My iPhone sometimes stops outputting sound after I remove my earbuds/headphones? How can I fix this?

My iPhone sometimes stops outputting sound after I remove my earbuds/headphones? How can I fix this?

Though the fix for this particular issue has remained unchanged for some time now - which can be surprising because it is so un-elegant - this issue continues to come to us from iPhoneFAQ readers. It also continues to pop up on Apple's iPhone discussion forums and on other iPhone related websites. So, we figured we'd publish the all-too-uninteresting solution.

For those unfamiliar with the issue, on occasion, the iPhone will stop outputting sound out of its external speaker after headphones are removed from the headphone jack . Essentially, the iPhone thinks the headphones are still connected and will continue to ouput sound only through the headphone port until you're able to "convince" it that the nothing is plugged in. Often, even powering down and back up one's iPhone won't solve the problem.

Why? Because that attempted solution is just too fancy. Believe it or not, the only known fix to this issue is to repeatedly insert and remove a device from the headphone jack. Remember to play a song or otherwise output sound when plugging and unplugging your earbuds, headphones, etc.

We've forwarded this solution to everyone who has written in with this same issue, and we've yet to hear back from anyone reporting that it did not solve the problem.

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Comments

Anonymous replied on

Blowing air in the slot worked absolutely great ! That was a relief

Manyo replied on

Ive tried all these fixes towards my iphone but no luck. Can anybody give any recommending to what i should do. Please this needs to be fixed immediatly.

Khwang replied on

Hi hashin

I found your email from iPhone FAQ. May I ask for help.

The speaker of my iPhone 4s is working on and off. If I blowed the air to the speaker the sound may come back. But when I try to use the speaker when answering the phone, the speaker went off again. I tried the tricks about plug and unpluging the headset, turned on and off the power, and blowed Compressed air into the phone jack, USB port as well. The Speaker still going on and off.

May I ask if you have any other Suggestions. Thank you very much.

Kelvin

Anonymous replied on

I have recently had this problem and tried turning it on and off , checking ths sound settings, and giving it a good blow down the jacksie, to no avail then without realising it worked ..... I removed the bumper used to strengthen signal and Hey Presto it returned with all sounds working. Must be something to do with the volume buttons catching. May I also add, check that notifications is enabled too as this can knock off sound in some Apps. The earphone jack is a little tempermental too. iPhone this issue needs resolving. And what good is the bumper if you have to remove it to recharge???????

Anonymous replied on

yo i might do that thanks

Patty replied on

Are you sure the phone was brand new and not refurbished? They ususally give you a reconditioned phone. Also if I call Apple as suggested, do you really think they would do something about the battery?

Anonymous replied on

The best solution - http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how-to/gadgets/4258816

Thiago Rodrigues replied on

Man, I was almost giving up but then I gave one last chance and it fucking worked!
Did exactly like the link you posted and then blew very strong and close to the jacket and it worked.

Thank you, from Brazil!

Anonymous replied on

The popularmechanics solution seems to be working for me. Thanks for posting!!

Anonymous replied on

The popular mechanics solution totally works! Thank you for the suggestions!

Anonymous replied on

My audio wasn't working without headphones on iPhone 4S. I read about putting headphones in and out. Cleaning top microphone. Using a toothpick for a switch I can't even see. But gently pushed on either side of home button and the sound came back on.

Iphone/Asus eee... replied on

I've had this happen to my Samsung A940, my Iphone, and my new Asus Eeepc. I think it is either something in the air or happens to lots of gadgets. The only fix for all is put the plug back into the jack and then pull it back out again. Works for them all.

neoteny replied on

had the same problem. the real cure is to slice a milimeter circumference off the rubber tubing on the headphone jack so that more of the metal jack is slightly exposed. i know this sounds silly but trust me it works.

Anonymous replied on

well i never had sound on my iphone without earplugs or usbcable connected with the computer.. and even with the ' trick ' from in-out it didn't work

pav replied on

Thank you .... this really worked!!!

Anonymous replied on

I have had my iPhone for a few months now and this is the first problem I have had with it so far. I went to an Apple store and they fixed the problem immediatly by spraying compressed air into the earbud jack. They used an extension that looked like a earbud jack, but it had small holes placed throughout the extension and then hooked up the compressed air hose to the end of the jack and let er rip. He then reset the phone and everything began running normally.

