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Sometimes the iPhone gets stuck and thinks it has regular earphones or ear buds attached even though you don’t. Here are a few things to try.
- If you have a regular iPod headset, try attaching those to your iPhone and unplugging them several times.
- Plug and unplug your iPhone headset several times.
- Lint may be trapped in the connection. Try blowing into it or try canned air.
Ensure the unit is unlocked while performing these steps.
by adam, on October 11 2008 @ 8:44 am
thanks for this tip.
by Anthony Bunn, on October 13 2008 @ 1:00 am
I try the above using iPod headset, try attaching into iPhone and unplugging them several times.
I try to force it in and out fast, didn’t work however. So I’ve tried to clam down do it slowly at at a time pulling in and out, finally it’s working!!!!.
Thanks,
by tea, on October 27 2008 @ 5:10 pm
thank you! thank you! your advice worked!
by Antony Pratap, on November 3 2008 @ 3:31 am
This issue has been reported by Apple. Plugging In and Out a zillion times is not going to help resolve this issue as it may only damage the jack.
Is there another fix for this issue?
-Anto
by kwstas, on November 5 2008 @ 8:56 am
i tried to plug and unplug several times, i restored my iphone from itunes, i reseted my iphone with home and lock button but it didn’t work
by kwstas, on November 5 2008 @ 8:57 am
any advice???
by Jake, on November 29 2008 @ 9:12 pm
Lots of posts here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1630?viewlocale=en_US
That includes a link to Apple’s KB article on the same.
What worked for me, after trying all the fixes like plugging and unplugging while the phone was open, starting and stopping playback, switching between speakerphone on normal…
…was just a q=tip with no cotton on it. It removed some gunk that had apparently fallen down the jack hole. Problem solved.
by Armand, on April 21 2009 @ 1:45 pm
WOW
Hello all, don’t you love Google
I am so glad this post was found because I really was desperate about my iPhone that I could only make calls with my headset from now. But the plug in plug out did the trick
THANKS GUYZ
by Rehan, on June 18 2009 @ 1:52 am
Thanks for the help. It helped me and my iphone works perfectly now
by Audio drop-out when on call - Stuck in headphone mode - MacTalk Forums, on July 8 2009 @ 10:52 pm
[...] (with a paperclip) and pull it out again to remove any dust/debris. 3. reset the phone. See this, this one, this one and this one Ive done all of these and its still occuring. Whats worse is that I think [...]
by Allen, on July 9 2009 @ 3:34 pm
I addition to the things mentioned above, I’ve also had success with both of the following:
1. Use a toothpick to clean out the pocket lint and other crap from the data port at the bottom of the phone.
2. Remove the majority of the cotton from both ends of a cotton swap. Dip one of the ends in isopropyl alcohol and insert into the headset jack. Spin and oscillate the swab in and out of the jack to thoroughly clean the inside walls. Follow again with the dry end of the cotton swab.
This issue was a contant occurance until I did the second suggestion. Not anymore.
by Aaron Smith, on July 30 2009 @ 11:35 pm
I had this bug and tried everything bug nothing worked. Finally, I found out that I had had my mute button (the switch just above the volume buttons) enabled. Disabling this fixed the problem.
by awillimd, on August 1 2009 @ 5:11 pm
OK, so here’s my story…and possibly a solution. My iPhone would get stuck in Ringer (headphone) mode. No amount of inserting and removing the headphone jack would work. Blowing into the jack hole didn’t work. This morning I went to the Apple Genius Bar. They did some tests, blew crap out of the hole and the problem did not go away. Eventually they completely wiped my phone back to its virgin state. Still didn’t do the trick. They offered to exchange the phone (of course, it’s about a month out of warranty) with an exact copy (white, 3G, 16GB) for $199. I declined as I’m eligible for a lower cost 3GS upgrade in December. Came home depressed wondering why I didn’t take out an AppleCare Plan. Again tried all the tricks and the problem just seemed to get worse (i.e. it just stayed in headphone mode). So, here’s what worked for me. I normally use a pair of Etymotic earbuds instead of the supplied iPhone earbuds. The Etymotic jack (that thing that goes inside the iPhone) is different from the iPhone earbud jack. The Etymotics jack has two black bands (separating the jack into three separate metal pieces). The native iPhone earbuds jack has three white band that separates the jack into four separate metal pieces. Somehow, my Etymotic jack messed up the iPhone settings and caused it to get stuck in the headphone mode. The only way to get it back was to re-insert the Etymotic jack. That has reset the iPhone and everything is working fine again. So, if you are using any brand of earbud other than the native iPhone buds, that may be causing the problem. Hope that helps. Works like a charm for me.
