How to Turn Off Headphone Mode on Android and iOS
No matter how far technology advances, there will always be bugs bothering consumers like us every day.
A common bug faced by most of us is when our phones are stuck in headphone mode. This means that the phone software thinks that the headphones are connected even when they are not there.
To turn off headphone mode:
- Turn off Bluetooth on the phone and power down the device
- Remove all accessories like headphone jack and charging cable from the phone
- Reboot the phone and check if the problem is gone
- Check the status bar at the top. If there is no headphone icon now it means phone is out of headphone mode
All you have to do is follow the troubleshooting steps mentioned below.
Connect and disconnect headphones
Aside from device restart, the best way to turn off headphone mode is to connect your headphones to the phone and then gently disconnect them.
Once you establish the connection and then remove it, it may fix the problem, whether it is hardware related or software related.
Pair and unpair device
If you are using Bluetooth headphones with your phone, first pair the device and check if the headphone works. After doing this, turn off your headphones.
After this, go to your phone’s Bluetooth settings and turn it off as well.
use bluetooth speaker
It’s not a surefire method, but some users have found it helpful.
If you were using wired headphones with your Apple or Android device and it is stuck in headphone mode, give this a try.
- Switch on a Bluetooth device and connect it to a Bluetooth speaker
- Play a song and make sure the speaker is on to get the output
- Now, without turning off the audio, turn off the phone bluetooth
- then switch off the bluetooth speaker
- Restart your phone and it sometimes solves the problem
power down
It’s time to fool the phone! This solution will make the phone believe that it is powering down and then it will stop services like headphone connection.
Press the Power button on your phone until you get the option to turn it off. Cancel Power Down and see if Headphone Mode is removed. It can also fix the right earphone not working problem.
do soft reset on phone
At times when a regular restart doesn’t do the trick, you may have to do a soft restart of the phone.
Here’s how you can do it for iOS and Android phones.
ios phone
- Make sure your phone is on and all accessories are disconnected
- Press and hold the Power button along with the Home button for about 5-8 seconds
- This will reboot the phone and it is also known as soft reset
- After the phone turns back on, check if you see the headphones icon at the top
- To confirm if headphone mode is turned off, play any audio file on your phone
android phone
- On your Android phone, press and hold the Volume Up key and the Power button simultaneously for about 5 seconds
- In some phones, instead of Volume Up, you may need to use the Volume Down key
- Phone will restart automatically and after reset you will see a menu different option
- Select Reboot or Restart and the soft reset is complete
- Play an audio file to check if the output is your phone speaker
Try Airplane Mode
Airplane Mode isn’t the only feature to use when you fly. Once you enable it, it turns off all WiFi, Cellular, Bluetooth and other connections. Once you’ve turned on Airplane Mode, play an audio file stored on the phone to check where the output comes from. If you don’t have the audio file, turn on Wi-Fi and play the file online.
network setting reset
Another way to fix your phone stuck in headphone mode issue is to do a network reset.
Here’s how to reset network settings on your Android and iPhone:
- navigate to Adjustment phone options
- scroll down and find backup reset alternative. may be under system management or such other option
- If you can’t find it, typereset‘ in the search box Adjustment Window
- inside reset In the menu, you will find options like Reset Network Settings, Reset All Settings and Erase All Data
- you need to choose Reset Network Settings and nothing else
- Confirm the action and wait a few seconds
- As a precaution you should always restart your phone
- Now all your previously created and saved connections are available over WiFi, Cellular, Bluetooth, etc. are erased and you need to start reconnecting your devices
- But this will fix the problem of the phone getting stuck in headphone mode
Clean the headphone slot
This is a very practical approach and will require you to use some tools. There are many tools available online but you can make fashion at home. The most common device if you have a slim earbud. Gently insert the earbud into the headphone slot and start cleaning the inside. Remember that the earbud needs to be much thinner than the slot.