Anonymous replied on

I've had this happen a lot and actually i've found just blowing really hard directly into the socket works now. (rebooting afterwards). Its a pain in the ass though. If your phone is hacked then using the fast reboot in boss prefs saves some of the pain.

Isabel replied on

I tried to plug and unplug the headphone a lot of times after I read your advise and it didn't work for me, but I just turned the iphone off (red slide button) and turned it back on and it worked. I don't know if this is a battery issue, but if it happens again, I will go to apple store and check my battery out. I don't think that it would be a smart move to turn it on and off all the time (if this happen quite often).
Good luck!

Anonymous replied on

I had this problem too but I decided to take a look inside the headphone jack and there was a small piece of aluminum stuck inside possibly from my allergy pills that was tricking the phone into thinking the headphones where still connected. Not saying this is your problem but try and look inside and see if anything is in there causing interference.

Jeff replied on

Just confirming this problem exists on my brand new iPhone 3G w/ 2.1 firmware.

Plus, I have never used the headphones jack. The problem seemed to start when I was playing a game that had sound (EA's Spore) and an incoming phone call occurred. Ever since then, I get no "normal" sound notifications, but can play sounds manually through Settings, etc.

This fix did do the trick, though. Thanks!

balind replied on

It worked man I trired to put inside the jack in and out !!!!!!

Anonymous replied on

I had this problem after having my iphone in my pocket. I tried resetting it on the phone settings, doing updates through itunes and unplugging and replugging the headphone jack and nothing worked. I was about to give up when all I did was squeeze the middle of the phone and the sound suddenly came back on the speakers. I'm not sure why but maybe the pressure from being in my pocket affected it and when I did the same type of pressure it worked. So if all else fails then just try lightly squeezing the phone, not hard pressure but a light squeeze. It made mine work so... Good luck:)

Tom replied on

This same problem happened with my iphone mid call. It just went silent. Further studies showed no sound would come through the speakers and adjusting the volume revealed it thought the headphones were attached. I used the fix it shown here to no avail. Reflashed software prior to this and blew in the jack hole as a last resort. Turning it on and off did nothing. I let it rest, went out and had a beer, came back and turned on a song; *Hey Presto* it worked fine... Seems okay now. I'm glad cos this is my third iphone in 5 weeks: I've had 2 replacements so far for other reasons and have told apple there won't be a third. Pitty, cos I do love the phone.

Anonymous replied on

I found that high temperature makes this..
(when You had Your phone in the pocket - temp was higher, when You let him "rest" the temp was lower. I have this issue very often - solutions from net are not working form me.
When I start the call I have to hold my iphone with 2 fingers and not to close to my head ( when I hold the phone close to my ear he is warming fast and the issue comming up.....

Anybody can see the correlation between temperature of the phone and the issue?

Anonymous replied on

I have. I can always play a song or a game and the sound will be working fine but the moment it heats up it goes to headphone mode and nothing can be heard out the speakers. this is my only problem with this phone and it is making me mad. none of the solutions posted here have worked so far...

Anonymous replied on

This worked for me. Nothing else did.
I recently had just dropped it in a snowy driveway.
I squeezed the middle and it made a small click noise. Then it worked.

Anonymous replied on

hey i dropped my in the snow as well, did all you was squeeze the phone in the middle because i have tried everything puttin the headphones in and out and also blowin directly into the headphone jack and nothin has worked.

Anonymous replied on

OMG! After 6 weeks of my daughterʻs sound not working, squeezing the middle of the phone gently WORKED!! Weʻve tried just about everything trying to get it to work, apple care, blowing, unplugging ear phones, etc. Nothing worked. I just read this and told her to squeeze the phone (she thought it was a stupid idea) and it worked immediately! She actually posted on Facebook- that her mom is awesome! If your sound doesnʻt work, just try it- canʻt hurt, unless u squeeze to hard. :)

Anonymous replied on

Wow!!! The squeez thing worked for mine too. I did have to try in a few places but the last time I "squeezed it" was right on the volume up down button. I pushed right in the middle and this worked. Yeah for sound :-)

Anonymous replied on

OMG the squeese thing worked for me too LMAO who would have thought it thanks

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