Many of us use smartphones daily, yet we may not fully understand all their functions, as well as the significance of each component and design feature, including that tiny circular hole at the bottom of the phone.
The Purpose of the Small Circular Hole at the Bottom of Your Phone
In fact, this tiny hole is a secondary microphone in a dual-microphone design that helps reduce noise. It is a noise-canceling microphone, found in all modern smartphones. Thanks to this small hole, you can make high-quality calls. Without it, the person on the other end of the line wouldn’t be able to hear you clearly.
Even in noisy environments, you can still hear the other person’s voice during a call because of this small hole at the bottom of your phone. It helps make your voice clearer, which is why it’s located at the bottom of the phone, near your mouth, instead of the top.
Sound waves travel through it and are even amplified for the person you’re talking to. Conversing on the phone would be challenging without this feature.
What’s the Purpose of the Small Hole at the Bottom of Your Phone? (Image: TopZone)
Most mobile phones have two noise-canceling microphones, one at the top and one at the bottom. When the phone is in use, if there is interference from surrounding noise, the other party won’t be able to hear us clearly. The function of the small hole at the bottom of the phone is to technically reduce noise very well. It can eliminate some noise and only leave the call sound.
The use of two microphones in mobile phones is technically called “dual-microphone noise reduction technology”. When we speak through the main microphone, surrounding noise will also enter, which will make the call very noisy.
If there is a secondary microphone, they can handle the received sound waves, filtering or weakening the sound waves. Even in a noisy environment, the call quality is still relatively good, which is the result of the application of this technology.
The small hole at the bottom of the phone can get dusty, reducing call quality. If you clean it, the microphone will return to normal.
Tips for Properly Cleaning Your Phone’s Speaker
Use soft materials for cleaning: You can use readily available items like cotton swabs, soft-bristled toothbrushes, etc., to gently clean the external speaker; you can dip them in cleaning alcohol for better results, but be careful not to make it too wet.
Use adhesive tape: Roll the adhesive tape into a cylindrical shape with the sticky side out, and then insert it into the phone’s speaker hole. Dust and debris will stick to the tape gently. Replace the tape roll if it gets too dirty.
Blow out dust and debris from the speaker: Blowing at a moderate level will dislodge debris from the speaker. You can blow with your mouth or use a specialized compressed air spray designed for cleaning computers and electronics for better results.
Clean the headphone jack: A dirty 3.5mm headphone jack can cause audio distortion and quality loss, making it difficult to have clear conversations through your headphones. Therefore, it’s essential to clean the headphone jack, too. You can use a cotton swab inserted gently into the jack to clean it.
According to VTC
