Home

How to Fix Your Seemingly Broken iPhone Speakers with a Q-Tip

Cleaning a smartphone with a cotton swab.

Jamming out to the newest beats can be a problem if your speakers don't work. I've been having some issues with my iPhone speakers and was looking for some quick fixes when I stumbled upon this quick fix from Saw Tun that uses just a cotton swab.

Now, this fix will not work for all smartphones or MP3 players that are having speaker issues, but if you have water damage or just a little moisture or dirt in your headphone jack, then this quick trick might be the solution.

The problem is that your device might be thinking that the junk stuck inside the jack is actually a stereo plug connected, so it turns your built-in speakers off thinking you're jamming with your headphones on, though you're obviously not.

A hand cleaning the edge of a smartphone with a cotton swab.

So, if you recently dropped your phone in the toilet and can't get your speakers to work again, it doesn't hurt to try this out. All you need is a Q-tip (which is probably pretty close to that troublesome toilet).

Let us know if it fixed your problem and what device you tried it on.

Apple's iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 updates are packed with new features, and you can try them before almost everyone else. First, check our list of supported iPhone and iPad models, then follow our step-by-step guide to install the iOS/iPadOS 26 beta — no paid developer account required.