Has Your iPhone 12 Stopped Making Sounds? Apple Might Fix It for Free

If you’re having sound issues with your iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro, there’s a chance that you’ll be eligible for a free repair as part of a new service program that Apple has just launched.

Apple’s iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Service Program for No Sound Issues notes that a “very small percentage” of Apple’s 6.1-inch iPhone 12 models may include a component in the receiver module that’s prone to failure.

Apple has determined that a very small percentage of iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro devices may experience sound issues due to a component that might fail on the receiver module. Affected devices were manufactured between October 2020 and April 2021.

Apple

The problem is said to manifest itself on affected units by a lack of sound from the earpiece when making or receiving calls.

Since the problem is specific to the earpiece receiver module, however, it shouldn’t affect sounds through the main speakers, which means that speakerphone calls will still work, as will music and other audio playback.

• It’s also important to note that the problem only affects the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro.
• According to Apple, the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max are not part of the program.

Like any company, Apple naturally likes to play down the impact of hardware problems like this, so it’s unclear what it means by “a very small percentage.” After all, Apple repeatedly said the same thing about the butterfly keyboard fiasco, even in the midst of customer petitions and class-action lawsuits.

Still, a cursory search through the usual arenas like Twitter, Reddit, and Apple Discussions hasn’t turned up a large number of complaints just yet, although this could just be the tip of the iceberg.

Further, with Apple estimated to have sold more than 100 million iPhone 12 units — the bulk of which was made up of 6.1-inch models — a “very small percentage” could still mean tens of thousands of iPhones with a component that’s just waiting to fail.

To be fair, the repair program is kind of moot at this point, since the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 models only launched last fall, every unit in existence is still eligible for warranty until at least October 23, 2021.

In this case, however, the program gives iPhone 12 owners another year of coverage — but only for this one specific issue. Devices experiencing the problem will be eligible for repair for up to two years after the first retail sale.

How to Check to See If You’re Eligible for Free iPhone 12 Repair

This repair program only includes the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, and is specific to having no sound through the earpiece when making or taking phone calls. If you’re having other sound-related problems, they’re likely not going to be covered under this program.

Apple notes that the problem only affects iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models that were manufactured between October 2020 and April 2021, however, it’s not offering a serial number validation tool to check if your iPhone is eligible, so you’ll have to reach out to Apple Support to verify if your iPhone is covered.

As we mentioned earlier, every iPhone 12 is still under the standard one-year warranty for at least a few more weeks, so there’s no need to worry whether your iPhone 12 is eligible for this program just yet.

If you’re experiencing the problem right now, it’s much simpler just to take your iPhone 12 to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Partner or contact Apple Support to arrange a mail-in repair for normal warranty service.

As with all of Apple’s service programs, you may still have to pay to repair other damage to your iPhone that affects Apple’s ability to repair the problem, such as a cracked screen.