Headphone jack not working? Here are the reasons why

Everyone loves to listen to their favorite music, it allows you to cut yourself off from the real world for a moment and feel relaxed. Most often and most willingly, we use headphones to make the effect even more noticeable. If you are listening to your favorite playlist on your smartphone, you have for sure happened at least once that the headphones stopped working. Have you wondered what could be the reason for this?

Each of us has probably experienced at least once in our lives a moment when while listening to our favorite music the headphones suddenly stopped working or the cable did not connect to our phone. Certainly, this is one of the things that irritate us and make us not think about what could be the cause of their spoilage and immediately reach for new ones from the store. Is it worth investing in new equipment if you can repair it yourself? Here are 5 of the most common reasons why our headphones break down.

1. Make sure the headphones are not broken

The first step when you find the headphone jack is not working is obvious. It's quite possible that there is actually nothing wrong with the headphone jack and that the headphones are the problem. You can quickly check it by connecting it to another device. It does not necessarily have to be a smartphone. All you need is a laptop, TV, or other devices that have a 3.5 mm jack input.

If there is no sound when using headphones on another device, it means that you have found the source of the problem. Just replace the headphones and it's ready. If they work well with another device, something else is causing the problem. Time to try one of the other amendments listed below.
We also recommend that connect a pair of headphones to a different smartphone before proceeding. Although it is rare, there is still likely that your original pair is not compatible with the smartphone, even if it works with other devices.

Read also: I dropped my phone into water - what can I do?

2. Check that the smartphone is connected to another device via Bluetooth

If your smartphone is paired with wireless headphones, a speaker, or any other device via Bluetooth, it is possible that the headphone jack is turned off. Usually, when headphones are connected, the smartphone should recognize them and everything should work as intended regardless of the Bluetooth settings. However, this is not always the case.

Luckily, it's a quick and easy solution that literally takes a minute. Just open the settings menu on your phone, find the Bluetooth option, and see if it's turned on. In this case, the smartphone is probably paired with one of the other devices you have at home. If that's the problem, turn it off, plug in your headphones, and see if that fixes it. If they still don't work, continue to the next solution on this list.

3. Clean the headphone jack

As you can imagine, a lot of dust and lint can seep into the headphone jack over time. This can only be the cause of the problem as dirt can actually block the connection between the headphones and the jack.

The first thing you should do if your headphone jack is not working is to just look inside the jack to see how dirty it really is. A flashlight may come in handy for this. The next step is to try cleaning it and hope this fixes the problem, and that most often works for you. This can be done in many different ways, some of which work better than others. It all depends on how deep the dirt is embedded in the headphone socket. One option is to simply blow into the headphone jack, which should remove at least some of the dust and lint inside. You can also use a can of compressed air if you have one nearby. Remember not to use water or spray any other liquid inside the socket as this will make the situation worse.

A great option that almost always works is the use of a cotton swab. Push it into the slot and gently rotate to remove dust and lint. Be very careful when doing this as the last thing you want to do is further damage the device. You can also moisten a cotton swab with alcohol, but make sure that you do not use it too much.

When you're finished, look again into the headphone jack, to see how much dust and lint you've removed. If everything looks better, connect the handset to see if now everything works as it should.

4. Check the sound settings and restart the device

There is also the likelihood that the problem is not with the outlet or headphones you use, but the sound settings of the device. In this case, you will be able to solve this problem in the blink of an eye. Just open the audio settings on your device and check the volume level as well as any other settings that might mute the sound.

Normally, your smartphone does not have too many of these settings, so the problem should be more or less immediately. If it exists, that is.

If everything seems fine but the headphone jack is not working, you can try another simple fix which is restarting your device. Sometimes you can solve a variety of problems associated with smartphones and it takes less than a minute. Simply press and hold the power button, select the option to restart, wait until the device turns on again, and then check whether the problem still occurs.

5. Time to call a specialist

If none of the above fixes do work, it means that the problem is not as small as expected. If your device is still under warranty, it's best to simply contact the retailer or manufacturer. Explain the problem to the company and send it in for repair or replacement. In some cases, it may take some time, but at least it is free.

In the event that you have a phone insurance guarantee. Just apply to your provider.

The third solution is by far the worst. It may be necessary to repair the device by the manufacturer or someone who knows what he's doing. You will have to open your wallet and pay to get it fixed, but at least you'll be able to use the headphone jack again. Otherwise, you can simply opt for a pair of wireless Bluetooth headset, which also solves the problem.