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August 30, 2007 12:00 AM PDT

No iPhone audio (speaker or earpiece not working)? A simple fix

by Ben Wilson
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If you experience an issue where the iPhone suddenly refuses to deliver audio through the earpiece (you can't hear phone calls, speaker not working, earpiece not working), only delivering audio when the speakerphone option is turned on, or an issue where no audio is delivered through headphones or the Apple stereo headset, there is a simple fix that we also noted as part of our iPhone Update 1.0.2 coverage: unplug then re-plug headphones or any other compatible device into the iPhone's audio jack several times. This simple routine has solved the problem for countless iPhone Atlas readers.

At root, the problem appears to be that the iPhone "forgets" which mode it is in, erroneously thinking that it should still send audio through the audio jack instead of the earpiece. Failing this fix, try the following:

  • Reset your iPhone by holding down the sleep and home buttons until the Apple logo appears;
  • Restore your iPhone: Click the Restore button under the Summary tab. Restoring the phone will erase contacts, calendars, photos and other data on the phone, but will restore automatically backed-up information including text messages, notes, call history, contact favorites, sound settings, widget settings, etc.

Feedback? info@iphoneatlas.com.

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Add a Comment (Log in or register) (24 Comments)
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by rikemomo September 11, 2007 9:28 PM PDT
nice--
this worked perfectly. I was pretty freaked when things just stopped working. I just inserted the headphones a few times and all was right with the world...

thanks,
mike
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by roman.medioni October 28, 2007 4:59 AM PDT
hey,
If i restore my iphone , will i have to unlock again?
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by orpheus2mil7 March 24, 2008 4:43 AM PDT
I THINK I GOT IT!!!! I had the same problem each time I jailbreak my iphone!I figured out that each time I install the SUMMER BOARD I get the same issue! so guess what! no summer board!! No problem!! But I dont know if you can live without summer board but I do! I know its hard because now I don't know how to put different themes. Its ok I will find out!!
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by chubaca527 May 21, 2008 12:35 PM PDT
MEN YOU SAFE MY LIFE I WAS SO SCARED AND THEN I READ THIS TRY IT PLUG AND UNPLUG SEREVAL TIMES AND IT WORKS!!! THANKS!!
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by arabiansweethrt January 4, 2009 9:06 PM PST
OMGGGGGGGG THANK U SOOOO MUCHHHH I WAS SOO SCARED. AHHHH I LOVE UUU
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by Josemilrosario January 25, 2009 9:13 PM PST
Can anyone help me, i have this same problem with my earpiece . But what happened to me is that i broke a little connector in the motherboard, when i was fixing my broken screen. Does anyone know how that little conector is called on the iphone 3g mother board, the little tinny one next to the sim card tray, i believe
It is the 3rd cable to unplug when taking tha iphone 3g appart.
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by magaweb April 9, 2009 2:44 PM PDT
Samething happened to me. Dis you solve it?
by foxism May 12, 2009 11:52 PM PDT
i got similar problem! gota 2.2.1 3g! plug-unplug wont work!:( cant hear voice until i set speaker On and through my headfon!
by dwjb246 October 27, 2009 9:30 AM PDT
Did you get this sorted? I've had exactly the same problem
by webgirl21 February 8, 2009 7:33 PM PST
This just worked- thank you!!! I thought that I had somehow gotten my iPhone wet when I was using it at the gym but it was simply what you had pointed out above- the phone not recognizing that the headphones had been disconnected. whew! so relieved.
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by shashidharb February 25, 2009 12:55 PM PST
This worked for me .. thnx :-))
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by artinova1 March 5, 2009 10:05 PM PST
I have a solution, ONLY IF YOUR`iPHONE IS JAILBROKEN.
Download SBSSettings from Cydia
then just re-spring once or twice or just change any setting on the SBS setting to let it restart the iPhone, and that's what worked for me.
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by dnajuiceman June 20, 2009 3:02 AM PDT
I wish I'd read this before returning my iPhone 3G 16gb for repair under warranty! I just had a call to say there was liquid damage and it would cost £139 to replace it! I told them send it back and I would use my insurance but thanks to this site I'll try the cheaper fix first!!

Does anyone know if OS3 solves this little idiosynchrasy?
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by xaroc June 21, 2009 1:55 PM PDT
I just Fixed my "Stuck in headphones mode" not allowing the speaker to work. I tried the Headphone jack plugging and unplugging, 30+ times, didnt work, Tried Cue Tip, Didnt work.
blowing in to the headphone jack didnt work, but what i DID do was seal my lips around the headphone Jack, Blowing directly IN to the headphone jack pretty hard, fixed it instantly. Never had the problem again.

Give it a try ^_^ !
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by george_ca June 28, 2009 10:03 AM PDT
Wow, it works great. I plug and unplug three times. Suddenly sound comes out of the iPhone speaker.
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by JosephAlves September 4, 2009 9:08 AM PDT
Mine iPhone lost sound on the external speakers. I tried blowing the dust that didn't exist out of the headphone port, didn't work. I tried to plug in and out the headphones quickly, didn't work. Tried to reset settings, annoying, and didn't work.

Finally I hooked up my iPhone to my Logitech ipod player then disconnected it. This fixed the problem. I have no idea how it got in headphone mode, I had just made a call without headphones then locked my phone and an hour later it was somehow stuck in headphone mode.

A good way to tell if the problem is that it's stuck in headphone mode is when you plug headphones in then pull them out your ipod will not pause the track, it keeps playing, without sound of course.
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by st_sinner October 2, 2009 4:17 PM PDT
my iphone 3g suddenly stopped producing sound from right audio speaker...left one works fine though.. any solution anyone?? thankx in advance....
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by jtFromSd November 23, 2009 5:41 PM PST
exact same problem. I turned mine in under warranty for a new one and the new one has even less audio coming out of the right speaker. We have a different problem then the others on this thread. Not sure what it is.

I'll post solution if I find it. please do if you find it before i do.

thx
by jtFromSd November 23, 2009 5:49 PM PST
Guess what. There's only ONE speaker! The other one on the right is the mic. Geeez. Idiots at vodaphone should have known this.

see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpPoW5tNAiE
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by jslill December 8, 2009 11:23 AM PST
Actually just checked at the Apple store and both ports at the bottom are indeed speakers. Equal audio levels out of each speaker.
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by batcha80 December 19, 2009 12:15 AM PST
iphone 3g speaker is not working
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by Iphoneuser102 January 6, 2010 11:50 PM PST
took apart my iphone and put it back together..and i can't get sound out of the earpeic...could it be one of the circuits incorrectly put back together? Everything else functions correctly except for this one problem...nebody help...?
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by shagg1245 February 4, 2010 9:36 AM PST
I just did the same, replacing my screen/lcd, upon closer inspection it appears to be the third of the three connections that you have to break, the one that you have to lift up the little tab for, i have since taken it apart and tried to more securely connect the tab but nothing works. Of course, now that i cracked it open any warranty is void so please post anything that might help. Thanks
by mgrazko January 25, 2010 4:47 PM PST
Brand new iphone 3GS, Headphones worked as well as the microphone but the volume control and the answer device did not work. Replaced them at the apple store, same problem. After reading this website, I blew air into the headset port and voila! it works. It is worth a try.
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