up and pick it out of the speaker holes. You can then follow up with a brush to sweep away the remaining dirt and crumbs after breaking up the blockage.
4 Gently spray the speaker with an air blower. If done correctly, an air blower can help clear debris out of your speaker. You do not want to use a can of compressed air to clean your speakers, as it can lead to internal damage. An air blower, which is a small device you squeeze by hand, is much safer.
Instead of blowing directly into the speaker, use the blower to gently blow air across the speaker. This will sweep away any dirt without pushing it further into the speaker itself.
While compressed air isn't safe for cleaning iPhone speakers, you can use it to clean a dusty computer or a mechanical keyboard.
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Cleaning Other Ports
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1 Use a cotton swab to clean a dirty charging or headphone port. If there's dirt or debris in your iPhone's charging port or headphone port, you can swab it out with a cotton swab. Do not dampen the end of the cotton swab with water or rubbing alcohol, as this could damage your iPhone.
Remove the cotton from one end of the cotton swab by pinching one end with your thumb and forefinger, then pulling your hands apart to remove the balled cotton.
Once removed, discard the cotton. Pinch the same end again, loosely this time.
Roll the cotton swab along its axis to spool some of the loose cotton upon itself.
Gently guide the narrow end of the cotton swab into the port.
Turn the cotton swab around a few times, then remove it.
2 Use an air blower. Similar to cleaning your speakers, you can use an air blower to remove dust and other materials from your Lightning or headphone port. Place the phone in such a position that its headphone port faces you, then aim the air blower at the headphone port a short distance away.[2]XResearch source
If these steps don't fix the port on your iPhone, check inside the port to make sure there are no foreign objects lodged there. Stuck objects may need to be carefully removed using a long, skinny tool like a paperclip or straw.
Advertisement Section 3 of 3:
Troubleshooting iPhone Volume Issues
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1 Make sure silent mode isn't enabled. If you can't hear sound from your iPhone's speakers, double-check to make sure you haven't accidentally switched on silent mode. Inspect the Ring/Silent switch, which is on the left side of your iPhone. If you see orange on the switch, your iPhone is silenced.[3]XResearch source Move the switch in the opposite position to reenable your iPhone's speaker.
2 Remove the case if your speaker is muffled. If your iPhone is in a case, it’s possible that the case could be muffling or restricting the speakers from making sound. Take the case off your phone and attempt to play music or a sound.[4]XResearch source
If your iPhone's case is dirty, you can clean it with soap and water. Be sure to let it dry before placing the case back on the iPhone.
3 Increase the volume. You can easily increase the volume of your iPhone's speaker in Control Center.
If your iPhone has Face ID, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen. If your iPhone has a Home button, swipe up from the bottom of the Home screen.
Drag the volume slider upward to increase the volume.
4 Restart your iPhone. If cleaning your iPhone speaker and adjusting the volume didn't fix your sound problems, you can restart your iPhone.
If your iPhone has Face ID, press and hold either volume button and the side button, then slide off the power button. To turn your iPhone back on, press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.[5]XResearch source
If your iPhone has a Home button, press and hold the side button until the power slider appears, then slide it to turn off your iPhone. To turn your iPhone back on, press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.
5 Update your iPhone. Sometimes, sound glitches occur due to drivers or software being out of date. To update your iPhone, connect to Wi-Fi. Go to Settings → General → Software Update → Download and Install.[6]XResearch source
Before you update, make a backup of your iPhone. Connect to a Wi-Fi network, click Settings → iCloud → Backup → toggle on iCloud Backup → Back Up Now.
To check that your backup is finished, go to Settings → iCloud → Storage → Manage Storage → select your phone. You should be able to see your backup file, including the time you created it and the size of the file.[7]XResearch source
6 Contact Apple. Visit an Apple store to talk to Apple technicians who can help. If you don’t have any Apple stores nearby, visit https://support.apple.com/contact. To get started, click “Set up a repair,” then click “iPhone.”[8]XResearch source
Next, select “Repairs and Physical Damage” and click the option “Unable to hear through receiver or speakers.”
At the next screen, click “Built-in speaker.”
At this point, you can select a range of options, including chatting, scheduling a call, and sending in for repair. Choose the option that works best for you.