by Gill, on August 16 2009 @ 5:54 pm
I had the same problem yesterday. Tried everything (restore everything, plug in and out)and nothing worked. Then i had my headphone pluged into my phone for the whole night and finally this morning i took it out and it worked again. I’m worry that there is something wrong with my phone because i never used my headset before this happened. i don’t understand why it was on headset mode even though i never use my headset.does anyone have any suggestions?
by Glenn H., on August 19 2009 @ 4:28 pm
awillimd–THANKS SO MUCH. I put my other headphones in (that I use at the gym) and that fixed it…
Therefore, I had to use the last pair of headphones…not the earbuds…to get it to go back to non-headphone mode!
by J Snyder, on September 30 2009 @ 2:31 pm
I have tried everything above. Got it off once and went back to headphones 2 minutes later…any more suggestions?
by Steve, on October 5 2009 @ 9:34 am
This seems to be working for me thus far. Did it once, it worked, then went back to headphones mode. Did it again, this time it is behaving normally thus far:
1. Put the iPhone into iPod mode with headphones in and start playback.
2. Stop playback and exit iPod mode.
3. Remove headphones.
by Puas, on October 26 2009 @ 6:31 pm
Allen, your tip about the q tip and toothpick
seem to do the trick. The toothpick worked best
as I could pull out several pieces of lint from the
bottom of the Jack… apparently, inserting and removing
the headphone jack, as suggested by Apple and
several blogs, only excacerbated the problem, packing
the lint!
Thanks for the tip!
by Puas, on November 6 2009 @ 12:59 pm
Follow up to my 10/26 post…
looks like I spoke too soon, a day later the problem returned
with a vengence! It became a constant annoyance. So I called
tech support, they schedule a genius appt, and I took my phone in.
But, of COURSE, the phone was working fine once I got into the store!?$@&)$?!
The tech said all he could do was wipe it clean with a fresh software load! I told
him I didn’t have the time or the patience to make the 45 min drive back to the store
if the software fix didn’t work… and insisted he replace my phone!
Got a new phone… wonder how long before the next problem!
by Elijah Gardner, on November 17 2009 @ 11:32 am
What I did was very low tech but worked. I Went to radio shack. Purcahsed a Mini Stero Connector. Cut it down Flush with the top of the phone and inserted it into the Jack. I can still remove it when I want to use headphones. The iPhone works perfectly now.
by andrew, on November 18 2009 @ 1:48 am
Elijah, is the mini stereo connector still working for you? I have tried everything else. thx
by matthew, on February 11 2010 @ 7:50 am
the q-tip thing worked! woot woot!
by Xavier, on February 14 2010 @ 2:07 pm
What you need to do to fix the headphone mode is to plug and unplug the headphones into your iPhone while turning up and down the volume on the phone.. Try that if blowing air don’t work out for ya. It did for me.
by Susan, on February 14 2010 @ 9:34 pm
Thankx for all the advice! I found that the problem was actually in the data/recharge connector at the bottom of the phone.
by Nikki, on February 23 2010 @ 4:18 am
This is a great site I dropped my iPhone in water yes stupid, butcfrsbbed it out asap but the phone was now stuck on headphones had no idea what to do. But the tooth puck in the top of the jack really worked thanks heaps couldn’t live without my iPhone
by Robert, on March 6 2010 @ 10:48 am
I had the same problem. Seems like there is a pressure switch at the end of the hole where you put the jack into.
I could be wrong but thats my guess. I used a toothpick to
push around in there and then the itouch worked.
by Glenn, on March 8 2010 @ 4:37 pm
I tried all of the above without success. Connected to the bluetooth in the car, made a call, turned the car off and there you go, headphone setting gone. Go figure.
by Matt, on March 17 2010 @ 6:49 am
Tryed everything mentioned didn’t work so I put it on vibrate let it die restarted then took off vibrate it worked!
by Alexa, on March 18 2010 @ 10:48 pm
I am having the same problem too.. Nothing worked.
by Alexa, on March 19 2010 @ 1:12 am
It worked!! I plugged the apple headphone in the jack and turn off my iphone for 2 hours or so. When I turn it back on and remove the jack, it’s no longer in headphone mode. Thanks guys!
by tim mqak, on March 23 2010 @ 3:01 pm
same problem and toothpick worked and some dirt crap fell out and then just blew out with my mouth to make sure all loose stuff was gone. minute amount of dirt but it was the problem
by Xavp767, on March 31 2010 @ 9:34 pm
for me it works with the cotton stick.. i removed the cotton and insert the stick in the headhphone jack… it worked…
by Kaylaaaa, on April 21 2010 @ 2:39 pm
I had the same problem and yes, the first time it happened the inserting and taking out of the earphones did work but it keeps happening. It seems to be happening to me when it is raining???? The last time it happened, last night, I left my phone in my car my window the tiniest bit down. It rained last night also. I think it has something to do with moisture..
