Apple had previously decided to eliminate the headphone jack. The company claimed that the technology was too outdated to be of any practical use. All major Android powerhouses laughed at Apple’s decision at the time. However, most of them have discarded the headphone jacks from flagship and upper-mid-range devices. There is still a lot of affection for the 3.5mm slot. This is especially true for customers who prefer budget or midrange devices.
Headphone jacks are generally as reliable as possible. The 3.5mm jack is just like any other piece of tech and can be prone to occasional glitches. We’ll be discussing the unique flaws in the headphone jack today and helping you to get it back up and running as quickly as possible.
How to fix your phone’s headphone jack
You shouldn’t expect your phone’s headphone jack to fail because it is designed to handle thousands of entries. You may not be able to hear the audio from your earphones or the static interrupting your sound experience.
There may be more to the problem than one reason your headphone jack doesn’t work in these cases. We have scanned through user-complimented forums to discover people’s issues with the headphone Jack. Here are some tips that can help.
If you are using Microsoft OS on your PC/Laptop, you must read a dedicated article on headphones not working windows 10 to quickly fix the problem.
Fix 1: Make sure you have headphones.
Although it may seem obvious to most people, the fact that so many ignore this simple fix for the problem with the headphone jack makes it imperative to mention it. Although your smartphone’s headphone jack may be fine, the issue could be with the 3.5mm port inside it, also known as the headphones.
It is easy to determine if headphones are to blame by plugging them into another smartphone or media device and then listening to the audio. If the sound is not being heard, the problem could be with the headphones. However, if they are working fine, you can look into how to fix the headphones.
Fix 2: Go to the settings of your device.
If the headphone works fine on other devices, it is time to go through your device’s settings and ensure everything is in order. This process is easy because there are a few settings you can check. Press the volume key and expand the panel to check the media sound.
Once the sound is dialed in, you can move on to the next step.
Fix 3: Restart the device.
This is another obvious step and something you should have tried. We want to be sure that we know the basics. If the above solutions don’t work, you can pat your phone on the back and do a complete restart. Hold the power button down until the power menu appears. To perform the act, tap on “Restart.”
Despite their mysterious origins, many “grave” problems tend to resolve with a restart. Try a simple restart to see if you can get a lucky break.
Fix. 4: Clean the port physically
The smartphone is the technology you use most often and frequently every day. Now, You can take your smartphone everywhere, from work to the park.
You can quickly blow the headphone jack with a can of compressed oxygen and remove any obstructions.
- To make cleaning easier, tilt your Android device sideways.
- Only insert the straw from the can of compressed oxygen into the port.
- Blot out any dust or lint stuck to the port. Repeat this process several times.
You can clean the headphone jack with alcohol using a cotton swab. This is a great way to remove blockages that won’t come out with compressed air.
- Turn off your device to ensure that your circuitry doesn’t get damaged in the clean-up.
- Use a cotton swab with a wooden toothpick and a little cleaning alcohol.
- Use the cotton swab to clean the slots at 3.5mm. Let it dry for a few moments.
The two methods above should be enough to eliminate any lint or dirt from the headphone socket. If you cannot locate any obstruction to the headphone jack, then proceed to the next step.
Fix 5. Solution No. 5: Disable secondary audio connections
The headphone jack is slowly losing its importance as the audio industry is shifting towards Bluetooth becoming the wireless music alternative. The headphone jack can malfunction if there is interference between Bluetooth and 3.5mm audio jack devices.
Start by turning off the Bluetooth module on your Android phone. This is so your smartphone doesn’t automatically connect to a Bluetooth device.
- Head over to the Setting menu from the Android home screen.
- Depending on your Android device, the Bluetooth tab will appear immediately or under the Connects section.
- You have two options: disable Bluetooth temporarily or unpair Bluetooth audio device that is already connected to your smartphone.
- Connect the headphones and listen to some audio to determine if the problem is solved.
Fix 6: Use the SoundAbout app.
Sometimes the problem with the headphone jack is caused by software glitches and not hardware. SoundAbout can efficiently resolve Bluetooth interference or an issue with the app that cannot detect headphones.
- Download the SoundAbout App to your Android Device.
- To set the SoundAbout Services status ON, use the first tab.
- Please tap on the Audio tab to select Wired headphones or Wired headset (with mic), and save it.
- You can also set the same preferences for the Telephone audio tab and keep it.
After you close SoundAbout, the app will run in the background and manually reroute audio to the headphone jack. This will clear any audio interference from SoundAbout apps that could be causing the headphone socket to stop functioning.
Wrap it up
The solutions listed above have all been tested and proven to resolve the most common problems that cause the headphone jack to stop working. Your smartphone’s 3.5mm port could be physically damaged. This would render it inaccessible to all the above solutions.
In such cases, the only option is to bring your phone in for repair and have a professional replace the headphone socket. You can get your phone fixed if it is still under warranty. However, if it isn’t, it can be repaired at no additional cost.
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