If your device’s headphone jack suddenly stopped working, it doesn’t necessarily mean there is a serious problem. We suggest that you try all of the steps that we explain below to see if you can fix the headphone jack.
1. Is there dirt in the outlet?
This is a very common reason why audio ports (or any other port) don’t work. If you carry your phone in your jeans pocket or anywhere else where lint collects, dust and lint can get into the headphone jack.
Over time, this builds up and compacts when you plug your headphones into the port. To check if this is blocking the electrical contacts or preventing the headset from plugging in completely, try using a thin plastic toothpick or regular wooden toothpick to gently remove any debris that has lodged in the port.
Avoid metal tools, as they can damage the connections inside the port. If you have a can of compressed air on hand, this is also a good option.
2. Does your phone connect to the Bluetooth network?
With so many home devices and headsets using Bluetooth instead of cables, there’s a good chance the sound will go somewhere other than the headphone jack.
Even if you haven’t connected the phone manually, when previously paired devices (such as Bluetooth speakers or Amazon Echo) are within range, the phone may connect automatically.
Try turning off the Bluetooth settings to see if the sound comes back.
3. Is the volume very low or muted?
Another common reason for the lack of sound is if you’ve accidentally turned the volume down to zero or hit the mute option at some point.
Try opening the settings menu and find the volume rocker or just use the buttons on the device to turn it up.
4. Check your headphones on another device
If the port is free and you are not connected to a Bluetooth device, the next thing to check is the status of the headphones or speakers.
Over time, cables can fray or break inside, which means they will no longer carry a signal. This tends to affect only one ear, but there is always the possibility that both will fail.
Try connecting the headphones to another device (that you know is working) to see if they are making sound. Otherwise, they might stop working, but if they do, it looks like the problem is with your device. You can also try connecting another pair of headphones to the phone, if you have a spare.
5. Try to restart the device
Smartphones, laptops and tablets they are complicated devices. Sometimes all of these abilities can confuse them a bit resulting in erratic behavior including audio malfunction.
If all else didn’t work, try the usual way to turn the device off and on again. You would be surprised at how many problems this method has solved over the years.
6.repair or replace your device
So you have tried everything but the problem persists. This leaves you with a few options. The first is to take the device to a repairer or contact the company you purchased it from if it is still under warranty.
Another solution is to invest in wireless headphones or earphones as this should avoid the broken wearing issue. For some great options, check out our guides to the best inexpensive wireless headphones, the best wireless headphones, and the best truly wireless headphones.
Of course, the most extreme option is to replace the device entirely. If you want to do something new, here is our pick of the best smartphones, tablets and laptops.
.
Table of Contents