This morning I rolled the corner of a tissue up and put it in the headphone hole and twisted it around a bit.
Seemed to work, possibly got any lint or anything out..
Hopefully it stays like that, fingers crossed.
by john, on April 30 2010 @ 2:40 am
Had the same problem too. after trying to insert earphone jack many times, after trying a toothpick many times nothing worked. Then i used the q-tip with isopropyl alcohol. I wetted the q-tip with the isopropyl and shaped the q-tip by spinning it in my fingertips. I made sure the phone was off before trying to clean. I inserted the q-tip into the phone jack and cleaned by spinning the q-tip around. Then i used the other side of the q-tip with some of the cotton removed and inserted it into the jack and spun it, (to dry). I let the phone sit for about 30 seconds to dry. Presto cleaned and now working. Thanks for your help
by hm, on May 8 2010 @ 1:03 pm
try blowing compressed air that comes in a can from your local office supply store. It worked for me and I didn’t have to stick any foreign objects into my iphone.
by Michi, on May 17 2010 @ 9:13 pm
OHMYGAWD. I LOVE YOU PEOPLE. Okay so my bro was fighting with me and accidentally made me spill a half gallon of water all over my ipod touch second generation. I flipped out. I tried everything, plugging headphones in and out, ect. I tried the tootpick hesitantly, totally worked right away. Speakers are working again. SMILEY FACE(;
by WillC, on May 18 2010 @ 4:14 pm
THE REAL CAUSE: ** HEAT generated by internal iPhone 3G components causes this headset mode problem to keep occurring **
For all of you who have this issue, the real reason is not something that Apple wants to admit. The problem is a defect in the manufacturing of older iPhone, not debris in the headphone jack, and might be limited to older generation devices (3G or older) using older manufacturing processes.
If you go into a retail store, Apple will first try to convince you that something stuck in the headphone jack is the real culprit and after 5-10 minutes in the backroom ‘cleaning it’ it will appear to be working again. Of course, this goes away in that time the ‘Genius’ is in the back room, since the device has cooled down. The option they present to you (if out-of-warranty) is to replace the old device with another old device at the cost of a newer generation device, which might very well exhibit the same behavior in the future.
The simplest way for you to reproduce this issue is by using your iPhone for phone calls or heavy game playing for extended periods of time (15+ minutes depending on the severity of your hardware issue) and the phone will switch into headphone mode automatically. This is extremely annoying if you’re on a call with a Bluetooth headset since it will switch by itself in the middle of your call to headset mode.
Usually it resolves itself shortly after the activity that caused the heat stops. Thus, by the time you arrive at a ‘Genius-bar’ appointment, it’s no longer repeatable. Or after gathering the q-tips/headphone plugs and inserting them repeatedly, the cool down will have happened and it appears to also resolve. But not matter what, repeated use will bring this issue back.
THE RESOLUTION: NONE at this time, unless we complain and highlight the repeatability of this issue. Apple has downplayed this as not being a hardware issue and will likely fight any requests for free replacements.
by PaulO, on May 23 2010 @ 3:18 pm
I have come to the same conclusion.. it is an insidious problem, but when the iPhone heats up, it will frequently go into Headset mode (even during a call) and while hot, none of the purported issues will recover it.
I think this is complicated by the fact that the lint issue may in fact cause the same symptom.. (but not during a call, IMO). I took my 3G into the Genius bar last week and they had never heard of this problem.. but suggested a full restore, which I think is a giant waste of time. It is obvious to me that it is something other than a software issue..
I had gradually come to the same conclusion as WillC after owning the 3g for 2+ years and now this problem has started and seems to be accelerating in frequency.. not something you’d expect if lint was the issue, but more likely a component aging issue.
Given the volume of complaints on this issue, I would guess that Apple probably knows 9or at least suspects) that it is not a dirt issue (Reminds me of the Toyota acceleration problem being initially blamed on just a floor mat issue…)
Paul
by Sandra, on May 28 2010 @ 10:03 pm
The Q-tip trick worked!
