Why is My Phone Echoing: Common Causes & Fixes

Have you ever been on a phone call where you heard your own voice reflected back to you with a slight delay? This phenomenon is called phone echoing. Phone echoing makes communication difficult by confusing and irritating both parties involved during calls.

🤔 But do you know what causes the phone to echo and how to fix it?

Worry not! 😟

In this blog post, you’ll learn all the aspects related to phone call echoing, its types and common causes behind it, symptoms, prevention tips, and how to fix this issue in Android, iPhone & landlines. 

So, let’s get started.               

What is a Phone Echo?

A phone echo refers to the phenomenon where a person hears their voice echo back at a delayed interval during a phone call. Phone echo makes conversations difficult to carry on due to the disruption, which can range from a bit of irritation to total disruption.

Generally, the party hearing the echo is not the one creating it. In most cases, an echo is caused by delayed audio transmission, which results in the caller hearing their own words after a short period. A phone call can echo on mobile devices, tablets, or landlines.

Some common symptoms of phone echoing during calls include:

• Callers can hear their voices
• An unexpected delay in a call
• A caller and a receiver are talking over each other

What are the types of phone echos?

There are two types of phone echo, which are:

1. Sidetone: This type of echo is intentional and controlled by the caller’s voice during a phone call. It’s like talking and being able to hear yourself on the phone. It makes the conversation feel natural, but too much can be annoying. 

2. Line echo: This type of echo is unintentional. You don’t want it to be there during a call. It happens accidentally because of issues in the phone system or outdated hardware. 

What are the Common Causes of Phone Echo & How to Stop It?

Several factors, including issues in the phone system, faulty hardware or software, poor network connection, and slow internet, cause phone echoes. 

Let’s discuss some major causes of phone echo in this section:

1. Reverb on the Speakerphone

Phone echoes can be triggered by reverb on the speakerphone. This occurs when the caller’s voice goes through the recipient’s loudspeaker and comes back through the microphone, creating an echo effect. 

Speakerphone reverb can happen during phone and video calls, regardless of whether you use cell phones, tablets, or computers.

How to Fix it:

To address reverb-induced echoes, have the party who is not hearing an echo on their phone reduce the microphone or speaker volume. Adjusting the environment by adding soft surfaces can also minimize sound reflection, diminish the reverb effect, and improve call clarity.

2. Limited Bandwidth

Another common reason for phone call echoing is not having appropriate internet capacity. When your internet connection has insufficient internet capacity, it can cause delays in the network and result in echoes during VoIP calls. 

To ensure high-quality phone conversations during VoIP calls, you need to have a bandwidth of around 0.3Mbps per device. If your bandwidth is inadequate, it can negatively impact the call quality.

How to fix it:

To address limited bandwidth problems, consider upgrading your internet plan. Contact your service provider to discuss your current bandwidth and determine if an upgrade is necessary based on your usage requirements. 

Additionally, make sure that other devices connected to the network are not consuming much data, as this can contribute to bandwidth limitations. 

Moreover, closing unnecessary applications can also significantly improve overall network performance, reducing the chances of experiencing echoes during calls. In areas with low signals, using a connection instead of relying solely on Wi-Fi is often considered more reliable and stable.

3. Wi-Fi Outages 

If your Wi-Fi connection is interrupted or your Wi-Fi frequently experiences outages, it can cause several issues during a VoIP call. These issues include delays in the smooth flow of data, poor call quality, call lags, and even phone echoing. Wi-Fi outages may happen due to interference, weak signal strength, or problems with your internet service provider.

How to fix it:

To deal with phone echoes caused by wifi issues, you can try moving your router to a location that provides better signals and reduces interference from other electronic devices. Another option is to reboot your router.  

Rebooting a router helps to increase its performance speed and prevent malware from infecting it with malicious codes. 

Likewise, you can reach out to your service provider for assistance in case of poor Wi-Fi performance; they can help resolve Wi-Fi-related problems and minimize echoes on the phone.

4. Defective or Faulty Hardware

Defects, faults, or issues in the hardware equipment like headsets, microphones, and routers also cause echo in phone calls. It’s because if these hardware equipment are not functioning correctly, it will interfere with call quality and overall system performance.

How to fix it:

To address phone echoes caused by defective or faulty equipment, first, inspect the hardware’s physical components for any visible damage. If you don’t see any physical damage, you need to identify the device causing the issue. To do this, try using different headsets or microphones. 

If the problem doesn’t persist after using new equipment, it’s likely an issue with your old hardware equipment. Replace those defective hardware with new ones purchased from a reliable seller. 

In contrast, if the issue persists after trying other equipment, know that your hardware isn’t the cause of the echo. It might be caused by another factor like poor network signal, weak Wi-Fi, or an issue in your phone system.

5. Electromagnetic Interference

Another cause of phone echoing is electromagnetic interference. It happens when you place your VoIP device too close to other electromagnetic devices, like computers, routers, cellphones, power strips, etc. 

How to fix it:

You can fix the phone echoing problem caused by electromagnetic interference simply by not putting your VoIP phone close to other electromagnetic devices. Maintain enough distance between two electromagnetic interference.

6. Packet Loss

Another cause of phone echoing is packet loss. Packet loss issues occur when a network packet sent over the network fails to reach its intended destination. This results in information loss. 

