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

That worked like a charm with the button on my IPAD, I have been searching for an entire week, and I have reinstalled twice!!! LOL, I work on computers all day, I feel real silly :-) THANKS

Megan replied on

I just got my Iphone yesterday and it just started doing this. The sound only worked when I had the headphones on. I finally realized that it was on mute. Didn't even know the button on the side moved.

Anonymous replied on

THnx! I had to take off my case and there it was! Now I can hear again!

Anonymous replied on

THANK YOU!!!!! I have been trying to figure out this sound problem for a week - WOW - one little silent button that I didn't know about :)

Anonymous replied on

Tnx i tried all the solutions but took me seconds to solve it with your help.

Glamslinky replied on

Haha! You got meh fixed! :D

Anonymous replied on

Ahhhh thank you!!! Totally what my problem was! Yay!

Pro replied on

I've tried everyone's solutions in the comments and the post. Except the the compressed air thing. I've been blowing till I got dizzy lol. Also I've tried jacking in and jacking out the audio cable. Also the setting's one with the ringtone. Ridiculously, nothing worked for. I mean this is a sophisticated phone, this issue should never exist. So as an annoying last resort, I've tried restoring and it worked again, gladly I am having a backup of all my data or i'll go insane.
3GS 32GB with iOS 4.1

Anonymous replied on

sweet

Anonymous replied on

SOLUTION - I was getting the same message all the time...I remembered the last device I plugged my phoone into was my car stereo (it short circuited while the iphone was plugged in)...So I turned off my phone, plugged it back into the car stereo, it started up and the mmusic started playing...I unplugged the phone, checked the volume and it was working...no error message

georgiee replied on

I had this same problem, after reading your ideas, I shoved a tooth pick in it continuously, turned it off then put it on charge for a minute. Turned it back on and BRAVO! :)

Anonymous replied on

i have tried everything and it plays for about two seconds and quits i blew in the earphone jack, turned it off and back on, and i even tried to squezze the middle of the phone but it still does not work :(

Carrie replied on

I tried everything that has been suggested. Blowing in the earphone jack, turning on and off, unplugging/plugging the earphones back in, squeezing....what finally worked for me was sending a text message. Thank GOODNESS!!!!

Frenzl replied on

Be sure you understand your problem

Mine was as if the 'silent' button was on, but the display showed ringer on and volume at max. I never use an earplug.
I turned the phone off and on. No help

I blew into the headphone jack hole. No help
Then I turned the phone off and on again. Sounds are back.

This is a design issue that should be addressed by Apple

Sick of iPhone ... replied on

Yesterday I plugged in the headphones, no dramas. took a call, made a call, played games then all of a sudden 24hrs later no sound! Can only hear sound for calls, iPod, voicemail if head phones are plugged in. The volume buttons when pressed say "headphones" or "ringer headphone". The phone is not on mute, it has no msg tone only vibrate, has sound when rings but no sound on answering, there's no voicemail or iPod or game sounds either. I have tried everything suggestion. All which have failed! Has anyone got any more ideas or will I be taking back my 2nd iPhone 4 in 5 months.

What I've tried....
Blowing into the jack
Inserting then removing headphones
Turn off turn on
Hard turn off
Playing with buttons

Any suggestion would be appreciated as I'm fed up with the thing!

Anonymous replied on

Thank you very much!!! Blowing really works.

Yoshe replied on

My iPohne is not even a week old, and I believe this sound problem was triggered by my removing my headphones, but it is not necessarily ONLY an earphone recognition issue. If plugging and unplugging worked for you, then that is one issue. But, if you're like me where plugging and unplugging didn't work, neither did blowing into the jack work, then try one of the suggestions made here and gently squeeze the center of your phone. In my case, the sound intermitently came on and off (initially I heard white noise until I had crisp audio). If that happens, if squeezing your phone is what gets the sound to work, then it's a circuit issue, not an earphone jack issue. And if that is the case, then you should take it back and have them replace it because it's a connectivity issue in the wires. Even though I got my sound to work again, I'll be taking it back, because there is no telling if/when/how often it will happen again. But thanks for everyone on here who reassured me that I wasn't crazy!