by Ingrid, on June 2 2010 @ 7:12 pm
I had the exact same problem like you guys.My Iphone always gets stuck on ringer (headphones) even after removing it. So i brought my phone to Globe (which is my ISP & where i also bought my Iphone).They resetted all settings & it worked for quite some time (2 weeks the most) then i had the same problem again. I brought it back to my provider then they took it to apple (1 week) to have all the date erased & bring the phone back to its original settings.It worked again for 2 days but it went back again to my dilemma. So i brought it back to my provider then after a week again they finally replaced my Iphone (since it was still under warranty)but imagine the inconvenience that i had to go thru for at least almosta month with a phone that is not working fine.The new Iphone that i got has been working well but i noticed sometimes that its switching to ringer (headphones) even after removing the headphone. I fear that i might have the same problem again with Iphone. Such a big disappointment to me.
by Msj, on June 5 2010 @ 3:48 pm
Go to settings. Phone. TTY. Turn that off and presto phone is working!
by DaddyD, on June 5 2010 @ 4:52 pm
IT MUST BE THE HEAT, I left my phone connected to a stereo sitting in the sun, it was very hot when i removed it to take a call, I couldn’t hear the person and had to go into speaker mode.. then had the same problem as everyone here , headphones in and out would not work. i put it in the fridge for 2 minutes, voila! good as new
by Michi, on June 5 2010 @ 6:52 pm
It might have been the heat for me as well, instead of the water. Now that i think about it… My itouch was sitting next to a lava lamp. Could that have caused it?
by Jeff, on June 13 2010 @ 8:52 pm
Hi all, i had spill water in my iphone 3G headphone jack which made it suck in headphone mode.
What i did to fix it was take a cotton from a q-tip, dipped it in rubbing alcohol(a little)then put it in the jack. After that i took a blow dyer on hot and blowed air into my phone for 30 secs then it worked!
by Jeremy, on June 18 2010 @ 5:59 am
canned compressed air worked for me not puling plugs in and out which cant be good for the phone
by mel, on June 30 2010 @ 9:48 pm
toothpick works!
by Alex, on July 2 2010 @ 2:47 pm
Don’t even try plugging/unplugging. It doesn’t work. Neither does a toothpick. Q-tip without any iso on it worked perfectly. In my case and in most others I don’t believe it had anything to do with heat build up. My phone was off for 10 hours and when i turned it on it was like that…it’s definitely a serious defect in the iphone though.
by Heather, on July 5 2010 @ 1:35 pm
I just got the iPhone 4 and after a week it got stuck in headphone mode. I tried one of the suggestions above of changing my ringtone to one I had purchased and it worked again immediately.
by Paul, on July 5 2010 @ 3:05 pm
This problem exhibits a number of failure modes, and though I am sure some devices have the headset problem without heat, heat definitely causes similar symptoms to the problem which probably confuses the whole issue. If you have dirt in the headphone jack, that will confuse the mode the phone thinks it is in. Many have reported this problem and using air or any other fix will likely restore the phone. I view that as NOT a fault of the device, but simply a use/care issue, easily resolved.
The heat problem is much more insidious one that I cannot resolve. The phone will get totally confused as to what audio mode it should be in.. Adjusting ringer tune, will fix, but only for a minute or two..(if unit is still warm)..
I have not heard an explanation or hypothesis yet as to why changing the ringtone will temporarily “cure” the problem, as I would think a heat related failure would be purely hardware, not software, and more permanent. Am debating changing the headphone jack, but that is an intricate process and though some claimed it fixed their problem, quite a few have said it did not.. very frustrating as I can find related posts (on Apple’s own forum no less) dating back a couple of years on this issue… so clearly, it is something known to Apple, though Apple has not fessed up as to the cause, or total FIX, other than replacing the whole phone. Thanks APPLE.
by Teresa, on July 12 2010 @ 4:16 am
I dropped my iphone in kids bath, picked it up quickly and stuck in headphones mode,although I have never used my headphones. a toothpick worked for me just cleaned the bottom in the recharge connector and wala I have sound.
by MIKEY, on July 16 2010 @ 5:00 am
The ONLY way is to short circuit the phone. it worked for me. i inserted the end of a paper clip in the charging socket and it turned my phone off. i then could not turn it back on unless i removed the battery first then powered on successfully with the head set setting now disabled. WOLLA !
by Mick, on July 16 2010 @ 12:36 pm
Spilled soda on iPhone 4. Tried leaving in the sun for a few mins. Ringer (Headphone) “notification” came up. Blew out soda and other gunk in headset hole with compressed air and the notification disappeared (for now).
by Austen, on July 19 2010 @ 5:33 pm
OK guys I’ve had the same problem for a while, and I “may” have found the solution. Headphone mode would happen constantly – especially coming on after a 4-5 minute phone call, it would just switch to headphones. I had lint removed from the headphone jack – no change. I had the software wiped and installed the latest firmare – no change! Then I had a iphone repair shop replace the headphone jack circuit board – no change!! Then I started picking lint out of the data/charging port at the bottom – TADA!!!!!