You’re absolutely sure that headphones aren’t plugged into your iPhone, because, well, they’re not. You see “Headphones” above the volume slider when you press the volume buttons, but your iPhone isn’t making any sound. You’ve tried a hard reset, putting your headphones in, and taking them out again, but it’s not working. In this article, I’ll explain why your iPhone is stuck in headphone mode, an awesome trick to get junk out of your headphone jack or Lightning port, and how to fix the problem for good!
My iPhone Doesn’t Have A Headphone Jack! How Can It Be Stuck In Headphones Mode?
Apple got rid of the headphone jack when they released the iPhone 7. It was very controversial at the time, but many people have moved onto using Bluetooth headphones like AirPods.
However, Apple didn’t completely eliminate the ability to use wired headphones on newer iPhones. Your purchase of an iPhone 7 or newer model includes a pair of wired headphones that plug directly into your iPhone’s Lightning port (also known as the charging port).
A new iPhone 7, 8, or X also includes a dongle which lets you connect your old headphones to your iPhone’s Lightning port. However, Apple stopped including this dongle with the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.
Even though the iPhone 7 and newer models don’t have a traditional headphone jack, they can still get stuck in headphones mode! The steps below will help you fix any model iPhone that is stuck on headphone mode.
No, iPhone, There Aren’t Headphones Plugged In!
Your iPhone is stuck on headphone mode because it thinks headphones are plugged into the headphone jack or Lightning port, even though they’re not. This is usually caused by a problem with the headphone jack or Lightning port itself. 99% of the time it’s a hardware problem, not a software problem.
Eliminate The Possibility Of A Software Problem
The easiest way to make sure a software problem isn’t causing your iPhone to stay stuck in headphones mode is to turn it off and back on again. To turn off your iPhone, press and hold the power button (also known as the Sleep / Wake button) and slide the button next to “slide to power off” across the screen.
If you have an iPhone X or newer, press and hold the Side button and either volume button until “slide to power off” appears on the screen. Swipe the power icon left to right to shut down your iPhone X or newer.
It can take 20 seconds or so for your iPhone to turn off, and that’s completely normal. To turn your iPhone back on, hold the power button (iPhone 8 and older) or the Side button (iPhone X and newer) until the Apple logo appears on the screen. You can let go of the power button or Side button when the Apple logo appears.
If your iPhone is still stuck on headphones mode after your iPhone turns back on, there’s a hardware problem with your iPhone. At this point, this problem is being caused by one of two possibilities:
- Debris stuck inside the headphone jack or Lightning port is fooling your iPhone into thinking that headphones are plugged in.
- The headphone jack or Lightning port is damaged, either physically or by liquid.
Take A Look Inside Your iPhone
Grab a flashlight and shine it inside your iPhone’s headphone jack or Lightning port. Is there any debris stuck inside? I’ve seen everything from rice, to brown goo, to broken-off tips of cheap headphones stuck inside. Trying to extract something from your iPhone’s headphone jack or Lightning port is extremely difficult, and some Apple techs won’t even try.
Poking around in your iPhones headphone jack or Lightning port can cause damage, but most people I’ve worked with agreed it was worth the risk because they really had nothing to lose. If I had to guess, I’d say I was successful about 50% of the time when I tried to extract something from a customer’s headphone jack when I worked at an Apple Store.
How Do I Get Junk Out Of My iPhone’s Headphone Jack?
There’s no right way to do this, and Apple Stores don’t have any tools designed to extract debris from headphone jacks. There are, however, some unofficial tricks that Apple techs sometimes use to get stuff out. Be careful — none of these are Apple-approved methods because they can cause damage, but I’ve had success with each of them in different situations.
The BIC Pen Trick
I really wanted to write this article so I could share this trick with you. An Apple Genius showed me how to do it, and I still think it’s brilliant. Be warned: Your pen will not survive this procedure. Here’s how to use a BIC pen to remove debris from an iPhone’s headphone jack:
- Use a standard BIC pen and remove the cap.
- Use pliers to pull the pen tip away from the plastic housing.
