How to improve sound quality on your Android phone during calls

Tired of saying "Can you hear me?" or "Hello?" too many times on calls? Then you'll be glad to hear that, with a few quick tweaks and not-so-hidden settings, you can significantly improve the sound quality of calls on your Android phone.

There are a number of ways to achieve this, and no, we're not going to just tell you to clean your mic (although you should definitely do that!). Using features like Clear Calling, Wi-Fi calling, VoLTE, Adapt sound and Mic mode can help you get much clearer-sounding calls. As with all things Android, there's no universal way to do things, so features and menus may differ by device.

Also, overall call quality doesn't only depend on your Android phone. If the person on the other end of the call has a weak signal, bad mic or a noisy room, it'll inevitably affect you regardless of what you do. But let's talk about the elements you can control.

VoLTE, short for Voice over LTE, is as simple as it sounds. Calls are made over a high-speed 4G data network. (Similar connectivity over 5G is called Voice over New Radio, or VoNR.) Even in 2026, a few calls still happen over older 2G and 3G networks because they were made mostly to handle voice traffic, plus early 4G couldn't carry phone calls, and VoLTE rollout is still incomplete. The higher speeds of VoLTE and VoNR deliver clearer sound, HD voice and faster connections; phone calls connect much quicker compared to older networks. To enable VoLTE on your Android phone, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile network > VoLTE calls (some phones label this as HD Calling or 4G Calling). On Samsung devices: Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks > VoLTE calls or VoNR.

Turning on Wi-Fi calling is another simple way to improve your Android phone's call quality. Wi-Fi calling routes your calls through your home or office Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi calling skips sending your voice through the cellular network and instead converts your voice into small digital packets. Those are sent securely over Wi-Fi to your carrier's network, where the call is processed and sent to the other person. Thanks to extra coverage, little to no cellular obstructions and far less network congestion, Wi-Fi calling delivers much better call quality than cellular networks can. To enable Wi-Fi calling on your Android phone, go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMS > Carrier SIM > Wi-Fi Calling. Once again, the path is different on Samsung phones: Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi Calling > Toggle on Wi-Fi Calling.

Many Android phone makers have built solutions for reducing background noise on calls, even though the features go by different names. On Pixel phones, it's called Clear Calling; it improves your voice quality and filters background noise to improve audio quality on calls. To enable it, open Settings > Sound & vibration > Clear Calling > Toggle on Use Clear Calling.

You can also turn it on mid-call by pressing any volume button, then selecting Clear Calling in the volume panel. Currently, the feature is only available on Pixel 7 and later. In VoIP apps including WhatsApp and Zoom, Clear Calling only works on the Pixel 10 and later, excluding the Pixel 10a.

Newer Samsung devices have a similar feature called Mic mode. To use Mic mode, you first need to be on a call. Once the call starts, open the Quick settings panel and tap Mic mode at the top. In Mic mode, you have three options: Standard, which applies minimal audio filtering; Voice focus, which increases audio filtering to help you concentrate on the caller's voice; or Full spectrum, which captures both voice and background sounds. Tap Done to apply your choice and continue the call. Mic mode is only available on select newer Galaxy devices and works on both regular calls and VoIP apps, though the menu options can change depending on the exact calling app.

Sometimes a little fine-tuning is all you need to enjoy great-sounding calls on your Android phone. Adapt sound on Samsung phones tunes your device's audio output specifically to your ears rather than filtering out noises or actually boosting any volume. When running, Adapt sound adjusts your device's audio to compensate for parts of the sound spectrum you have issues hearing clearly. To find it, Open Settings > Sounds and vibration > Sound quality and effects > Adapt sound. On that page, you can either choose one of the age-based presets or take a short hearing test to fully customize your phone's speakers to your own ears. Do note that it only works when you're wearing headphones.

Pixel devices have a similar feature named Adaptive Sound, and it uses your Pixel phone's mic to automatically adjust your phone's speaker sound depending on your environment. For example, if you take a call in a noisy place, it may automatically boost the mid and high frequencies to help you hear the call better. Other Android phones may have their own version of Adapt sound (or Adaptive sound), so it's worth rummaging through your Settings app (or doing a quick Google search) if your Android phone isn't a Pixel or Samsung.

If none of the fixes have helped, it's worth checking whether dust, lint or even your case is obstructing your Android phone's mic or speaker, since any of these can affect call quality regardless of whatever settings you tweak.