How to Fix iPhone Stuck in Headphone Mode

Even though a headphone isn’t plugged in, the iPhone still thinks and acts as if an earphone is connected to its 3.5 mm jack or the Lightning port. As a result, sound may not come from the speaker or earpiece. This is referred to as ‘iPhone stuck in headphone mode.’ Thankfully, the fixes that work successfully for most people are quick and easy to follow. Let’s look at twelve such solutions to resolve this issue.

Insert and Remove the Headphones
Enable and Disable Airplane Mode
Restart Your iPhone
Clean the Headphone Jack or Lightning Port
Force Quit the App and Relaunch It
Turn Off Bluetooth
Make Sure Call Audio Routing is Set to Automatic
Update Your iPhone
Remove Cover If It Causes Interference
Is Your iPhone Water Damaged?
Reset All Settings
Contact Apple Support

1. Insert and Remove the Headphones

This is the easiest fix. All you have to do is insert the headphone in its jack or the Lightning port and pull it out after a few seconds. For a successful result, you may have to repeat this process more than once.

2. Enable and Disable Airplane Mode

Consider turning Airplane mode on and off when your iPhone is stuck in headphone mode.

You can do this from the Control Center, or open the Settings app and tap on the toggle for Airplane Mode. After 15 seconds, tap on the same to disable it.

3. Restart Your iPhone

If the above two solutions did not work, kindly restart your iPhone. It is a simple process that involves switching off the device and then switching it back on.

For this, you can use the physical buttons or open the Settings app → General → Shut Down. After a minute, turn on your iPhone. This annoying issue will most likely be history now!

In rare situations, if restarting did not work, please perform a force restart.

4. Clean the Headphone Jack or Lightning Port

Undoubtedly, dirt (and water) are among the biggest enemies for any electronic device. If you have been using your iPhone for a considerable time, enough dust might have settled inside the tiny ports. This often creates interference with the proper working of the wired earphones.

Use a soft cloth or a soft brush to clean the insides of the headphone jack or the Lightning port. You can also look for related videos on YouTube that show you how to clean these ports carefully. Besides, you must check out our guide on how to clean and disinfect your iPhone and pick up some tips from it.

5. Force Quit the App and Relaunch It

My iPhone often gets stuck on headphone mode when I watch videos in VLC. In almost all cases, unplugging and reinserting the earphone works. But a few times it does not. So, for these instances, it is recommended to force quit the app.

For this, on iPhones with Face ID, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold. On iPhones with the Home button, double press it quickly. Next, drag the app card up to force close it. After a few seconds, relaunch the app, and everything should work flawlessly.

6. Turn Off Bluetooth

If you use a wireless sound device with your iPhone, it may cause this problem in rare instances. To address this, open the Settings app and tap on Bluetooth. Next, turn its toggle off.

7. Make Sure Call Audio Routing is Set to Automatic

Another trick that may fix this weird issue is setting ‘Call Audio Routing’ to automatic. This feature determines what will be the audio output during FaceTime or phone calls.

For this, open the Settings app → Accessibility → Touch → Call Audio Routing → Automatic.

8. Update Your iPhone

It goes without much debate that in software updates, Apple tries to fix bugs, add new features, and improve the overall experience. Thus, it is of prime importance to keep your device updated with the latest version of iOS.

For this, open the Settings app and tap on General.

Next, tap on Software Update. If there is a pending update, tap on Download and Install.

9. Remove Cover If It Causes Interference

Are you using such a case that partially blocks the headphone jack or the Lightning port? Do you have to use more resistance to insert the earphone with the cover on? If yes, please remove the case and consider buying one that does not cause such interference.

10. Is Your iPhone Water Damaged?

If you dropped your iPhone (even if it is officially waterproof) into the water, it could be the reason for the stuck headphone issue. In these situations, you should wait until the device is completely dry. If needed, contact an authorized service center and have them inspect the device. It can be dangerous to power on and operate a wet electronic device.

11. Reset All Settings

This removes all the settings you changed and restores them to the default state. However, personal files, apps, music, photos, etc. are not affected by it.

After you have tried everything mentioned here and continue to face the problem, it is time to reset all the settings.

Open the Settings app and tap on General scroll to the bottom and tap on Reset.
Reset All Settings enter your iPhone passcode and confirm.

12. Contact Apple Support

The article primarily aspires to fix this issue if it is caused due to software. But, if your iPhone has suffered a fall or if there is physical damage to the ports due to any reason, you must contact Apple Support. They will take it from here and assist you accordingly.

Signing Off

These were the ways to get out of the situation when the iPhone gets stuck in headphone mode. Which method did the trick for you? Kindly mention it in the comments down below.

Since you are here, do not forget to check some more helpful related content to enhance your knowledge of the device you use every day.

Dhvanesh

The founder of iGeeksBlog, Dhvanesh, is an Apple aficionado, who cannot stand even a slight innuendo about Apple products. He dons the cap of editor-in-chief to make sure that articles match the quality standard before they are published.