Macbook Pro 14" Late 2023 - My clogged microphone grill issue

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After a few months of being happy with my Macbook Pro 14" Late 2023 M3 Pro, one day I noticed that the microphone(s) basically stopped working - my voice is only barely gets heared, even if I talk loudly; it sounded like I'm trying to talk quietly while being choked with a pillow while the microphone is in another room.

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The idea of disassembling the whole thing didn't appeal to me because I have never even managed to take the lid off without getting scared that i'd break the clips in the first place.

Brush, duct tape or air blower didn't help (and I'm not even sure I should have used the air blower). I didn't try to use canned air/vacuum cleaner/isopropyl alcohol/hydrogen peroxide (some of other most common ways to fix such stuff, apparently), because it seemed like it might make things worse, given that I didn't disassemble anything.

However, I learned (somewhat) which holes in the speaker grill were clogged. (Highlighted red on the image above). A thin needle, being gently (and not in any way deep) inserted into one of those spots, instantly gave the original (or pretty close to original) microphone quality.

Did it solve the problem? For me - yes. I got the microphone working great again.

Did it solve the root cause of me touching my laptop after eating chips or however it got clogged in the first place? Nope.

Did I get rid of that piece of dust/skin/whatever that clogged it in the first place? Also nope. It's still in there, waiting for its neighbor clogs to move in.

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I guess it could work as a temporary solution, if you're lazy, afraid or broke (or all of that).

I just didn't want to bring a laptop to a service center and waiting for X days, nor did I feel confident with losing the bottom lid (or worse) by doing that myself.

Poking delicate electronics with a sharp object isn't the brightest idea, either, but hey, what did I have to lose, right?