- The tip is attached to a circular plastic cartridge that contains the ink.
- The opposite end of the cartridge is the perfect size to remove debris from the headphone jack.
- Insert that end into the headphone jack and gently twist to loosen the debris, and then shake it out of your iPhone or iPad.
I’ve saved lots of headphone jacks using this trick. Be careful not to press too hard. If the debris isn’t coming out, move on to the next tip.
Compressed Air
Try using a can of compressed air to blow air directly into your iPhone’s headphone jack. This may work even if you don’t see anything stuck inside. Compressed air can loosen debris just enough to shake it out or blow it out completely. Be gentle: Don’t stick the hose all the way into your iPhone’s headphone jack and start blowing. Start from the outside of your iPhone and work your way in.
If you don’t have a can of compressed air, you can try blowing it out yourself, but I don’t particularly like that option because our breath contains moisture that can damage your iPhone’s internal circuitry. If you feel like you have nothing to lose, then by all means, give it a try.
Tweezers
Really thin tweezers can sometimes reach just far enough inside to pull a piece of rice or other debris out of an iPhone’s headphone jack. Using tweezers is risky, though. It’s a lot like the game called Operation (by Milton Bradley). It’s very easy to damage the sides of the headphone jack if you shove tweezers in too far.
I Don’t Recommend This, But…
Some tech-savvy people (and secretly, some Apple Geniuses) have had success extracting debris from iPhone headphone jacks by disassembling the iPhone and poking the debris out from the underneath of the headphone jack. There are some excellent teardown guides of iPhones if you’d like to try, but I don’t recommend you do.
How Do I Get Junk Out Of My iPhone’s Lightning Port?
Just like a headphone jack, it can be difficult to remove gunk and debris from from a Lightning port. The safest way to remove debris from an iPhone Lightning port is to use an anti-static brush.
If you try to clean out the Lightning port with an object like a paperclip or a thumbtack, you can run the risk of causing an electrical charge within your iPhone, which could cause even more damage. Toothpicks are also risky, because they can splinter and get stuck inside your iPhone.
However, most people don’t own an anti-static brush, and that’s okay. A brand new, unused toothbrush makes a fine substitute if you don’t have an anti-static brush.
The Cocktail Straw Trick
This method could also be called the “coffee stirrer” trick, as either utensil can be used. Flatten out the tip of your cocktail straw or coffee stirrer so it can fit inside your iPhone’s Lightning port. Use the flat tip of the straw to scrape or scoop any gunk out of the Lightning port.
Compressed air and tweezers are also possible solutions if something is lodged in your in your iPhone’s Lightning port.
I’ve Tried Everything And My iPhone Is Still Stuck On Headphone Mode!
If your iPhone still isn’t working after you’ve tried everything above, there’s a good chance your iPhone needs to be repaired. Usually, the headphone jack or the Lightning port on an iPhone will stop working for one of two reasons:
Water Damage
A very common reason for iPhones getting stuck in headphones mode is water damage, and a lot of the time people don’t know how it could have happened. Here’s how the conversation went: I’d ask, “Are you an athlete?”, and they would say yes. I’d ask, “Do you listen to music when you run or work out?”, and they’d say yes again. Can you guess what happened?
A lot of the time, this is problem is caused when sweat runs down the cord of an athlete’s headphones. At some point, a small amount of sweat gets inside the headphone jack or Lightning port and causes their iPhone to get stuck in headphone mode.
Other types of water damage can cause this problem too — it doesn’t take much. The headphone jack on older iPhones and the Lightning port on newer iPhones are two of the only openings on the outside of the iPhone, and that makes them particularly susceptible to water damage. Even if the rest of an iPhone works perfectly after it gets wet, the headphone jack or Lightning port may not.
Physical Damage
If your iPhone is smashed into 1000 pieces, you probably know what’s wrong. If it’s still in one piece, there is another very common reason why iPhones get stuck on headphone mode: The headphone jack or Lightning port gets pulled away from the logic board.
“Wait a second. I keep my iPhone in great shape.”