CM replied on

i tried all of these (blowing air, squeezing, multiple in-out jack, restarts, on/off...no avail. i can hear sound when change ringtone, but it won't play songs (says headphone attached when not)
ideas?

Ash replied on

I tried everything blowing on the head phone jack, turning it off and
On and the only thing that worked for me was
Squeezing the middle of the phone.. Worked instantly.

Anonymous replied on

Yes, It happened to me today after running 6.5 miles in full-on rain and snow. Phone was in a bodyglove case on my arm, and the headphone jack ran into the case through a partially unzipped case through the top side. I got soaked, my clothes and me, wet and cold, and the phone was wet too around the the top where the headphone jack plugged in The rest of the phone seemed dry. Couldn't get it out of headphone mode all evening till I read the "Compressed air" trick, blowing in the hole. Evidently moisture got in, and closed the gap in the headphone jack, fooling the phone into thinking the jack was still plugged in. Drying out the interior of the jack solved it immediately. But it stopped several more times and went back into headphone mode. It required multiple treatments, and finally I laid the phone on it's side at the edge of the bathroom countertop, and ran the hair dryer into the hole for several minutes. Each time I moved it around it would stop and go back into headphone mode. Don't cook your phone, be patient, and don't ever let it get wet again. This is not an apple problem. This is an end user problem. The phone is not meant to use underwater.

Solution! For future foul-weather running, cut a hole in the bottom of the bodyglove case, and plug in through the bottom of the case, or wear the damn thing under a weatherproof running jacket, or put it in a ziplock bag, with the jack cable running out the side. Don't let your phone get wet inside. If you gotta' get your miles in, then keep the thing dry.
By the way, wireless headphones is not an option. Your clothes break the bluetooth signal. Also the sound volume on my Plantronics stereo headphones is too weak for running in a noisy environment. The best headphones for running are still the hardwired variety. I've got a pair of Sennheisers that work well for me. Like I say, Just keep it dry.

Anonymous replied on

Uqh!i tried thiss nd n0thinqq w0rkss i blew air;;pluqqed nd unpluqqed my earphones! What d0 i d0?!? ://

Anonymous replied on

Ok after substantial blowing, pushing the headphone thingy in & out and turning on and off it eventually worked... not sure which one did it but something worked.. sweet :)

Austin replied on

To be honest i tried everything here I tried uninstalling my volume booster, hard reset, blowing into it, blowing into is with an air compressor, I have a tiny vaccume for stuff like this i used that NOTHING worked.. Did a restore through iTunes and now it all works fine...

Mike replied on

This happened to my iphone 4. All these methods didn't work for me. So I backed my phone up on itunes then restored it and it worked. Still have my apps but lost my angry birds top scores...gutted!

bruk misghina replied on

mine too is the same with others, the speaker doesnt work.even if i restarted it, no. plus when i switch the i pod app.it starts a bit slower than it was before,like, it seems to stuck. help me apple! shouldnt i load movies?

Stuart replied on

Just had this problem go on for about an hour and have been reading through all the comments. I found that just mesisng about with the settings in the sound tab (moving the volume up and down about 5 times and then sliding on and off for the other other sound optons) I finally heard the 'click' noise :)

Thanks to everyone for sharing their solutions

Shashank replied on

After going through most of the mail, I came to know that like me there are several people facing same problem.
Befor reading this mails I just blew air by mouth in USB jacket, and that worked for some time. Now again when I am pushing USB cable for charging that message appears again " the accesary is not optimised for this I phone. How evere I think Moisture is Problem ,as when I move in dry area problem subsides but again if I move to Sultry area problem croped up.

ESMOD replied on

I had the same problem with my Iphone 4 , the speaker sound stops subitly for a days and went back with no action .
the head set speacker is working normally .
it happens 3 times , I have tried the suggestion bellow , with no success .
Is it commun bug on Iphone 4 ?

hope some boday will help

phoet replied on

it's also sometimes possible to get it working again by connecting it to some dock.

permendra singh replied on

I'm using iphone 3GS got a probelm that if any calls me i can't hear through reciever but if i on the speaker i can able to listen from it please let me know what is the problem please and tell me the solution from it.

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