Issue with A16

[VikrantTambade]

Hi to all my community members,

I would like to get your advise on one of issue I am facing with my mum's phone. 

I just gifted her A16 5G two months back and it was ok then. 

Now, it is having one issue. 

During normal or whatsapp call, the sound of her through microphone is hardly audible to other side person. I had checked all the things with best of my knowledge, 

1. Ran diagnostics. Microphone is ok. 

2. Cleared the microphone. 

3. Checked for any routine or mode set. 

4. Checked for microphone access to these apps. 

5. Cleared cache. 

6. Updated all apps through play and samsung store. 

7. Checked for software update. 

8. Checked for battery optimization. 

9. Put these apps in the list of never sleep. 

10. Replace current Sim card with another operator doubting network problem. 

Inspite of all these, the issue still persists. The catch of this issue is that it does remain activated for 12-24 hrs only and again the call starts getting audible. 

We even visited service center and during that time, it was fine. Later by evening it created the same issue. They informed us it could be due to network issue. But it is not. 

Hence I seek your advise. 

Pls let me know how I can solve it. 

TIA. 🙏

[Rahul_Radhakrishnan]

Hi 👋
I understand how frustrating this must be. You’ve already done great troubleshooting. Since the issue is intermittent (sometimes working, sometimes not), here are a few more things you can try:

1. Safe Mode Test → Restart the phone in Safe Mode (press and hold Power button → tap and hold “Power Off” → choose Safe Mode). Make a WhatsApp/normal call there. If the microphone works fine, a third-party app may be causing the issue.

2. Reset App Preferences → Go to Settings > Apps > 3 dots (⋮) > Reset app preferences. This will reset permissions and background restrictions without deleting data.

3. Check for WhatsApp Beta/Update → If using WhatsApp Beta, try switching to the stable version. Some microphone issues are app-related.

4. Wipe Cache Partition → Power off phone → Press Volume Up + Power until Samsung logo shows → select Wipe cache partition (use volume keys to navigate, power key to confirm). Then reboot. This often fixes hidden glitches.

5. Test with Voice Recorder → Record a long audio note when the issue happens. If the sound is still low, it’s likely hardware. If it’s clear, then only calls/VoIP apps are affected (software side).

6. Factory Reset (last option) → If nothing works, back up data and reset the device. Sometimes fresh installation clears hidden bugs.

If the problem continues after reset, I recommend visiting the service center again and showing them a live demo (recording the low-audio issue). That way they can escalate for hardware replacement if needed.

[VikrantTambade]

Thanks Rahul for your suggestions.

However, the device is not with me to try these things additionally. I thought of wiping cache partition which I do regularly advise and does for self as well.
As I said, all apps and system updates were done. Diagnostics were run and microphone test comes out OK means voice recorder will also pass.
And it is not only the problem with WhatsApp alone. The phone's dialer also has same issue. And it is not always be there. When we visited service center, the phone was nice. And when we came to home, it started showing same. So I had doubt of network coverage also. However, it is also fine.

[Rahul_Radhakrishnan]

Hi 👋
Thanks for clarifying and sharing more details. Since the issue affects both WhatsApp and normal calls (and not just one app), we can rule out app-specific bugs. The intermittent nature (working fine in service center, but failing later) makes it tricky.

Here are a couple of possibilities you can consider:

Network/Carrier Factor → Even if coverage looks fine, sometimes call audio issues can come from the carrier’s end (VoLTE/HD calling toggles, SIM provisioning, or switching between 4G/5G). You can try:

Swapping SIM to another device temporarily and checking.

Turning off VoLTE/VoWiFi once and testing.

Hardware Intermittency → Since diagnostics passed, the microphone isn’t completely faulty, but sometimes loose contact in the mic module or board can cause “on and off” issues. That’s why it behaved fine in service center but not later. Recording a video when the issue happens and showing it at service center will help them escalate further.

Last Resort Check → If you haven’t already, try testing with another SIM card (different network). If the problem repeats, it’s almost certainly hardware.

Since you already run cache wipes and updates, I’d recommend focusing on network SIM checks + capturing live proof of the issue to help the service center escalate.

[VikrantTambade]

My father was again today at service center and the phone surprisingly performing well with clear audio. Agents doesn't get the things that what could be the issue.

Sim swapping was done two days back and there was issue. The audio was low. However, I had already suggested my father to keep the other Sim for few more days and observe.

Thank you again. 🙏

[Samsung_specialist]

We're sorry to hear about your experience.

To assist you further, follow these steps:
1. Settings > Software update > Download and install > Download > Install now.
2. Remove external devices
3. Inspect Bluetooth connections
4. Restart your phone
5. Examine the audio recording
6. Start your phone in Safe mode

For more details, please visit this link:
https://www.samsung.com/ae/support/mobile-devices/how-to-resolve-audio-and-microphone-issues-on-your....

If the issue persists, please visit a service center for further assistance. You can locate your nearest service center using the link below: https://www.samsung.com/ae/support/service-center/.

[VikrantTambade]

Dear Samsung_specialist,

Thanks for your advise.

I had already done few of your suggestions. I need to only check for point 5 and 6.

[VikrantTambade]

Hi Samsung Specialist,

I could check the audio recording and voice recording through same mobile is fine and have no issues. It means that microphone is working properly.

While during a call the recipient is not able to hear caller's voice. And voice recording was done immediately as soon as we had this issue in call.

It means that microphone functions properly for voice recording app and not for phone dialer; is it?

I am really not understanding. This is so strange. Customer service center executives are also not able to understand the issue.