WhatsApp voice messages sent are blank

Help Fairphone 3
#1

When I press and hold the voice message (voice note) function in WhatsApp it appears to be recording and sends a message but it’s empty. There’s no sound and the image of the sound volume is all a flat line.
However, if I restart the phone it the works. I’m not sure for how long after restart. Annoyingly I don’t know when it’s not working until I try so I end up testing it on some poor sod.

I found this similar problem with FP4 but doesn’t fix my issue. FP4. Microphone not working when recording

#2

I have the same issue. It’s not only with WhatsApp vocal messages, videos don’t record sounds either and people don’t hear me on phone calls. And when I reboot it works again. If anyone knows why it’s happening and how to fix it it’d be great, otherwise I’ll just send a message to the support team.

#3

I’ve just discovered that my videos also don’t gave sound!

#4

For both of you, what is your OS and your build number? Did you recently update to Android 11?

By any chance, would you have an SD card inserted? Is it formatted as internal storage?

Did you try the microphone tests while it works and while it doesn’t? You can find them in the service menu in the #dic:developeroptions.

I think whatever the replies you get, both of you should certainly #contactsupport, at least so that they are aware of such a bug.

1 Like
#5

This has been happening to me for a few months too. I’ve since updated Android with no change. A restart always solves the issue temporarily, but I don’t like restarting too often because I sometimes lose my internet, whatsapp and Drive shortcuts when I do that. The suggested solution for the latter was a factory reset - no thanks.
Fairphone admitted a fault 2 years ago, and claimed to release a fix, but it seems it didn’t fix all cases. An update from our CEO: Reported software issues and our next steps - Fairphone

#6

Android 11
Yes SD card inserted. Formatted and not in use (ejected)
Build number 8901.4.A.0013.4 release-keys
Microphone tests all okay.

I’ve discovered Google Assistant doesn’t work when I get this problem too.

#7

Agree, I’m not satisfied with restarts as a solution as shortcuts disappear, which needs solving too!

#8

Same situation for me. I can confirm this issue.

1 Like
#9

Same situation for me too !
No sound on camera shots, no sound randomly with Whatsapp vocals that requires a phone reboot. So,
an SD card was inserted, that I ejected.
Build number 8901.4.A.0013.4
All microphones test done and all good (I tried Checkup from F-Droid).
We’ll see now if it works better or not…

#10

Kate, did you report this to Fairphone support? Wondering whether to bother because the usual first request is to restore to factory settings.

#11

No, I did not, because there is already a long history of this issue being reported and Fairphone were working on fixes. However, having said that, I am concerned that the issue is STILL not fixed. Are Fairphone aware that many Fairphones are still affected?

How would I report it?

#12

How would they be aware when no one tells them?:wink:
To report:

1 Like
#13

This is the link I used:
https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

Let me know if you report it and if they suggest anything other than a reset! :slight_smile:

2 Likes
#14

It was formatted as external storage was it? Because if you formatted it as internal storage, it is a source of many issues, and if you took it out, even more.

#15

There’s no option to ‘eject’ an SD card that is formatted as internal, so hopefully as indicated by Alex, it would not have caused any extra issues if it was ejected using the GUI

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#16

I had the same issues but only a few times, luckily. I never saw it in the last… let’s say… couple of months.

When it happened, it looked like the microphone stopped working. WhatsApp audio messages were empty, videos were silent and the voice recorder also recorded empty audios. I had to reboot to solve the issue.

It started after updating to Android 11, I’m now at build number “8901.4.A.0013.4 release-keys” (I don’t know what that “release-keys” is about but it’s in the “Build number” string).

I have an SD card and it’s not configured as internal memory.

Please let us know if support finds you a solution.

Ciao,
Max

1 Like
#17

I have the same. It happened after the Android 11 update and had happened after the Android 10 update.
All my goodwill after 4 months is gone.
On top of this, I can’t call using Signal either, incurring in extra phone costs.
All works again when restarting for a while until it happens again, after an hour or so.
After months of receiving same useless templated replies from Support, which were completely ignoring what I was replying, not reading my messages that included replies from Support from the time of the Android 10 update, I’m seriously thinking to change phone and drp FP altogether.
This is a known software problem that is not receiving attention from the product teams and I’m utterly tired…

1 Like
#18

Well my FP3 with A11 seems fine, just sent a voice message and Signal is working too, so not a software issue per ce.

Do you have an SD card installed as Internal memory?

#19

Are you giving me the usual Support replies?
Because I’m tired enough of that. I don’t have any SD cards.

It was a software issue (as explained by them) two years ago and it still is.
The fact that your can’t replicate doesn’t mean it is not.

#20

:rofl:

I noted that when I tap the green microphone icon it doesn’t work that simply.

If I hold it for a second or two I get a message to hold it and start recording, then I can let it go. Recorded fine and received fine.

So what reference do you have that there was a problem two years ago as given how many people use this I would have thought it would be fixed.

There was new update to A11 0016.6 today, maybe you can try that?