7 Reset your iPhone. If Apple cannot help you, they might recommend the nuclear option – a factory reset. Restoring your iPhone will wipe your contacts, calendars, photos, and other saved data. However, your text messages, call history, notes, sound settings, and certain other customizable phone options should be saved to iCloud if enabled.[9]XResearch source
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Question How do I clean an iPhone charger? Jay Community Answer You could get a duster and dust the iPhone charger. However, you cannot clean it with water. The best thing to do is to buy a new charger. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 27 Helpful 6
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Things You’ll Need
a soft-bristled toothbrush
rubbing alcohol
cotton swabs
painter’s tape
compressed air
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Co-authored by: Mitch Harris Consumer Technology Expert This article was co-authored by Mitch Harris and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Dillon. Mitch Harris is a Consumer Technology Expert based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mitch runs his own IT Consulting company called Mitch the Geek, helping individuals and businesses with home office technology, data security, remote support, and cybersecurity compliance. Mitch earned a BS in Psychology, English, and Physics and graduated Cum Laude from Northern Arizona University. This article has been viewed 574,110 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 13Updated: December 11, 2025 Views: 574,110 Categories: Audio Speakers In other languages Portuguese Italian German French Spanish Indonesian Arabic Korean Turkish Russian Chinese Thai Hindi Vietnamese Dutch Japanese
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Download Article Learn how to clean your iPhone's speakers to fix sound issues Co-authored by Mitch Harris and Hannah Dillon 
How to Clean the Charging Port on an iPhone: Complete Guide 
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Co-authored by: Mitch Harris Consumer Technology Expert This article was co-authored by Mitch Harris and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Dillon. Mitch Harris is a Consumer Technology Expert based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mitch runs his own IT Consulting company called Mitch the Geek, helping individuals and businesses with home office technology, data security, remote support, and cybersecurity compliance. Mitch earned a BS in Psychology, English, and Physics and graduated Cum Laude from Northern Arizona University. This article has been viewed 574,110 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 13 Updated: December 11, 2025 Views: 574,110 Categories: Audio Speakers In other languages Portuguese Italian German French Spanish Indonesian Arabic Korean Turkish Russian Chinese Thai Hindi Vietnamese Dutch Japanese 
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1 Brush the speakers with a soft-bristled toothbrush. If the sound from your iPhone is muffled or hard to hear, you can try gently brushing the speaker ports using a brush with very soft bristles. Make sure the brush is clean and dry, as you don't want to introduce any dampness to the speaker.[1] 
2 Use painter’s tape. Painter’s tape is a blue tape used when painting walls. It has a pressure-sensitive adhesive, which makes it perfect for cleaning iPhone speakers. 
3 Use a toothpick to get out large chunks of debris. If there's debris stuck inside the speaker, you can use a toothpick to break it up and pick it out of the speaker holes. You can then follow up with a brush to sweep away the remaining dirt and crumbs after breaking up the blockage. 
4 Gently spray the speaker with an air blower. If done correctly, an air blower can help clear debris out of your speaker. You do not want to use a can of compressed air to clean your speakers, as it can lead to internal damage. An air blower, which is a small device you squeeze by hand, is much safer. 
1 Use a cotton swab to clean a dirty charging or headphone port. If there's dirt or debris in your iPhone's charging port or headphone port, you can swab it out with a cotton swab. Do not dampen the end of the cotton swab with water or rubbing alcohol, as this could damage your iPhone. 
2 Use an air blower. Similar to cleaning your speakers, you can use an air blower to remove dust and other materials from your Lightning or headphone port. Place the phone in such a position that its headphone port faces you, then aim the air blower at the headphone port a short distance away.[2] 
1 Make sure silent mode isn't enabled. If you can't hear sound from your iPhone's speakers, double-check to make sure you haven't accidentally switched on silent mode. Inspect the Ring/Silent switch, which is on the left side of your iPhone. If you see orange on the switch, your iPhone is silenced.[3] Move the switch in the opposite position to reenable your iPhone's speaker. 
2 Remove the case if your speaker is muffled. If your iPhone is in a case, it’s possible that the case could be muffling or restricting the speakers from making sound. Take the case off your phone and attempt to play music or a sound.[4] 
3 Increase the volume. You can easily increase the volume of your iPhone's speaker in Control Center. 
4 Restart your iPhone. If cleaning your iPhone speaker and adjusting the volume didn't fix your sound problems, you can restart your iPhone. 
5 Update your iPhone. Sometimes, sound glitches occur due to drivers or software being out of date. To update your iPhone, connect to Wi-Fi. Go to Settings → General → Software Update → Download and Install.[6] 
6 Contact Apple. Visit an Apple store to talk to Apple technicians who can help. If you don’t have any Apple stores nearby, visit https://support.apple.com/contact. To get started, click “Set up a repair,” then click “iPhone.”[8] 
7 Reset your iPhone. If Apple cannot help you, they might recommend the nuclear option – a factory reset. Restoring your iPhone will wipe your contacts, calendars, photos, and other saved data. However, your text messages, call history, notes, sound settings, and certain other customizable phone options should be saved to iCloud if enabled.[9] Advertisement 
Jay Community Answer You could get a duster and dust the iPhone charger. However, you cannot clean it with water. The best thing to do is to buy a new charger. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 27 Helpful 6