Find out which setting to turn off if you play a recorded video on your iPhone and notice that the sound is not right and seems to get low or uneven.
iOS 26 has a new Audio Zoom feature that focuses the sound on the subject when you zoom in while recording. So, for instance, if you’re taking a video of your child’s birthday party with several people, and then zoom in on the video feed, you’ll later notice during playback that the audio of that zoomed section seems different from the rest of the video.
Now, depending on who you ask, this can be a great feature or something you want to turn off straightaway after recording your first video with it, which, by the way, is enabled by default.
In case you’re in the latter camp, keep reading to turn it off.
Disable Audio Zoom on iPhone to restore normal sound in video recordings
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone running the latest version of iOS 26.
- Tap Camera.
- Tap Record Sound.
- Turn off Audio Zoom.
Now, record a video in the Camera app and zoom in. Then play the recorded video, and you’ll notice the audio sounds normal without any software trickery.
Other tips to fix the video recording sound
In case the audio still seems muffled or uneven, go through these additional tips:
- Use a soft, dry brush to clean all microphone grills on your iPhone. You’ll find them at the bottom next to the speakers, in the top earpiece, as well as near the rear cameras.
- Record after disconnecting AirPods or other wireless/wired earphones, so the onboard iPhone microphones are used to capture the audio. But if you have a high-quality external microphone, you can use that to get even better audio. Make sure that the external microphone is clean and working properly.
- Restart your iPhone.
- Remove the iPhone case or lamination if it partially or fully blocks any of the microphone grills.
- Return to iPhone Settings > Camera > Record Sound and make sure Stereo is selected.
Also, check out: How to improve low-light video recording on iPhone or iPad