Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) speaker or microphone is muffled

A speaker or microphone problem on the Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) is most often water, dirt or a setting. The speaker and microphone openings on the side are tiny, and after water, a rinse or a sweaty workout they can be muffled; Water Lock's eject, where you turn the Digital Crown to unlock, pushes the water out. For calls, check that the watch is not connected to Bluetooth headphones, which take over the audio, and that Silent Mode is off, because a silent watch will not ring. Clean the openings with a soft dry brush. Test with Voice Memos on the watch: record yourself and play it back.

If your voice is clear there, the microphone is fine and the issue is the call or the connection. Restart the watch and the iPhone; if the sound remains faint, the speaker may need service. On a call, the watch's speaker is small, so for a long conversation use the iPhone or Bluetooth earbuds; the watch is meant for short calls. If your caller hears you faintly, raise your wrist close to your mouth and speak clearly, since the microphone is on the side of the case, not under the screen. Siri and dictation use the same microphone, so test them as well: if Siri hears you and calls do not, the cause is the call routing and not the microphone.