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.
It worked for a short amount of time but converted back after a minute or so
Q-Tip worked and blowing into by mouth worked for me. Thank you all.
It worked!! I got a cotton swab (the things you clean your ear with) and twisted the end so it was small enough to get everything out! I’m so grateful I found this post, thank you so much!!
Ripped some of the cotton of the end of a cotton swab so that their was still some left, but it could fit in the jack. Worked like a charm.
It worked for me too for just using cotton swab. Thanks 🙂
Thank you
After trying almost everything, I wanted to give up and take it to the Apple Store the next day. Then I said to myself ‘I’ll try one last time with a cotton swab’ and IT WORKED! I’m still amazed! Thank you for these tips!
I saw some funk in the headphone jack but I didnt have a pen with me so I took a Q tip and broke the cotton part off so all that was left was the stem or the handle, I stuck it in the hole and swirled it around the edges and it worked!!! I saw the black stuff on the Q tip. Thank you so much!!! I didnt want to buy a new phone!
Wow… I tried the cotton swab. And it worked! Just took off the cotton and input the stick end of it inside the head phone port and pulled out. And Waalaaa… out came some tiny particles of fuzz..
Thank you! I thought I may have had water damage becasue I dropped my iphone in the snow on accident. I ended up plugging my headphones in the jack and wiggling it around a bit, then taking it out and now everything is working fine.
Thank you very much. My wife was down and upset that she might have to get a new phone or be forced to talk on speakerphone or with headphones. I tried the compressed air, no luck. I didn’t have a BIG pen but I used that idea. I removed the cotton off a Q-tip and used the same gentle technique you mentioned with the pen tube. Thanks again. You saved us a headache and unnecessary fixing $$$.
I WAS ABOUT TO GIVE UP AFTER TRYING THE TRICKS BUT THEN I got a paper clip n dug around in there and now it works so as a last desperate resort paper clip
Q-tip worked for my wife! What a relief.
I know it sounds weird, but my bro in law put it in the freezer for an hour then in rice for an hour. All sorted. It had gotten wet and this worked
Thanks so much for this article! I used compressed air, had one of those keyboard cleaner compressed air bottles lying around, and after a couple of sprays it finally came off the headphone mode!
Thanks! The cotton swab then restart works!
I accidentally spilt water near the headphone jack area and it was doing exactly this. So I put my phone is a ziplock bag with rice and left it for maybe 10 minutes and it worked again! Rice does wonders if you get water inside your phone
Genius!! Thank you!! You saved my phone and Im truely grateful for the cotton bud trick, it worked like a charm . I dropped my phone in the toilet for a nano second (completely forgot phone was in back pocket ), and thought my iPhone was pooped…. massive thanks for sharing
Work for me, thanks a lots
Yess …! The trick with the BIC-pen blowing into the jack worked for me.
Woody Marmite.
Dropped my phone in the snow and it went into headphone mode. Screwed up some tissue paper and inserted it into the jack plug hole. It took a couple of attempts but it got what little water was in there. Happy dog now.
Woof Woof.
Qtip? Nope. Bic? Nope. Consider a rice bath and take off the Otter Box to prep? Fixed!?! Yup.
absolute genius thank you
Hey everyone,
I almost lost my 6s’ speaker as well but after reading this page an idea struck my mind: I rolled a paper napkin an inch long and folded it, put the folded end into the jack and guess what, Magic!
Speaker works now 🙂
Thank you very much, headphone tip was stuck inside the jack and the bic pen trick worked. Thanks again!!!
Thanks so much! What a thoughful, step by step analysis of the problem. Even though I didn’t see anything in there, I did your pen trick. That fixed it!
Fantastic, rice worked for me!
Frickin love you man! The cotton swab helped. Thanks a lot! <3
Cotton earbud cleaner worked..
Yep taking cotton off a cotton swab worked for mine too! Didnt see anything in there but just wiggled it round and suddenly the volume setting worked again! Thanks everyone for the advice!
My daughter spilled iced coffee on her iPhone yesterday and soon after that she discovered her phone was stuck in headphone mode meaning something was in the headphone jack. I also used the tip of a cotton swab with the cotton removed but dipped the tip in alcohol because I figured it could be good for cleaning as well as acting as a drying agent. I would recommend this if water has entered the hole as well. Later on that evening the problem was fixed!
Thank you Bick pen worked!
Great advice!! Nick pen tricked worked for me too! Thank you so much.
I put my phone in rice over night and in the morning it worked fine, I wish you the best if this happens to you
thanks you really
This is a gift that keeps on giving. Tried cotton swab on iPad Pro. It WORKED. Bless you!!!
you area life savor!
This website saved me from my panick thank god for that
Pipe cleaner worked for me
These suggestions are definitely great but let me tell you that for some reason these did not work for me. I then kept my phone in bowl of uncooked rice overnight. Powered off and on–issue resolved!
Thank you so much for sharing, helped me to localize the problem! I did the cotton swap twist also, didnt work right away but after turning it off and a night in rice it was working again. The headphone jack seems to be quite sensitive.
Cut an ear/cotton bud on a sharp angle and poke around, the only way that worked for me
I was skeptical but the BIC trick worked like a charm!!! Thanks so much!
Yey thanks it work for me and i tried several ones
Hurray for the pen trick <3
Great advice! My phone works again! 🙂
Ok! the bic pen/q-tip thing worked!!! Very happy and impressed!!! Thanks for the tip!!
You’re the best!!!!! Water was the culprit for me. Fixed now thank you!
It still didnt work for me
Thank you the compressed air did the job!!