How do I fix the sound on my Moto G6?

Check Your Moto G6 Volume Settings

When troubleshooting sound issues on your Moto G6, the first step is to check your device’s volume settings. Start by ensuring the media volume is turned up. To do this, press the volume rocker on the side of your phone when music or videos are playing to bring up the volume slider. Drag the slider all the way to the top to maximize volume.

You’ll also want to check that the ringtone volume is not muted. Go to Settings > Sound and verify the “Phone ringtone” slider is turned up. If it was muted, unmute it and test if sound is restored.

As a final step, try using the volume buttons on the side of your Moto G6 to increase the volume. Hold down the upper volume button for a few seconds to rapidly raise the volume to max level. This may resolve any software glitches preventing full volume.

If adjusting these basic volume controls does not restore sound, it’s likely there is another underlying issue, so move on to the next troubleshooting steps.

Check for Obstructions or Damage

One common reason for audio issues on the Moto G6 is obstructions or damage to the physical hardware. Carefully inspect the headphone jack and speaker ports for any debris that could be blocking sound. Lint, dust, and other particles can sometimes accumulate and prevent proper audio functioning. Use a toothpick or compressed air to gently clean out the ports if you see any buildup.

Also look for signs of physical damage to the speakers or headphone jack. Dropping your phone or getting it wet can potentially damage the audio components and cause muffled, distorted, or no sound. Check for dents, cracks, or other visible damage around the speakers and headphone jack. If the hardware appears broken or not fully connected, this likely needs professional repair.

If you don’t see any debris or damage, the issue is likely a software problem rather than hardware. But taking the time to thoroughly inspect for obstructions and damage is an important first step before troubleshooting other potential audio issues on your Moto G6.

Update Your Moto G6 Software

One of the first things to try when troubleshooting sound issues on the Moto G6 is updating to the latest software. Moto G6 phones originally shipped with Android 8.0 Oreo, but Motorola has released updates to later versions of Android that can include bug fixes and audio improvements.

Go to Settings > System > Advanced > System updates on your Moto G6. Check for any available OS updates and install them. This will ensure your phone is running the most up-to-date Android version from Motorola with any patches that could resolve sound problems.

You can also update drivers and other software components through the Device Help app on your Moto G6. Open Device Help, go to Device > Update Center and tap Check for Updates. Install any available updates. Updating drivers like the audio driver can help fix speaker, headphone and Bluetooth issues.

Updating your Moto G6 software is one of the easiest troubleshooting steps to try first when dealing with speaker or headphone problems. Install the latest Motorola system updates and driver updates to ensure your phone’s software is not the cause of any sound issues.

Toggle Airplane Mode On and Off

One quick fix that has worked for some Moto G6 users is to toggle Airplane mode on and off. Here are the steps:

Open Settings and tap on the Network & Internet option.
Toggle the Airplane mode switch on. This will disconnect the phone from all networks.
Wait about 30 seconds, then open Settings again and turn Airplane mode off.

Turning on Airplane mode essentially restarts your network connections. This can help resolve any software glitches that may be causing sound issues on your Moto G6. As noted on Microsoft Answers, toggling Airplane mode can fix sound problems after recent updates or changes to networks¹. Give it a try and see if sound returns when you disable Airplane mode.

Clear Cache and Data for Media Apps

One potential fix is to clear the cache and app data for media apps like YouTube, Spotify, etc. This frees up space by removing temporary files and resets the app to default settings which can resolve sound issues.

To clear cache and data for an app on Moto G6:

Go to Settings > Apps & notifications
Select the app and tap Storage
Tap Clear cache and Clear data

Be sure to reopen the apps afterwards to reload any files. According to this Google support thread, clearing the cache of media apps like YouTube has resolved sound problems for some users.

Additionally, rebooting the phone after clearing app data can help complete the reset process. This ensures the phone reloads any media files or audio drivers.

Check App Permissions

One common cause of audio issues on the Moto G6 is incorrect app permissions. Android manages app access to device sensors, data, and features through a permissions system. To play audio, apps usually require the Microphone permission. They may also need Storage access to read media files.

Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Advanced > App permissions on your Moto G6. Look for any media apps that are missing Microphone or Storage access. Tap the app and enable the required permissions. For example, if Spotify can’t play music, open its App permissions and allow Microphone access.

In Android 11 and higher, permissions can be granted one-time only until explicitly allowed. Check that any media apps have consistent ongoing access to the Microphone and Storage as needed. Refer to Android’s permissions documentation for more details.

Try Safe Mode

Booting the Moto G6 into Safe Mode loads the device with only the essential apps and services running. This allows you to diagnose if a third-party app is causing the sound issues on your phone. To boot into Safe Mode:

Press and hold the Power button on your Moto G6 until the ‘Power off’ option appears.
Touch and hold the ‘Power off’ option. Your phone will display ‘Reboot to safe mode’.
Select ‘OK’ to confirm entering Safe Mode.

After rebooting, ‘Safe Mode’ will appear in the bottom left corner of your screen. Test playing audio like music or videos in Safe Mode. If the sound works properly, then a third-party app is likely causing the issues.

To exit Safe Mode, simply restart your phone as normal by holding down the Power button and selecting ‘Restart’. Then test the sound again to see if the issues persist outside of Safe Mode. If they do, it points to a deeper system issue.

Reset App Preferences

Resetting app preferences will clear any custom settings, permissions, and defaults that have been changed for apps on your Moto G6. This can help resolve issues caused by apps being granted incorrect permissions or using non-standard settings that affect things like audio output.

To reset app preferences on your Moto G6:

Go to Settings > Apps.
Tap the More menu (⋮) in the upper-right corner.

Select Reset App Preferences from the menu (DigitalTrends).
Confirm on the next screen by tapping Reset Apps (GuidingTech).

This will reset all preferences for all apps on your device. After resetting app preferences, test your Moto G6 audio again to see if the problem is resolved.

Backup Data and Factory Reset

Before factory resetting your Moto G6, it’s important to back up any data you want to keep, such as photos, videos, contacts, app data, etc. You can back up data to your Google account, microSD card, or a computer. To back up to your Google account:

Go to Settings > System > Backup
Toggle on “Backup to Google Drive”

This will backup your contacts, Google calendar events, apps, settings, and more to your Google account. For more backup options, refer to Motorola’s support page.

Once your data is backed up, you can factory reset your Moto G6 to clear out any software issues that may be causing audio problems. To factory reset:

Go to Settings > System > Advanced > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset)

Tap Reset Phone

This will erase all data on your phone and reset it to factory default settings. After the reset is complete, test the audio by playing music or video. The factory reset often resolves software-related audio issues. If problems persist, you may need to contact Moto support or consider hardware repair or replacement.

10. Contact Moto Support

If you are still experiencing sound issues after trying all of the troubleshooting steps, your Moto G6 may have a hardware problem covered under warranty. In that case, contacting Moto customer service may help get a replacement device or repair service.

Moto provides multiple options for contacting their support team for troubleshooting help or warranty service:

Call the Moto support phone number at 1-888-390-6456 (available 24/7)
Initiate a live chat on their contact page

Email Moto customer service from their contact page

When you contact Moto Support, be ready to provide your device’s IMEI number, which can be found in the Settings under About Phone. Also describe the sound issues in detail along with any troubleshooting steps you have tried.

Moto customer service can then provide specialized troubleshooting advice or start the warranty replacement process if needed. Contacting their experts directly often resolves tricky hardware issues not fixed by standard troubleshooting methods.