Plugging headphones in and out of your iPhone should never cause this problem. I’ve never seen it occur from normal use. Here’s the question I’d ask: “Do you wrap your headphones around your iPhone when you’re not using it?” The customer would say yes. (Come to think of it, the same Genius who turned me on to the BIC pen trick told me this, too. I’d give him credit if I didn’t think he could get in trouble.) Can you guess what happened here?
After a while, the strain from the headphones wrapped around the iPhone on the end plugged into the headphone jack or Lightning port becomes so great that they entirely start to pull away from the logic board. It’s OK to wrap your headphones around your iPhone, as long as you unplug them when you do.
Unfortunately, if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance the damage is already done and you’ll need to repair your iPhone.
Repair Options: Apple vs. Puls
This problem is especially frustrating for people who go to the Apple Store because the only repair option Apple offers to fix a broken headphone jack is to replace the entire iPhone. A lot of people simply refuse, opting instead to use a Bluetooth headset or speaker dock to make and receive phone calls, but it’s a major inconvenience when the sound doesn’t work on your iPhone.
The case is similar for broken iPhone Lightning ports. Apple will typically just replace your iPhone if its Lightning port is broken. The replacement is covered by your AppleCare+ warranty.
To make matters worse, debris stuck inside your iPhone’s headphone jack or Lightning port isn’t covered under warranty, so repairing this simple problem can be very expensive.
Puls
If you’d like to repair your iPhone today for a lot less than Apple, Puls will meet you at home or a location of your choice in less than an hour, and they offer a lifetime warranty on parts and labor.
Get A New Cell Phone
You may want to consider getting a new phone instead of having your current one repaired. iPhone repairs can get expensive quickly. If more than one component is damaged — which isn’t uncommon if you dropped your iPhone or exposed it to water — the repair company typically has to replace every part, not just the headphone jack. Check out the UpPhone cell phone comparison tool to review your options!
Wrapping It Up
It’s frustrating when an iPhone gets stuck in headphones mode, because it seems like a simple problem should have a simple solution. It’s unfortunate that a tiny piece of debris or a little drop of water can have such a detrimental effect on your iPhone. I sincerely hope that your iPhone is no longer stuck on headphone mode, but if it is, at least you know what to do next. Feel free to leave a comment below. I’d like to hear about any creative ways you’ve found to remove debris from the headphone jack or Lightning port of your iPhone.
compressed air did the trick
THANKS
Compressed air worked perfectly! Thank you!!!
BIC pen trick worked. Thank you so much
I was worried as nothing worked at first. However, when a blew compressed air into the port for about a minute it started working. Not sure if it was dirt of wetness but it worked. Thank You!
Thank you so much. In the end I used a cotton bud. After trying the suggested method (and it not working), I removed all of the cotton and used it as a straw. I sucked out whatever was in there and now it’s working again!
Alan Hernandez
q-tip works!!!!!!
If your problem isnt fixed after cleaning the headphone jack, try taking out the SIM card and putting it back in. This worked for me. The SIM card cartridge is on the right edge of the phone and can be opened by putting the end of a paperclip into the small hole.
Boy are you good! I tried the air duster method, it worked in seconds. Thank you!!
Thanks
You can use an earbud -remove the cotton wool and u get same effect and won’t ruin a pen:)
I cleaned out the head phone Jack hole with a cotton wool tip just cut one End off I didn’t think there would be any lent in there but there was problem fixed thank you
I was out in a rainstorm and had my phone in my back pocket. Putting in the cotton swab ( minus some cotton) worked in less than a minute! I needed to do it twice: first end came out soaking wet. Secttime just slightly damp and phone went back to ring mode! Thanks so much!
David P. you are my effing hero.
~Sincerely Clumsy Girl (Even tho its my brother’s facebook picture)
My son knocked my phone out of my hand and into the tub. I left it in rice and figured it was gone pecan unless I wanted to use my headphones or speaker. I did the cotton swab thing and it instantly worked…. keep your fingers crossed…
Thanks so much, worked for me cleaning the headphone jack!
Thanks, the q-tip worked for me!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
Hey Meg,
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a nice comment. From one “techy friend” to another, I’m glad my website helped you out!