There are several causes of packet loss. This includes network congestion, faulty hardware components, software bugs, and security threats like Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks.

How to fix it:

You can fix phone echoing caused by packet loss by upgrading your internet service plan, power recycling your router, and changing ethernet ports. Likewise, you can also switch to ethernet from Wi-Fi.

7. Software Issues

Issues in the software also cause echoing phone calls. Sometimes, software issues result from outdated operating systems or phone applications. Additionally, software issues can arise when software settings are incorrectly configured, especially those relating to echo cancellation and audio processing.

How to fix it:

To eliminate phone echo issues caused by software, consider updating the software to the latest developer version. The latest update consists of more advanced security protocols and bug fixes. Plus, make sure to check if the software setting related to echo cancellation and audio processing is properly configured.

How to Stop Echo Phone Calls on Android and iPhone?

Phone echoing during calls negatively affects the whole conversation. At worst, it can affect business deals and damage a company’s reputation. 

Hence, proper steps should be taken to eliminate phone echoes during phone calls. 

Follow these simple steps to stop echo phone calls on Android and iPhone:

1. Check the internet connection: Phone echoing on Android phones and iPhones results from a weak or poor internet connection. So, it is essential to ensure that your internet connectivity is stable and strong enough to make a call. 

2. Restart the device: Sometimes, a simple restart of a mobile phone can fix an echo on the phone. Just click on the power button to switch it off and then turn the power on after a few seconds.

3. Turn down the speaker volume: Turn down the volume of the speaker to stop phone echoes. 

4. Disconnect earphones/headphones: Disconnect a headphone/earphone from your mobile phone and check if it is causing the echoing problem. If it’s your earphone problem, investing in high-quality earphones is a good idea.

5. Disable call recording: Disable the call recording feature on your Android or iOS phone to see if that makes any difference. 

Use VoIP Phone systems like KrispCall to Eliminate Phone Echoes

In addition to investing in high-quality hardware, upgrading your internet connection, and resetting network settings, you can use VoIP phone systems like KrispCall to eliminate phone echoes. 

KrispCall is a reliable VoIP phone system designed to streamline communication with echo-free phone calls and excellent call quality. It’s the best choice for businesses relying on clear phone communication with customers and companies with remote employees.  

Moreover, KrispCall offers other advanced VoIP features like call recording, call monitoring, unified call box, open and closed conversations, auto attendant, and many more.  

Final Words

Dealing with phone echo can be annoying, but knowing the cause of the echo can help you fix the problem and communicate effectively. There are two types of phone echoes: sidetone (intentional) and line echoes (unintentional and caused by factors like network outages, weak internet connectivity, faulty hardware or software, etc.)

To fix echoes, you can take several measures like implementing appropriate hardware and software solutions, upgrading your current internet plan, using echo canceling technologies, etc.

It is also essential to take preventative measures to reduce the likelihood of experiencing phone echoes in the future. This will help to ensure a clear and uninterrupted conversation in the future. 

FAQs

What to do when your voice is echoing?

When your voice is echoing, you can do the following things:

• Use headphones or earphones.
• Reduce speaker volume.
• Check the internet connection.
• Update software.
• Turn off the call recording feature.
• Restart your device.

Why is my phone echoing when I talk with someone?

Your phone might be echoing when you talk with someone due to defects in the hardware or software components, poor internet connection, excessive sidetone, and interference from other electronic devices.

Does another party hear an echo during a call?

Yes, both parties involved during a phone call hear an echo. It’s because this looping sound transfers through the call, so if you hear an e­cho, the other person likely does, too.

Does my phone echo if it is tapped by someone else?

No. Phone echo generally doesn’t occur when it is tapped by someone else. Here’s why:

• Phone tapping involves listening to live conversations between two parties without the knowledge or consent of the parties involved.
• Phone echoes are caused by hardware or software component issues, poor network connection, and jitter or packet loss, not from phone tapping.

What are the ways to test phone echoes?

Here are some ways to test phone echoes:

• Call your friends or family: Make a call to your close friends or family members and ask them if they hear any echo. It will help determine whether the problem is on your side or theirs.
• Switch between Wi-Fi and cellular data: Check whether echoes are reduced or increased when switching between Wi-Fi and cellular data during calls.
• Call without headset/earphone: Initiate a phone call without plugging in your earphone/headset on your phone. It will help to determine if the echoes are arising due to an issue in your internal audio setting or earphone.
• Use different headsets: Test calls using different headsets. This helps identify if echoes are more prevalent in specific headsets or all.

How can you stop the phone from echoing? 

You can stop the phone from echoing by upgrading your internet plan, turning off the call recording feature, adjusting call volume, and using high-quality headsets.

What are the different Echo Cancellation technologies?

Echo cancellation technologies help to eliminate or reduce echo. Some echo cancellation technologies are:

• Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC): It reduces or minimizes echo that occurs in audio signals during calls. 
• Network Echo Cancellation (NEC): It addresses the echo caused by network congestion or other network-related problems.

Adaptive Filtering: It includes methods used in both NEC and AEC. It enables a real-time adaption of the echo cancellation algorithm to changing acoustic conditions and network characteristics.

Arun Chaudhary

Arun is SEO Analyst at KrispCall. He has written in extensively in the field of cloud telephony and call center solutions.