A number of magicJack plus users are finding it difficult to hear others on their phone. Likewise, others have trouble hearing them. Here’s a fix that should work for most users.

Update 2013-10-08: Originally, I thought this volume fix worked. After hearing back from Kher and Bill (commenters below), I performed multiple tests on both the magicJack 2012 and 2014, I find that settings revert back to what seem to be fixed settings for the telephone volume controls when plugged into the router. There is no way to adjust volume settings while the device is connected directly to the router. This is a real problem that magicJack needs to address. There needs to be a way to directly change volume settings while connected to the router. The only way this is likely to happen is if the device hosts a device web interface. Hopefully it will be addressed in some future version of the firmware.

With the magicJack plus inserted into the USB port of the computer. The magicJack interface should pop up if you’ve already installed it. If you have not, go ahead and let the installer finish installing. You should then see the computer magicJack interface.

magicJackVolumeControlFrom the menu, pull down to “Volume/Headset Control”. Make sure you have “Telephone” selected at the top of the dialog box. Change the volume for “Speaker” and “Microphone” at the bottom of the dialog box. Close the dialog box. Close the mJ interface. Unplug your magicJack plus from your computer and reinstall it on the router as normal.

Your volume should now be at reasonable levels. If this doesn’t work, you may need to return your device to magicJack.

 

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27 Comments

  1. Well…Lots of people have already tried this method but the settings jump back to original…..does not stay the same.

    1. What’s interesting is that the first time I tried it, the settings worked. Now I can’t change it from those higher settings. When I unplug my magicJack plus from the computer’s USB port and plug it back in again, the settings revert not to the original low volume settings, but my new slightly higher volume settings, even if I make them lower. Not sure what that’s about, but you’re right — there is definitely a bug in magicJack’s firmware on this one for phone volume settings.

  2. I hear others fine, they can’t hear me. I first noted this when I received the MJ in the mail and tried to set up voice mail. I could just barely hear my own busy message. I tried the above soul ion and while the MJ is connected to the USB it works fine. When connected to the router the volume is again low. The volume levels set high when the MJ is in the USB revert back when connected to the router. I tried support but6 besides continuously being cut off no one had a solution. I need the phone so I just left it connected to the USB until I find a solution to the problem.

    1. I’ll start by saying of course I don’t work for magicJack, but this is puzzling. I notice that it reverts back to a higher level on my magicJacks (both the 2014 and 2012 versions), but not as low as the original settings when I attempt the volume fix for myself. So it’s louder, but it doesn’t stay at 100% if I set it to that. In other words, for me, it works, but only to a certain extent.

      Could you try this?

      In Win7, WinXP, with the magicJack in the USB port, try going to the systray. Right click on the speaker icon. Click “Recording Devices”. Select the handset icon, then “Properties” button. In the new dialog box, click the “Levels” tab. Make sure the “Microphone” setting is on 70% or higher. Click “OK”. Click the “Playback” tab. Click the “Handset icon” Click “Properties”, “Levels” tab, set it to 100%. Click “OK”. Click “OK” again. Test it on the router.

      If this doesn’t work, you could try changing the mic and speaker volume on your phone as well. If it doesn’t we may have a legitimate firmware bug in the magicJack for both versions.

      An additional possibility is that if you are only calling people for instance on T-Mobile or another cell carrier, there may be a connection problem with T-Mobile or the preferred carrier with which you are having trouble. It has been reported that for some cell carriers, when they call you, you can’t hear them, but when you call them, you can. In which case, this would be a connection problem with that cell phone carrier.

      One last possibility is that your router and/or modem may be very old. You may need to upgrade to newer network hardware. By old I mean it doesn’t have port-forwarding capability or other modern capabilities.

      I’d really like to know if any of these work, so please come back and say what happens.

      1. chris, you clearly don’t understand. The problem is with MJ+ only. It plugs directly in to your router, there are no adjustments. If you plug the POS in to your computer and make adjustments via software, they revert back to old settings as soon as you plug it into the router again. MJ+ is JUNK!!

        1. Bill,
          This is an early article. Originally, I thought it worked. Now, after having tested and re-tested, I see that settings revert too. I’ve edited the article to reflect that the device’s volume control is flawed when connected to the router. I would not go as far as saying it’s a POS, but I would say that for $30 a year, it’s hard to expect more.