All the best,
David
woooww thank you so much its worked on my iphone6. lol
I have the opposite problem. Suddenly my iPhone 6 won’t play through headphones. It used to, and I didn’t change any settings, but when I plug the headphone in (I’ve tried several) there is no sound coming out. Unplug the headphones and there’s sound. Any suggestions?
Omg. The q tip worked!!!! I didn’t think it would but it did. I thought I would be spending tons of $$$$ on a new phone but it worked immediately. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!
Ok this guy saved me 450 bucks the cotton swap work you just need to remove pieces so it will fit then I jammed it in and somehow it’s out of headphone mode. Nice
Thanks a lot man
Worked thanks
Cotton swab saved me some serious $$$$$. Thank you guys!!!!!
Brilliant! Thanks for your help. FWIW a skewer worked for me (as in what’s used for shishkebob). Just be gentle with it since that too could break and add to one’s woes.
Thank you,thank you thank you! 🙂 I put an orange in my pocket, and forgot it was there all day.later, my pocket was wet.what’s this I said.oh, the orange.all crunched up.guess what else was in my pocket.? Yes, my phone!!!!.dam no sound .how did I fix it? The vacuum cleaner!!done in 5seconds flat! ::-)
When all of the above fails, try sucking on the earphone jack as hard as you can.
I know it sounds funny, and believe me, I kinda laughed at the suggestion (read it on Apple Communtiy Forums)
But, it actually worked for me.
Thank you so much for these tips, I could kiss and hug you for helping me fix my phone.
Great it’s a good technique it works
You are the MAN! Q-tip with some of the cotton removed off the top worked after I tried it the fourth time. Well done! Phone now out of headphone mode.
Thank you so much! The cotton swab worked. I’m so very grateful!
Thank u so much the cotton swab trick worked on my phone ..thanks for the advice
Bic pen worked perfectly. Thanks for this!
I couldn’t get any of this to work. Finally, I took a piece of tape, rolled it up (like a toquito) and put it in there. Rubbed it around the sides of the jack and it fixed it.
You’ll be shocked to hear but I tried out all the ways mentioned above but still my 5s was stuck in headphone mode. Finally I held the headphone jack end of the mobile near AC for 15-20 secs and then
I slided the silent switch present on the left side of mobile too and fro and believe me it worked for me. My iPhone 5s is back on ringer mode. I’m not sure whether it’ll work for all but it’s worth a try and involves no risk, right. Until next time. Peace
Thanks Saved me
Dropped phone in a tin of paint ! Your Biro refill trick seemed to do the job, nice one! Thanks.
Oh my God mine Worked too!!!!! Take cotton swab remove excess cotton swab it onto the head phone jack round and round didn’t have any significant debri bit honey it worked you are an angle!
THANK YOU!!!
Wow! The cotton trick worked!
It happened to my ipad. I just rapidly put in and take out my headphones for a few times and worked..
I have had this same issue, I use one of the options, it works for an hour or two and then goes back into headphone mode. Been going on for a week. Anyone else had this issue and and if so, how did you fix it? Is it more of a hardware problem?
BIC pen worked, had to try it a couple of times. Also turned phone off/on and is now back to ringer mode.. Thank you so much
THANK YOU!!! I tried the Q-tip method a few times and didn’t have success, then I shoved the Q-tip in farther than I thought it would go, jiggled it around a bit and the sound started coming out of the speakers!
Thank you so much. My phone is no longer stuck in head phone mode. I used the pen trick. Bless you!!!!
Thanks a lot mate. it worked. i fixed it with a pointed toothpick.Thanks for the advice mate.
Qtip worked!! Took a couple of tries but it worked! Many thanks!
After trying several tips….cotton swab approach worked for me! Removed some cotton, inserted and rotated it about 3-4x. Then I saw a small debris at the tip of the swab. Restarted the phone and viola 🙂
Cotton swap worked a treat. Oh thank god I’ll be able to sleep tonight. Thanks so much for the knowledge.
My phone still won’t make noise and is stuck in headphone mode
compressed air worked for me