Improve Your LG V20's Speaker Sound with This Simple Hardware Mod

The LG V20 is a true audiophile's phone when it comes to playing music through headphones, but it only has a single bottom-firing mono speaker. So even though the V20 has received plenty of praise for its overall audio experience, that single built-in speaker ruins the fun by putting out some shoddy and cheap-sounding audio.

Many developers have tried to improve the audio quality with software tweaks to no avail. A few users even managed to completely blow out their speaker in the process. But as it turns out, the problem with the V20's speaker wasn't a software issue after all, and instead, it's a matter of the speaker grille impeding the sound. So if you're up for it, there's a fairly simple five-minute hardware modification that makes the speaker sound so much better.

What You'll Need

• LG V20
• Phillips #00 screwdriver (PH00)
• SIM card removal tool or a pair of tweezers

Step 1: Remove the Battery

First, open up the back panel of your LG V20 by pressing the release button on the bottom-right side of your device.

Kevin M./Gadget Hacks

Then, gently take the battery out by lifting upwards from the little cutout on the bottom-right side.

Kevin M./Gadget Hacks

Step 2: Unscrew & Remove the Bottom Chin

Next, you'll need to remove four screws so you can pull off the plastic chin piece on the bottom of your V20. Use your screwdriver to remove them and carefully place them aside. Don't lose any, as you'll be putting them back in shortly.

Kevin M./Gadget Hacks

Kevin M./Gadget Hacks

Kevin M./Gadget Hacks

Kevin M./Gadget Hacks

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Once all four screws are out, pull off that bottom chin. You might have to put some force into it, as the chin is held in place by clasps as well.

Step 3: Remove the Plastic Speaker Grille

Using either your SIM removal tool or your tweezers, poke out or pull off the little plastic grille covering the speaker cutout on the bottom chin. This is what will make all of the difference in audio quality, as it was previously muffling the sound. When you're done, make sure to clean off any residual glue. Rubbing alcohol works well for this if your SIM removal tool or tweezers won't get all of the gunk.

Kevin M./Gadget Hacks

Step 4: Reattach the Bottom Chin

To wrap things up, reattach the bottom chin to you LG V20 and screw the removed screws back in. After that, put the battery back in and close the back panel, then you'll be all set to go.

Kevin M./Gadget Hacks

Kevin M./Gadget Hacks

Kevin M./Gadget Hacks

Kevin M./Gadget Hacks

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Step 5: Enjoy the Difference

At this point, all that's left to do is to turn your phone back on and enjoy the world of difference—it's one that'll make listening to audio from the V20 much more enjoyable. Without that flimsy plastic speaker grille, the sound coming from your bottom speaker isn't impeded, so it's much better quality.

Now that you're done, give yourself a pat on the back, and make sure to let us know how much this guide helped improve the audio quality on your LG V20. Share your thoughts in the comment section below, and tell us how you fared while modifying your device.

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Cover photo by Kevin M./Gadget Hacks