iPhone 13 users still waiting for Apple to address lack of noise cancellation for phone calls

Up through the iPhone 12, Apple users could turn on or off a noise-canceling feature for phone calls through the Accessibility settings. For an unknown reason, this feature was never available for iPhone 13 users, and they have been waiting for months for Apple to address this issue.

A few days ago, a Reddit user posted a complaint that the iPhone 13 lacks “a front mic that is used for noise cancellation. The setting can be found in Accessibility -> Audio/Visual.” Although the user was right about the missing feature, they weren’t correct about the iPhone 13 having fewer mics than the iPhone 12.

Other Reddit users correctly noted that this isn’t a hardware problem and pointed out a discussion on the Apple forum in October. There, user rpwils2 wrote:

I am not able to find the toggle to switch off the [noise] cancelation feature on the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Has this been moved or removed? When I use FaceTime and talk via the speaker my voice cuts out.

Then, an Apple Community Specialist pointed out an article to help users adjust the audio settings on the iPhone. The problem is that iPhone 13 users can’t find this specific feature:

• Phone Noise Cancellation: Turn on to reduce ambient background noise on phone calls when you’re holding the receiver to your ear.

Another user, dagocarlito, posted that Apple is aware of this issue:

The iPhone 13 has “never” had this option with iOS 15 because it’s a glitch. I’ve been speaking with apple support regarding this. It’s a known issue they are working on with no resolution timeline at the moment. This issue also creates problems with echos on CarPlay when talking between iPhone 13’s. It is a major flaw that needs to be resolved asap.

The problem is this discussion goes all the way back to October 29, which is almost two months old. Apple has recently released iOS 15.2, which didn’t solve this issue, and even with iOS 15.3 beta, the problem still persists.

As you can see in the featured image above, on the left side is my iPhone XS with this feature, and on the right side, the iPhone 13 Pro without the Phone Noise Cancellation function. As of now, the only workaround available would be activating the Voice Isolation feature on a call in the Control Center.

Have you experienced this? How does it impact your daily usage? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Related:

• iOS 15 portrait video and audio effects can be enabled in third-party apps like Snapchat, not just FaceTime

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