Is Your Google Pixel Microphone Broken? Google Knows

Can you hear me now? Hello? Hello? Are you there? If you’re having trouble with the microphone on your Google Pixel or Pixel XL, it turns out that you’re not alone and Google is fully aware of the issue. A number of users are reporting issues with their Google Pixel microphone and Google is now recommending a warranty replacement.

From what they can figure, the microphone issue is caused by one of two defects. First, there might be a “hairline crack” in the solder between the microphone component and the main board of the smartphone. Alternatively, the microphone unit itself could be faulty. Some users are saying that the mic stops working entirely, whereas others say they lose audio only when recording a video with the camera app.

In either case, they’ve been busy in the support forums and the problem is a physical one, not one to do with software. This means Google can’t fix it by pushing an OTA update.

So, the best recourse you have is to initiate a warranty replacement with Google (if you bought the Pixel from them). They’ll place a hold on your credit card and ship out the replacement phone immediately. When your faulty phone arrives and they confirm the problem, the hold will be lifted. If you bought the phone from somewhere else, like through a carrier, it’s best if you do the warranty replacement through them instead.

The good news is that Google has been reinforcing the connections for all Pixels manufactured this year, so newer phones should be fine. That being said, your replacement phone might still have the problem and you’ll need to replace your replacement. Good times.