# Diagnose my current iPhone problem. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 20, 2019, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-current-iphone-problem/840566 "2019-09-20T15:46:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-current-iphone-problem/840566/1 "2019-09-20T15:46:49Z")
Got me an iPhone 6s 18 months ago. Apple has replaced it twice under warranty for two entirely separate problems. This is a new (stated a few months ago) and likely unrelated problem wherein phone cuts out and people can’t hear me but I can hear them (or vice versa!) It’s very intermittent and the phone often works fine and dandy. I am generally indoors and not moving around. What gives? Might the problem somehow be with my service provider (AT & T) and not the iPhone? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-current-iphone-problem/840566/2 "2019-09-20T16:18:15Z")
Is the mute button being activated? ---
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-current-iphone-problem/840566/3 "2019-09-20T16:25:37Z")
Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-current-iphone-problem/840566/4 "2019-09-20T16:53:19Z")
I’m gonna say its spotty cel service. Cel phones are not perfect and will never be as stable as land lines. I live where there are no landlines. Cel service is our only recourse. Except for a wifi enabled phone we recently downloaded onto a PC. Both are subject to bad weather causing black outs. Don’t expect it to be perfect and you’ll be happier. I’m so amazed at what these little devices can do, talking to someone on it is like a pleasant, if rare, event. ---
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-current-iphone-problem/840566/5 "2019-09-20T17:04:22Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I’m gonna say its spotty cel service. Cel phones are not perfect and will never be as stable as land lines. I live where there are no landlines. Cel service is our only recourse. Except for a wifi enabled phone we recently downloaded onto a PC. Both are subject to bad weather causing black outs. > Don’t expect it to be perfect and you’ll be happier. I’m so amazed at what these little devices can do, talking to someone on it is like a pleasant, if rare, event. Perhaps you are correct BUT this is a new problem. And in 8 years I had no such problems with my prior iPhone (a 3G). I’ve always used AT&T as well. ---
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-current-iphone-problem/840566/6 "2019-09-20T17:14:12Z")
I’ve taken two calls in the past 20 minutes. First one was fine on both ends. As to the second, while I was able to clearly hear the caller they heard only dead silence. On other occasions it will frustratingly cut in and out throughout the call. I’m kinda hoping someone out there has had similar problems (and was able to resolve them). I went to my local Apple store two weeks ago and they did some sort of reset (which clearly hasn’t helped). The “genius” (I believe that’s what they call the clerks there) also wanted to replace the sim card but could not because it required a PIN for my AT & T account. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-current-iphone-problem/840566/7 "2019-09-20T17:42:34Z")
Ok. I’m sorry you’re having trouble. Call ATT, maybe it’s something they’re causing. ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-current-iphone-problem/840566/8 "2019-09-20T20:23:54Z")
Wife had the same problem with her iPhone 6s+ and apple replaced it ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-current-iphone-problem/840566/9 "2019-09-20T20:40:20Z")
Just to ask the obvious - how many bars do you have when you are making these calls? Also, have you turned on the WiFi calling feature? If not, maybe try it - if so, maybe turn it off? ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-current-iphone-problem/840566/10 "2019-09-20T21:04:07Z")
AT&T and Apple iOS clash sometimes. You could also try turning off location services. I don’t recommend leaving it off, but it can cause latency problems on the AT&T network. ---
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-current-iphone-problem/840566/11 "2019-09-20T21:39:39Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Just to ask the obvious - how many bars do you have when you are making these calls? > > Also, have you turned on the WiFi calling feature? If not, maybe try it - if so, maybe turn it off? Honestly, I haven’t paid much attention to the bars. Seems to me that if that were the problem I wouldn’t be able to hear the person on the other end saying “hello? Hello? He hung up!” so clearly. Thanks for suggesting the WiFi thing. I’ll give it a try. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-current-iphone-problem/840566/12 "2019-09-20T23:34:43Z")
> [@2Bits](#): > > And in 8 years I had no such problems with my prior iPhone (a 3G). I’ve always used AT&T as well. It’s entirely possible that while your 3G coverage was good, the LTE coverage in the exact same area could be garbage. ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2019, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diagnose-my-current-iphone-problem/840566/13 "2019-09-22T16:01:46Z")
Possibly a flaky SIM card. In older devices sometimes this would fix those kinda problems. Or a flaky slot where the SIM card resides.