Leaked document finds Apple acknowledging some iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models disabled mics during calls

What’s considered an integral part of making phone calls might be experiencing some issues on a limited number of Apple iPhone 7 and 7 Plus units. MacRumors got its hands on an internal document being distributed to Apple Authorized Service Providers this week that says some users of the aforementioned devices that run iOS 11.3 or later experience greyed-out speaker button during calls. It’s also supposedly preventing them from being heard during phone calls or FaceTime video chats. It doesn’t seem to be a widespread issue but complaints have popped up online on various platforms like Reddit, Twitter, and Apple Support Communities.

If you’re experiencing the issue, schedule an appointment with an Apple Authorized Service Provider or with the Genius Bar. The service providers have been instructed what to look out for with this problem. You might be asked to disconnect or power off any Bluetooth or audio accessories connected to your iPhone. When the speaker button is greyed out during calls, they’ll need to run audio diagnostics. Affected units will show “device couldn’t detect dock” or “accessory not supported” in the diagnostic pane, they can then start repairs on the iPhone. For this particular issue, it seems they’ll even fix phones no longer covered by warranty. But the document didn’t specify if this repair is completely free of charge. And since Apple hasn’t confirmed the issue publicly, some Apple employees might be unaware of the issue. MacRumors suggest you escalate the issue to a senior Apple Care advisor if you can.