If you don’t have thin earbuds, take a paperclip and straighten it completely. Now use transparent tape to wrap it around the paperclip. However, the side of the stick should be on the outside to catch the dirt. Clean the slot thoroughly and roll the tape over the sides of the slot to clean up any dirt stuck in the hole.
Inspect phone audio settings
If you have messed with the audio settings on your phone it can cause the output to get stuck in headphone mode. Let us see how you can double check the audio settings on your phone.
ios phone
- click on Adjustment and then go General options at the top of the window
- scroll down easy use Adjustment
- click on Mutual action
- find now call audio routing and click on it
- it should be set self drive, If not, change it to automatic
Android phone
Unless you use specific apps for call routing, there is no specific way to do this on an Android phone. If you do, you will need to check the settings for that app. Or worse, uninstall the app and check if this is causing the stuck headphone mode problem.
Using Third Party Android Apps
If you are a tech-savvy Android user, you probably know how to root your phone or use third party apps. Some tasks can only be done if you root an Android phone or when you use special apps. Here’s what you can do.
- On Google Playstore, look for an app called Enable Disable Headphones/Speakers
- download and install it
- After launching the app, you will see that it gives you the option to switch between phone speakers and headphones
- If you want to use your speaker, change app settings accordingly and it will override what your phone software is doing
Once you have made changes to the app, it might be a good idea to restart your phone once to clear out all software bugs.
phone recovery
Did the problem occur after you made changes to the phone software? This can happen when you upgrade to a new OS or when you download certain apps. If you have a backup of your phone and then you need to do a recovery.
iOS device
Please do this action only after you have backed up your phone.
- Go to Settings and then General. click on
- Navigate to Reset and then select Erase All Content and Settings
- Once erased the phone will reboot
- Follow the on-screen instructions until you get the option to Restore from Cloud or iTunes
- Restore and check if your phone is out of headphone mode
Android phone
- Before resetting the phone, make a backup on your Google or cloud account.
- Click on Settings and go to Accessibility Settings or System Management
- Click on Backup & reset then Erase all data
- The phone will reboot and then when you sign in to your Google account, you will get the option to restore from the cloud
Why does the phone get stuck on headphone mode?
Two main components work with the headphone jack – the headphone slot and the phone software. So, it could be a bug in any of them. You have to diagnose further to understand the problem.
Headphone Jack – The headphone jack is the slot on your phone that you use to insert headphones. If there is any damage or blockage in the hole, the hardware may be bad and trick the phone into believing that there is a headphone inserted in the slot.
Phone Software – Software glitches are not uncommon and happen in any phone OS, Android and iOS. Sometimes when a headphone is not inserted or taken out properly, it can cause the software to think that the headphone is still connected. However, this problem can be fixed using the solutions mentioned below.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some commonly asked questions related to this topic that you will find useful.
1. How do I find out if my phone is stuck in Headset Mode?
- When your phone is stuck on headphone mode, there are two indicators
- You’ll see a headphone icon at the top of the screen indicating that a headphone is connected
- You only get audio output when you use connected headphones or speaker mode
- Click on the volume button of your phone. If it shows headphone volume, the phone is on headphone mode
2. How do I repair my Android phone if it is stuck on headphone mode?
Sometimes, Android devices develop certain software issues due to which they get stuck on headphone mode. If none of the above solutions work, you can try this.
- On Google, Search Android System Repair Tool
- There are many and you can download any of them on PC
- Launch the software and connect your phone to PC with USB cable
- Click on Repair Android System and enter your phone model details
- Follow the given instructions and your phone will be fine in no time
Conclusion
Isn’t this an exhaustive list of troubleshooting steps to get your phone out of headphone mode? Well, hopefully at least one of these will have a positive result for you. If nothing works, it’s time to go to a service center and have the phone checked out by professionals! Before you go, see How To Pair Powerbeats In Windows 10 And Can You Use Headphones As Mic On Xbox One
Also Check: Sleep Headphones Detailed Review and Buying Guide