As you may know, Headphone mode means you can’t make essential calls without headphones. And you can’t quickly show off your music, videos, and other media to others without making a fuss.
Why is the Android phone stuck in headphone mode?
When you connect the headphones to your Android phone, the phone automatically recognizes the connected device and enters headphone mode.
Unfortunately, there are times when the phone gets stuck in headphone mode even after removing the headphones. The phone thinks it’s plugged in even though the headphones aren’t.
In this case, media playback will stop when the headphones are removed. And it won’t play again unless you put the headphones back in.
Additionally, a headphone icon will appear at the top of the screen to indicate that the phone is still in headphone mode when the headphones are disconnected.
A combination of hardware and software solutions may be required to get the phone out of headphone mode. This is because the problem can be caused by hardware and software issues, such as dust, crumbs, and lint trapped inside the headphone jack or problems with phone settings/operating system.
How to turn off headphone mode on Android in 2023?
There are a few possible solutions if your phone is stuck in headphone mode on Android. It’s always best to start with quick, straightforward fixes before moving on to more complex ones.
1. Clean the headphone jack
The headphone jack is a small but sensitive piece of equipment. Being constantly exposed to the outside elements makes it easy for dust, crumbs, and lint to accumulate inside.
Plugging in the headphones will only push out more lint. Use a flashlight to monitor the jack carefully and ensure it is free of lint and debris build-up.
To clean the headphone jack:
Remove some swabs from one end of the swab. You can also use toothpicks or paper clips. The wadding should be thin enough to fit inside the jack. Push a cotton swab or toothpick into the jack until it bottoms out.
Gently rotate the swab while applying pressure to the swab. Pull it. Any lint or debris caught inside the jack should be cleaned.
Make sure you remove all the dirt using another poke. Play music with headphones plugged in and unplugged.
2. Remove the headphones from your phone again
An easy solution is to plug the headphones back into the phone and unplug them again. The goal is to stop recognizing headphones on Android phones.
Insert the headphone plug into the audio jack
Gently but firmly turn the plug inside the jack
Remove the plug
If the phone still plays music, then the problem is solved. Otherwise, you may want to look into other solutions.
3. Turn Airplane mode On and Off
Using your phone’s airplane mode feature, you can disable all cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connections. It is most commonly used during the flight but can also be used to solve this problem.
Turning on airplane mode turns off Bluetooth. If you have wireless headphones, the problem is solved. After depending on airplane mode, remove all wired devices from your phone. Finally, turn off airplane mode. Now you need to turn off the phone’s headphone mode.
4. Take out the cell phone battery
This method only works for older phone models with removable batteries. Skip this if you have a newer model with a non-removable battery. Please remove the battery and reinsert it after a few minutes. Turn on your phone and see if it works.
5. Restart your Android phone
In some cases, a simple restart is all you need. Restarting your Android phone will close any apps in the background that may be causing problems.
- Press and hold the power button. You can often find it on the right side of your phone.
- If your phone has a restart option, select it. Otherwise, tap Power off.
- If your phone has no restart option, press the power button again to turn it back on.
- Wait for the phone to boot up and check if the headphone mode icon is gone. You can also try playing music to see if the problem is resolved.
6. Soft reset your phone
A soft reset is a minor reboot that closes all apps and clears data in RAM without erasing personal information.
It’s quick, simple, and usually the first step in fixing many software issues on Android phones.
Turn off your phone
Wait 30 seconds. Then turn it back on
For an older phone with a removable battery
Turn off your phone
Remove the battery and wait 30 seconds
Reinsert the battery
Turn your phone back on
7. Hard reset or factory reset
If none of the above methods work, the only explanation is that your phone has some hardware problem. Hardware problems can only be resolved entirely through a hard reset.
A hard reset completely erases all data. We recommend you back up all your data to a PC or storage device first.
- Fully charge your phone
- Go to Settings > System
- Select Advanced Options
- Reset > Erase All Data
- Tap to confirm and enter your PIN.
Your phone will enter reboot mode, and all data will be erased. Return to factory condition. There are other ways to perform a hard reset as well. This includes holding the volume and power buttons when the phone is off.
Conclusion
If you’ve followed all the steps in this guide and your phone is still in headphone mode, seek professional help. Call the manufacturer to make an appointment. Support is free if you are lucky enough to be covered under warranty.