The iOS 6.1 update fixes some bugs, but also introduces brand new ones, like potentially crippling your iPhone's built-in speaker. Here's how to fix a malfunctioning iPhone speaker with the iOS 6.1 glitch.
We all love system upgrades. According to a recent report, 21.8 percent of iOS users installed version 6.1 of Apple's iOS operating system for iPhone and iPad within 36 hours of its release. But upgrading is actually a very complex matter for your phone and sometimes things go wrong. As far as iOS 6.1 is concerned, there have been numerous reports online of a severe problem: the iPhone's built-in speaker no longer appears to work.
Not all audio is crippled: your Voice Memos app may well work as expected and you should also be able to hear your phone ringing and the speakerphone will function fine during the conversation, but you'll get no sound from a music track, video file or game.
Restarting the iPhone - a solution that works for most problems - doesn't solve the issue, nor does performing a hard restart (holding down the Home and Power buttons for about 8 seconds).
iPhone speaker glitch: Where's the option to play the audio through the iPhone's built-in speaker?
If you have access to AirPlay, you'll notice something odd: the choice offered to you is usually the local AppleTV and your iPhone, but now the iPhone option alternates between it and "Dock Connector". This means that your iPhone believes it's connected to a Dock and insists on rerouting the sound to a non-existent extension.
There is one potential reason for this error: although you can upgrade your iPhone directly in an "over-the-air" download, there's a small chance that something could've gone wrong in the process. The first thing you need to try is connect your phone to your computer, allow it to perform a backup, and choose "Restore iPhone" from iTunes. This will wipe your phone and install a fresh new copy of the system. If the problem is resolved, you can then restore your apps, files and settings from your backup and you should be good to go.
If however, the issue persists, then the only conclusion is that the update uncovered a dormant hardware problem on your phone and you should take it to your local Apple Store, or contact Apple Support.
Sometimes, system upgrades aren't as much fun as they appear.
iPhone speaker glitch: It's hard to increase the volume for your built-in speaker when the volume knob has disappeared from the slider!
iPhone speaker glitch update: iPad & iPhone User contributor David Bradforth has written in to propose an alternative solution that may be worth a try if you're experiencing the speaker glitch above.
Start the music app, play a tune then press the home button twice. Swipe to the right, and you'll have the option to use Airplay. You'll probably find that iPhone is not in the list; so play the music to the AirPlay output option.
Go back to the home screen, then press the home button twice. Kill the music app, and you should get sound back; although there are reports that the iPhone may believe it's still in a dock connector.
Come up with any other workarounds? Describe your experiences in the comments field below.
