iPhone speaker test: 20 Hz to 20 kHz sweep
Play a tone that sweeps from 20 Hz to 20 kHz through the speaker and listen for crackle, dropouts or a dull top end. Wick’s Speaker Test plays an 8-second sweep with a live frequency readout. It is a listening test, not a diagnosis; deep bass will be quiet on any phone.
What a 20 Hz to 20 kHz sweep is
A sweep is a single tone that glides from a very low pitch to a very high one. 20 Hz to 20 kHz is the range usually quoted for human hearing, so a sweep across it lets you hear how your speaker handles low, middle and high sounds in one pass. Many people, especially adults, will not hear the very top of the range; that is normal and says nothing about the phone.
How Wick’s Speaker Test works
Speaker Test is one of the modes in Wick Full. It plays an 8-second sweep from 20 Hz to 20 kHz through your iPhone speaker and shows a live frequency readout, so you can see which pitch is playing while you listen. It is a listening test: it plays the sweep and shows the frequency, and it is not a diagnosis of the speaker’s condition.
What to listen for
- Crackle or buzzing at some pitches, which can point to damage or debris.
- Dropouts, where the sound cuts out for part of the sweep.
- A dull top end, where high pitches sound muffled compared with what you remember.
Don’t expect deep bass. A phone speaker is small, so the bottom of the sweep will be quiet or inaudible on every iPhone. Compare with a familiar song, or with another iPhone of the same model if one is nearby.
If it sounds muffled
If the speaker sounds muffled after getting wet, dry the phone first and try a Standard clean (165 Hz), then run the test again. If crackle or muffling stays after the phone has fully dried, contact Apple Support or a qualified repair provider. See the wet speaker guide for safe drying steps.
Before you start
- Disconnect Bluetooth earbuds so the sweep plays from the built-in speaker.
- Use a comfortable volume. High pitches can be piercing, especially near your ears.
- Test in a quiet room so you can hear small changes.
Quick answers
Why can’t I hear the start of the sweep?
The lowest part of the range is below what a small phone speaker can play at a useful level. Hearing little or nothing at the very start is expected on any iPhone.
Why can’t I hear the end of the sweep?
The highest frequencies are hard to hear for many adults, because hearing at the top of the range naturally declines with age. It is not a sign that the speaker is broken.
Is Speaker Test free?
Speaker Test is part of Wick Full, a one-time in-app purchase that also unlocks unlimited Clean & measure runs, Deep Purge and Earbud Mode. Your first Clean & measure is free.
