Google Pixel 6 microphone is quiet, muffled or not working

The checks in more detail

First, check that the call or recording is not muted and that the volume buttons are not set to a quiet mode. Next look at Bluetooth: if a headset, a car or a watch is connected, the phone may be sending your voice to a device that is not near you, so turn Bluetooth off and test. The same happens with wired headsets and USB-C adapters, so unplug them. Then look at the openings. Lint, pocket dust and a case that covers the bottom edge muffle the bottom microphone, so remove the case and use a dry soft brush or a toothpick very gently, never a pin pushed in.

Record a short video with the camera app and listen: if the sound is clear, the microphone works and the fault is in the calling app, so check the app's permissions under Settings, Apps, and clear its cache. Test in a different app, such as a voice recorder, and with speakerphone to see whether one mode fails. Restart the phone, install any pending update and, if the problem only began after an update, check Google's forums for a known bug. The Pixel 6 is also old enough that a worn microphone can fail, so if the video test is quiet or crackly, the hardware needs service.

Back up before you hand the phone in. If the voice is quiet only in one call app, check the app's own input setting and its noise suppression option, and compare with a call made through the plain Phone app. Google Meet and other apps apply their own noise filters that can clip a quiet voice, and turning them off for a test shows whether the app, not the phone, is the cause. A Pixel 6 on the original battery that has been in daily use for years may also have a loose board connection after drops, so note any history of drops for the repairer.