Headphone Jack Not Working: Heres What To Do

headphone jack not working?

Today’s smartphone designers make sure that every phone comes with plenty of tools to keep you entertained. there is storage space for your music files, downloads and games. you can even use apps to play radio stations or connect to the internet and stream music.

Reading: Why does the headphone jack not work

all you need is a pair of headphones to connect to a myriad of online experiences.

so what if the headphone jack doesn’t work?

Not all of us have the money to spend on a pair of wireless headphones.

Unfortunately, problems with the headphone jack on smartphones are quite common.

Anything from port lint to problems with internal connections can seriously screw up your groove. It’s no wonder apple decided to ditch the headphone jack altogether.

the good news?

There are there are a few ways to fix a broken headphone jack and fix the problem.

Today we’ll talk about what you can do before upgrading your device to a newer model. read on to learn how to fix your headphone jack.

why don’t my headphones work when i plug them in?

Headphone jack repair starts with getting to the root of the problem.

Remember that your phone’s headphone port may be durable, but it’s also prone to many problems. This small hole in your phone is a magnet for dust, moisture and other problems. Also, constantly plugging and unplugging your headphones increases the risk of damage.

Whether your headphones aren’t working at all or you just don’t get adequate sound quality anymore, there are a few things you can do to fix your problems.

step 1: check the performance of your headphones

It’s easy to assume the problem is the headphone jack if you haven’t explored any other options.

Your headphone jack may be fine, but your headphones have some internal issues. it’s pretty easy to check if the problem is the headphones.

connect your headphones to another device: It doesn’t have to be a smartphone, anything with a proper headphone port will do.
verify that Your device recognizes your headset: If you’re using a PC, you can click the audio icon to make sure it’s connected.

check your headphones at various volumes: play music from different sources, at different volumes.

If everything works exactly as it should when you use another device, you have found the source of your problem. your phone. You can also try connecting a different pair of headphones to your smartphone before going any further. there’s a chance that your original pair just isn’t compatible with your phone for some reason.

If your headphones don’t work anywhere else, the problem is with the accessory, not the headphone jack. Unfortunately, the only solution here is to replace your headphones, unless you have a warranty to repair them.

step 2: check for network problems

If it looks like your smartphone is the problem here, look at your network settings. If your smartphone is paired with another set of wireless headphones or your car’s wireless speaker, the headphone jack may be temporarily disabled.

Usually when you connect a headset to your smartphone, your device will automatically recognize it. the act of plugging in the headphones overrides the bluetooth settings. however, there is always the possibility that something has gone wrong here.

If you have another connection, the solution is easy.

open the settings menu on your android device
depending on your device you should see a bluetooth tab under connections
you can turn off bluetooth for now or unpair any other bluetooth devices connected to your phone.

once it is not paired with any other device, please try to connect the headphone jack again. play an audio to see if the problem is still there.

step 3: clean the headphone jack

Cleaning the headphone jack on any device can be a messy process. you want to make sure you don’t damage the internal parts with scratches or water.

however, a lot of dust, lint, and other substances usually end up in your connectors and ports over time. dirt can block the connection between the headphones and the jack.

Our technicians almost always have to clean lint from the headphone jack of every device we receive, so this is incredibly common.

If possible, look inside the cat with a light to see if there is dirt. you may consider blowing on the cat to remove any small bits of dust and lint. An alternative option is to use a can of compressed air, as this offers a more advanced clean. however, be careful to use the air correctly.

Tilt your android device on its side: This makes the cleaning process a bit easier.
Place the can’s straw near the port: You don’t need to try to push the straw into the headphone jack.
Blow out dust or lint: You can repeat this process several times if you still see dirt .

An alternative option to using a headphone jack is to use a cotton swab. don’t use a toothpick as they tend to break off inside the cat creating a whole new problem.

make sure to be very gentle here. you can get some ideas on how to clean the headphone jack carefully in this video. avoid using liquids or metals to clean the headphone jack.

Adding moisture to your phone is never a good idea, and metal pins or skewers can cause damage.

Step 4 – Check your phone and audio settings

If your headphone jack is clean and you know your headphones are fine, look at your audio settings. Just as your bluetooth settings can mess up your experience, your audio device settings can have the same impact. go to the settings section of your device and click on sound or audio.

In this part of your phone’s backend, you should be able to check things like volume level and other issues that could mute the sound. for example, you may have your phone in do not disturb mode, which could prevent it from playing audio.

normally, the only setting that would prevent audio from playing would be a mute option. If this is not enabled and your audio jack is not working, you can try restarting your device.

turning the phone on and off again can solve many problems with the smartphone, and it takes remarkably little time to do it.

Before pressing the reset button, please access your phone’s system settings to check if there are any software updates available. A firmware update could fix a bug on your current device that prevents audio from playing properly.

by pressing the update now button you will get the latest version of your operating system instantly.

step 5: try a specialized application

Still having trouble with a headphone jack not working?

You’re running out of potential solutions, but there are still some options available.

For example, you might consider downloading a third-party app for your smartphone.

Remember, always check the reviews of any app you are considering using before downloading it. this reduces your chances of accidentally accessing apps full of fake ads.

Available options include:

Speaker Cleaner: This app specifically helps remove moisture from the headphone jacks if you have dropped your phone in water or exposed it to too much moisture. if you can hear a muffled sound from your speaker, this app might help.
fix system for android: this app deals with various android issues including deleting folders and empty files, optimizing your battery and cleaning your cache. There is also a service to check the performance of things like your speakers and headphone jacks.
Sound Wizard: Created for Samsung, this app provides you with several handy features related to audio, including volume performance testing and troubleshooting with certain applications.

A wide selection of apps are available on the Google Play Store for features such as precise volume management, sound enhancement and speaker testing. you can even use apps to turn off your headphone connections remotely if you’re using wireless technology.

step 6: time to call in the experts

If none of the options we’ve discussed so far work for you, then the problem might be bigger than it seems. with any luck, your device will still be under warranty. that means you can call the company that sold you your phone and ask for their advice.

explain the problem to the company and send it in for replacement or repair. unfortunately, this means living without your phone for a while. however, you will recover your device over time and shouldn’t have to pay for a replacement.

If you don’t have a warranty, you can use phone insurance if you do.

out of warranty and none of the above worked yet? here are your repair options.

how do i fix my headphone jack?

All of the solutions listed above have been tried and tested, which means they should be adequate to fix a variety of common headphone jack issues. however, there is always a chance that you may have accidentally caused some damage to the physical 3.5mm port on your smartphone. if that happens, there’s not much you can do except get a replacement.

How to replace the headphone jack? professional technicians should be able to tell you if the problem is your headphone jack. if so, they can usually replace the jack without you having to pay for a new phone.

If you are out of warranty, we recommend going to a third-party repair shop, as headphone jack replacements are usually a very simple and inexpensive solution. this is especially true for iphones. and many androids.

If you have an ipad or a newer android device, you should tread a little carefully as the process of opening the device is a bit more involved. In this case, going straight to the genius bar or researching the repair shop you go to by doing review research online is a great idea. Either way, the actual part is always dirt cheap, but the labor cost could go up if it’s not an iphone.

If the worst happens, the best thing to do is sell your phone (yes, even if it’s broken). you can sell your phone to recoup some of the money you’re missing out on. this will free up some additional funds to put towards a new device.

your next device probably won’t have a headphone jack!