10/20/16
Original Poster
JosephPixel - Severe microphone issues
2 best answersReceived my pixel today and after a few hours of use and set up the microphone stopped working entirely, except when recording video upon which it'll record audio fine as if nothing were wrong. I factory reset the phone and the issue still persists everywhere but the camera app.
Another pixel owner is having similar microphone issues in the reddit thread linked below except that their microphone does not work at all
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Best Answers (2)
2/23/17
Expert - Google Employee
Brian Rakowski@Bill, we do believe this is a hardware issue. You are correct that software updates will not fix it.
We are taking additional steps to qualify refurbished phones to make sure they don't have this mic problem. It's possible that some replacement phones were not properly qualified before we understood this issue, but that's no longer the case.
Also, we have been taking additional steps to reinforce the connection at time of manufacture on phones built since January. Phones manufactured in the last month should not have this problem. For phones manufactured before then, the incidence of the problem is <<1%. I know this thread makes it seem much more prevalent, but there is a selection bias at work here.
2/21/17
Expert - Google Employee
Brian RakowskiI'm very sorry to hear that some of you are having the same problem with replacement phones and also that you aren't getting the level of customer service that you should. That should not be happening.
Since this thread has gotten very long, let me re-summarize some of the info about the problem:
- This thread is about problems with one or more of the three microphones on the Pixel and Pixel XL. There are a few known root causes, resulting in similar but different symptoms.
- The most common problem is a hairline crack in the solder connection on the audio codec. This will affect all three mics and may result in other issues with audio processing. This problem tends to be transient because of the nature of the crack. Based on temperature changes or the way you hold the phone, the connection may be temporarily restored and the problems may go away. This is especially frustrating as a user because, just when you think you've got it fixed, the problem randomly comes back. We believe this problem is occurring << 1% of phones and often happens after a few months of use (it could be triggered by dropping the phone that may not cause any visible external damage).
- The other related problems are due to a faulty microphone. Normally, this shows up as a consistent failure of a single mic. This problem is even rarer, but has very similar symptoms. The hairdryer trick (mentioned by Yaza) could work as the mic failure might be caused by the diaphragm in the mic getting stuck. Applying heat and/or forced air directly to the affected mic might free it, but I wouldn't recommend this for most people.
- We are aware of no software issues causing issues with the mic. All the cases we've investigated have been the result of a hardware problem, requiring replacement of the device.
In terms of customer service and getting a replacement device:
- If you purchased the phone from Google, contact support and describe your problem as a mic failure and explain the symptoms. Our support reps should be trained on this issue and should help you process a return. Google will put a hold your credit card for the replacement and ship you the phone immediately. Once we receive the defective phone and verify the problem, the hold will be removed.
- If you purchased the phone from another retailer, your best bet is to go back to that retailer as they can replace the phone more quickly. Our partner reps should also be trained on this issue. If you don't want to return to the retailer you purchased from, Google can also process the return, but because the phone was not purchased from us, we must receive the phone (and verify that it's actually a legit return of a Pixel phone) before shipping the replacement. That normally takes a couple of weeks, which is obviously really tough if you don't have a backup phone you can use in the interim.
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10/20/16
Expert - Google Employee
Brian RakowskiYou should definitely contact support (through the tab in settings). If there is a problem with the mic hardware, they can help with an exchange. However, the fact that it's working some of the time suggests some other problem. In what context is the mic not working? Does it work for phone calls? Using the Assistant?
10/20/16
Expert - Top Contributor
Nathan K.Also, if I may tag on to Brian's answer, have you considered using the System UI tuner status tray "headset icon" to determine if the phone thinks a headset is connected? If it is "stuck" it might behave exactly as you describe.
To enable the System UI tuner menu, swipe down on the status bar and tap-and-long-hold on the gear icon. That will enable the System UI tuner menu in Settings. Then go into that menu and enable the "Headset" toggle. If you see a "headphone with jaw-mic" in your status bar, bingo, you've found your problem.10/20/16
Original Poster
JosephDoesn't work with assistant or a standard phone call however it works fine with speaker phone which is certainly strange
10/21/16
Expert - Google Employee
Orrin - Pixel Community ManagerHey Joseph,
I'm going to reach out to your privately for a bug report, so the team can look more into this issue. Be on the lookout for my email within the next few minutes.
Thanks!
10/21/16
DCLI'm the user that posted the Reddit thread linked in the original post. I'd be happy to provide any information I can to help you guys diagnose this issue. My replacement is arriving today, so I will likely only have the "problematic" unit until Monday, so you'll need to contact me with what you need before then.
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3/2/17
Expert - Google Employee
Orrin - Pixel Community ManagerHey All,
We have been reading through all of your comments and feedback, and really appreciate you sharing your experiences here.
For those that might be landing on this thread for the first time (and for those already here), please refer to the Best Answer at the top of this thread that contains the correct and up-to-date information. You can take a look there for additional info and next steps. I am going to lock this thread for now, to make sure you all are getting the most relevant information, but we will post here with any other future updates. If your issue is not related the microphone issues explained in this thread, please create a new thread, and we'd be happy to help out.
Thanks
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