How to Make Your Calls on Apple Devices Sound Better with One Easy Setting

By Ana Dascalescu

Posted on May 19, 2022

Did you know Voice Isolation was a feature on iPhones, iPads and Macs?

This setting, available on all devices that support Spatial Audio, is a quick way to make you sound better whenever you make a call on one of those devices.

Spotted by Twitter user @can and verified by TheVerge, Apple’s Voice Isolation significantly improves audio quality during calls.

i had no clue that a) Voice Isolation was a feature available on the new iPhones / Airpods and b) it worked so well. It's incredible on the other end — you hear nothing but the person you are talking to. Surprised it's not automatically turned on!
— can duruk (@can) May 16, 2022

However, the feature is not automatically turned on. Instead, it’s buried in a settings menu available only when you’re already in a call.

How to turn on Voice Isolation on iPhone, iPad or Mac?

“It’s weirdly hard to find, and you can only access the setting when you’re already in a call: you swipe down from the upper-right corner (or click in the upper-right corner on a Mac) to get to the Control Center, then tap on the button that says “Mic Mode.” By default, it’s set to Standard, but there are two other options: Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum,” explains TheVerge.

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The feature removes background noise like the sound of traffic or fans, just like ANC removes it when you listen to music in your headphones.

It works on any device running iOS 15 or macOS Monterey.

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