Apple Watch Series 10 users are reporting speaker volume issues – are you affected?

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Apparently this is a widespread issue

Apple Watch Series 10
(Image credit: Future)
  • Apple Watch Series 10 users are complaining of speaker issues
  • Multiple users say the audio is quiet or muffled
  • It affects both phone call and music volume, but doesn't seem to have an obvious cause
  • Are you affected by this issue? Drop us an email: stephen.warwick@futurenet.com

Some users of the Apple Watch Series 10 are reporting issues with the device's speaker becoming quiet or muffled since purchase.

The rumblings, picked up by a plethora of news outlets, have started on both Reddit and the Apple Community support forums and seem to have been going on for a number of months.

The Apple Watch Series 10 is the best Apple Watch for most users right now, second only to the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and only came out in September. However, just a month later one user reported an issue with volume, a thread that continues to gather steam.

"I have Apple Watch 10. The speaker is low when on calls. It sound blown when people talk," one user replied. Others also commented to report the issue as recently this month, and the thread has a further 43 "Me Too" reacts on Apple's website.

Similarly, one Redditor posted to say "I received this watch when it was first released and 10 days later all sound coming out sounds very staticky and muffled." The Reddit thread is less clear-cut, because the watch that started off the discussion clearly has some kind of blocked speaker grill. However, other users report problems with crackly and distorted sound.

One user in particular had their watch replaced by Apple, only for the same issue to resurface on their new device.

Apple Watch Series 10 speaker issue gathers pace

Apple Watch Series 10 42mm vs 46mm side by side

(Image credit: Future)

It's possible that some users have this issue and aren't even aware. The Apple Watch Series 10 is the first Series model to include audio playback through the watch's built-in speaker. As such, it's not a feature Apple Watch users are too familiar with.

The swathe of reports has let to more users responding to acknowledge the issue. "Thanks to this article I now know I have a bad speaker in my Apple Watch Series 10, one commenter said. "I have an Apple Watch Ultra (not the Ultra 2), and indeed this is happening to me too," another added.

"I never would have noticed this, (never play music/podcasts through the speaker, never take calls on the watch) but just tried to play a song and it was SUPER quiet," one reader told 9to5Mac. Over at MacRumors, commenters report the issue rearing its head recently too. "Weirdly enough, I literally had this issue yesterday. I woke up, and the speaker sounded muffled/distorted," said one.

It's unclear how widespread the issue is, or if there's a particular cause, especially given this is a feature that many Apple Watch users probably aren't using and may not know exists.

We've reached out to Apple and will update this piece with a comment accordingly. In the meantime, if you're experiencing this issue, drop us an email: stephen.warwick@futurenet.com.

Later this year, Apple is expected to unveil the new Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3, the latter sporting a re-design for 2025.

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Stephen Warwick
Stephen Warwick
Fitness & Wearables writer

Stephen Warwick is TechRadar's Fitness & Wearables writer with nearly a decade of experience covering technology, including five years as the News Editor of iMore. He's a keen fitness enthusiast and is never far from the local gym, Apple Watch at the ready, to record his latest workout. Stephen has experience writing about every facet of technology including products, services, hardware, and software. He's covered breaking news and developing stories regarding supply chains, patents and litigation, competition, politics and lobbying, the environment, and more. He's conducted interviews with industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. Outside of work, he's a massive tech and history buff with a passion for Rome Total War, reading, and music. 

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