How To Get Your Iphone Out Of Headphone Mode

Reporter for five years, interacted with individuals working in the technology industry.

(2021) How to Fix iPhone Stuck in Headphone Mode

Did it ever happen to you that you answer a call and can't hear anything the other person is saying because your phone says your headphones are plugged in when they're not? Well, it happened to me just recently.

Last week, I received an urgent facetime call from my boss. I could see that he was talking, and his mouth was moving but couldn't hear a word he said! Suffice to say, it was frustrating and annoying. It took me two sleepless nights to dig out the internet and solve my problem.

To make sure none of you go through the same ordeal as I did, I am listing all the ways that I found to solve this issue. So, just read along and you'll be good!

Part 1: Why Does My iPhone Get Stuck in Headphone Plugged in Mode?
Part 2: How to Solve the Problem if iPhone is Stuck in Headphone Mode?
Part 3: How to Fix Phone if You Have Attempted All Methods Above to No Avail?

Part 1: Why Does My iPhone Get Stuck in Headphone Plugged in Mode?

First, you need to understand why your phone is stuck in this headphone state. It's because to the understanding of your phone, your headphones are still plugged in the headphone or earphone jack even though they are not. There can be many reasons for your iPhone's misinterpretation, such as:

There is moisture and dust accumulated in your headphone jack.
An OS update caused a software issue leading to this problem.
You hurriedly removed headphones from your iPhone when it was busy with another function and it didn't detect the removal.
You were using faulty or substandard headphones that damaged the headphone jack causing the wrong interpretation.

These are not the only reasons that cause your iPhone to get stuck in headphone mode. Truth is, there can be many more unrelated reasons not listed here. But the good thing is, there is a solution to every problem.

Part 2: How to Solve the Problem if iPhone is Stuck in Headphone Mode?

Most of the time, about 99% of the time tbh, this issue is due to a hardware fault on your iPhone. Your phone's jack or the lightning port might be damaged causing the issue. Therefore, I have started the article (Method 1) with the solution for the most dominant cause i.e., hardware issue.

If it is not a hardware issue, you can move on to Method 2. The Method 2 deals with the solution to a software issue that might be present in your iPhone.

After software and hardware solutions, I have listed two more methods, Method 3 and Method 4. These aim to deal with any internal issues that may be present on your iPhone, causing the headphone mode problem.

If the above methods do not work for you, there is a good chance you need to move on to the last two methods i.e., 5 and 6. These methods deal with the suspicion that your phone might be corrupted and causing a headphone issue.

Let's go through these methods. You can try them one by one to solve your iPhone stuck in headphone mode issue.

1. Plugging and Unplugging your Headphones Again

This method provides the solution to a possible hardware issue. If your iPhone is stuck in headphone mode, the simplest solution is to gently unplug your headphones from the headphone port, and then plug them in again.

If this solves the issue, it is probably a one-off instance that won't happen again. So, you don't need to fret about it anymore.

2. Restart your iPhone

If the issue is with your iPhone's software, then restarting it is the solution for you. A restart will allow the phone's software to refresh. After restart, it will hopefully correctly check if a headphone is plugged into your iPhone's jack.

You can follow the steps listed below to restart your iPhone:

iPhone 6S or earlier models: Press the Home and the Power button once while holding them until you see Apple's logo disappear and reappear, then release it.

Force to restart under DFU Mode - iPhone6 and earlier versions

iPhone 7: Press the Power and down volume buttons while holding them until Apple's logo disappears and reappears on your screen.

Force to restart under DFU Mode - iPhone7s

iPhone 8 or newer models: you can press then release the volume up and the volume down buttons, then long-press the side button till the Apple logo appears on the screen.

Force to restart under DFU Mode - iPhone8

3. Clean your iPhone's Headphones Jack

Sometimes your iPhone headphone jack sends a false signal to the phone even when there is nothing plugged in. This is because moisture or debris has accumulated in the headphone jack giving an incorrect signal. This causes the iPhone to think something is plugged in even when it is not.

To solve this issue, clean your headphone jack regularly using compressed can of air. However, If you cannot find compressed air, you can also use a swab of cotton to gently clean the headphone jack. This should resolve the issue.

4. Update your iPhone

update ios system

Your iPhone will automatically update the phone's software to the latest version.

The latest versions, however, are not always stable. An unstable version can cause serious problems for your device including but not limited to incorrectly detecting headphones.

You can update your device to the latest stable version of iOS by using the following steps:

Settings > General > Software Update > Download and Install

5. Try Using Perfix

Mobitrix Perfix

If none of the above methods solve your issue of iPhone stuck in headphone mode, it is time to try Mobitrix Perfix. It is an iOS repair and recovery tool with which you can solve most of your problems in just a few clicks. It is a secure and efficient tool that can make your life a lot easier.

You can follow the steps given below to fix your iPhone:

Step 1 - Connect your iPhone to a computer and launch Perfix.

Step 2 - Select the standard mode option to fix your iPhone.

Step 3 - Enter the model number of your iPhone's iOS and supported version of its firmware.

Step 4 - The app will now download the required firmware of iOS and verify the connected device.

Step 5 - To upgrade your iPhone's software and fix any problems with it, Click the button labeled "Fix Now".

Advantages of Using Perfix

Here are some advantages of using Perfix:

You don't have to download Finder or iTunes on your computer.
You can repair your phone without any data loss.
You can follow easy steps for recovery and fix your phone in a single click.
Support for all iPhone models and iOS versions is available.

6. Using DFU Mode to Fix Your iPhone

DFU is Device Firm Update. It allows you to halt your iPhone during the bootup process. You can then easily restore your device.

For this method, you need to connect your iPhone to a computer through a USB cable and follow the following steps:

recovery mode restore iphone connected with itunes

Step 1 - Download and Install the newest version of iTunes on your PC or computer.

Step 2 - Connect your iPhone to the computer via a USB cable.

Step 3 - Wait for the computer to acknowledge your iPhone.

Step 4 - Go to Summary Restore iPhone.

Disadvantages of This Method

This method, unfortunately, comes with a few disadvantages, such as:

It has complicated steps that are hard to follow for children and the elderly.
You have to download another software i.e., iTunes
It does not have compatibility with every model of the iPhone.

Part 3: How to Fix Phone if You Have Attempted All Methods Above to No Avail?

In case you have followed all the methods that I have listed above and the issue is still not resolved, I'd suggest you take your iPhone to a seasoned repair-person. Alternatively, you can contact your local Apple support center and find a solution there.

Though it will not be the case since I'm pretty sure that any of the methods listed above (especially the one that involves Perfix) would work, I'm still telling you this as the last resort! Hope it doesn't come to this!

To Sum Up

Our phones are an essential part of our lives and we need them to work properly to go about our business. But most of the time, their issues, particularly those belonging to iPhones, are complex and pretty hard to fix.

Thankfully, Mobitrix Perfix has you covered! I can't praise this tool enough! It is the one single solution of almost all your iPhone problems. The best thing about this tool is that users don't need to have any special knowledge to be able to use it. No matter how non-tech you're, Perfix can help you solve your problems in just a few clicks!!!