Out of nowhere, my iPhone started routing calls to the speaker instead of the earpiece. It was troublesome having everyone around hear my private conversations. After some digging, I discovered a hidden setting in the iOS Accessibility section that controls this feature. It’s called Call Audio Routing, and it lets you disable the automatic switch to speaker during calls. Let me walk you through the simple steps to adjust this setting, along with a few troubleshooting tips if it doesn’t work as expected.
How Do I Turn Off the Automatic Switch to Speaker on iPhone Calls?
Time needed: 2 minutes
Call Audio Routing lets you route phone call audio to your device speakers or earpiece. Follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down until you find the Accessibility settings menu. Tap on that.
- Now, tap on the Touch option in the Physical and Motor section of Accessibility settings.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the Touch settings menu and tap on the Call Audio Routing option.
- The existing preference should be the Speaker option since you receive all phone calls through it.
- Switch it to the Automatic or Bluetooth Headset option.
The above steps should fix the issue for good. However, if you still can’t route phone calls to the earpiece instead of the speakers, try the below troubleshooting steps.
What Do I Do If Turn Off Automatic Switch to Speaker Isn’t Working?
If you can’t select the Automatic option in the Call Audio Routing menu, here’s how you can enable the setting:
1. Using Auto Select Speaker in Calls
- Launch the Settings app and access the Accessibility menu.
- There, find and tap on the VoiceOver option.
- Scroll down to the Audio menu in the VoiceOver screen and tap on that.
- Disable the Auto-Select Speaker in Call option.
2. Remove the Phone from CarPlay
- Go to the Settings app and tap on the General option.
- Find and open CarPlay in the General menu.
- Select a car from which you wish to remove the iPhone.
- Tap on the Forget This Car option.
- Confirm the step in the pop-up that follows.
3. Force Restart Device
If you’re using an iPhone 8 and later including iPhone SE 2nd and 3rd-gen models, follow these steps:
- Press and release the Volume Up button.
- Press and release the Volume Down button.
- Press and hold the Side (Power) button until you see the Apple logo, then release it.
Contrarily, if you’re using an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, here are the steps to force restart:
- Press and hold the Volume Down and Side (Power) button simultaneously.
- Keep holding both buttons until the Apple logo appears.
- When you see the Apple logo, release the buttons.
Lastly, for iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, and iPhone SE (1st gen) devices, do the following instead:
- Press and hold the Home button and the Top (or Side) Power button simultaneously.
- Continue holding until the Apple logo appears, then release.
4. Reset Settings
If none of the above works use the steps mentioned below to reset all device settings and revert the iOS configurations to the default preferences:
- Open the Settings app and tap on the General menu.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the General window and tap the Transfer or Reset iPhone option.
- Tap Reset on the next screen that shows.
- Select the Reset All Settings option in the pop-up window.
- Authenticate the action using your iPhone’s passcode.
When you reset the iPhone settings you’ll undo all of the settings customizations you’ve done so far. So, note the commonly used settings customizations before trying the method.
Additionally, you know how to handle situations where the standard steps don’t resolve the issue, including some quick DIY troubleshooting techniques. If none of these solutions work, the next step is to contact Apple Support for advanced troubleshooting. You might also want to read what you can do if your iPhone ear speaker not working or the speaker not working after the iOS 17 update.