          1. When you unplug the MJ from the computer, you are essentially cutting power from it, so if course it reboots and is back to defaults when you plug it back into power. The MJ would need NVRAM to keep the settings persistent when deprived of power. I don’t work for MJ, but I doubt it has NVRAM.

    2. How can I set the volume up on my
      Magic jack go I have wifi not enternet the volume is to low are they any way y can set it up for me
      Phone-###-###-####

      Harlan ky
      Than u Roger B

      1. Unfortunately, when connected to ethernet, the volume is not settable. This is a serious design flaw for this device.

    1. Flies with honey… Perhaps they’ll fix it with the next firmware upgrade. We can hope, eh?

  3. my problem is with the voice mail…can not access voicemail messages. Spent an hr on phone with mj tech, but he could not help. help!!!!

  4. I have tried adjusting the volume settings as described in your video. The volume does not change while plugged into the USB port or the Ethernet port on my router. It is still so low that I cannot hear anything. I am not going to pay for another year of service unless I can get this thing working. It worked fine for about six months and then the volume became low. I also have the mobile app on my iPad which seems to work fine but sometimes I cannot answer an incoming call. I have to uninstall and reinstall the app or erase everything on the iPad and restore using the iTunes to correct this problem. If it were not for the mobile app, I would’ve stopped using magicJack long ago.

    1. Mike,
      The volume thing may be specific to your device. Some magicJack owners have found one specific device has volume that is just too low. See if magicJack will send you a replacement for $10.

      As to the app, I have found that when you have two devices with the same phone number on the same network, both devices automatically go to voice mail. Perhaps you are experiencing the same problem.

      At some point, I hope magicJack offers a decent volume fix, because most of us have found the volume stays at some preset level that we as users cannot change once the device is rebooted.

      Good luck.

  5. So far my issue with mj plus is not the volume but it remains to be retrieving voicemail messages on my phone…have called but no assistance as of yet.

    1. In other words, it’s not about magicJack’s voice message system, but about retrieving them from your own phone’s internal voice message system. Each phone is a little different. Perhaps you can post the model of your phone here, and we can navigate through how to access phone messages together.

  6. I see these comments are older but I have a purchased magicjack in the office that goes through our server network I guess that means router. It is constantly low for others hearing me, I hear them just fine. I’ve changed to a few different computers over the year since we owned it mid 2014 and it seemed okay in the beginning and oddly enough worse on long distance calls. It doesn’t matter if I call them or they call me, no one can barely hear me, unless I yell. there is no way to see the magic jack menu as it’s plugged into our network line, just like the computers are. We recently changed phone services coming into the building and still the same, so I believe this would cancel out phone services. I have also had the phone and base itself changed out, no difference.

    So is this still a bug in magicjack software going through a network router? I used one a few years back direct to a laptop plugged into network and it worked fine. This is not a cell phone but a regular phone you would purchase for a home or office landline, so that I could have a direct desk line separate from the office phones.

    1. Try connecting the phone directly to the magicJack with a 6-foot phone cable. Is it still hard for others to hear you? If so, you probably have your magicJack device connected through your business phone lines. Too much phone line can make for weak signal between the phone and the magicJack. Make sure you have a reliable phone cable between your magicJack device and your phone. Make sure the REN on the phone is less than one. Make sure the distance bewteen the magicJack and your phone is minimal (less than 10 feet.) Last, get a phone with volume control for your mic, so you can make it louder for people on the other end. I wish I had better news and answers.
      Best of luck!

      Chris

  7. I connected my device directly with router and it works good now. I think volume and clarity is depending on speed of internet. Previously while using via computer i felt voice break and low when opened several pages, after realizing that i closed all pages and it worked good.

  8. I have the MJ plus and since I paid for a 5 year plan my sound on the phone is nothing but static. I can hardly hear anyone talk I have to have them call my cell-phone. Help!

    1. Have you considered these possibilities:

      • It’s your phone — not the magicJack. Older and off-brand phones may not function well with magicJack.
      • It’s your magicJack — try a different phone connected to it. Does it work now?
      • It’s your router — try it on a different router. Does it work now?
      • It’s your UPS power adapter or wall socket — try it on a different wall socket, not on the same fuse line.

      Best,

      Chris

  9. I was thinking may be i should use my old MJ. and plug it in my computer and see if the sound is better then MJ.+.

    1. Chances are, it might, if your old magicJack is still active. There is unfortunately no fix for magicJack’s volume via Ethernet.

      C

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