Common symptoms

  • No sound through your headphones
  • Sound coming out of the phone speaker even when headphones are plugged in
  • Static or intermittent audio
  • Phone doesn't seem to notice when you plug headphones in

Most common cause: debris in the headphone jack

This fixes most cases. Try this before anything else.

  1. Hold your phone up to a light and look into the headphone jack.
  2. If you see lint, dust, or pocket fuzz, gently clean it out with:
    • A dry toothpick, OR
    • A soft brush, OR
    • Compressed air (a quick burst from a few inches away)
  3. Do not use metal tools or any liquid — you can permanently damage the jack.
  4. Reinsert your headphones firmly. You should feel a small "click" when they're fully seated.

Test with a different pair of headphones

If you have another pair available, try those.

  • Other pair works — your original headphones are probably worn out or damaged.
  • Other pair also fails — keep going below.

Restart your phone

Hold the power button → Restart. Plug your headphones back in after the phone is back on.

Check your audio settings

  1. Play a song or video and turn the media volume all the way up.
  2. Open Settings and search for Sound or Audio.
  3. Confirm:
    • Balance is centered (not pushed all the way left or right).
    • Mono audio is off (unless you want it).
    • No hearing-aid mode or accessibility audio setting is on by accident.

Update your phone

Settings → System → System update → Check for updates. Install and restart.

Safe Mode test (advanced)

If nothing else works, try Safe Mode. Hold the power button, then tap and hold Power off until you see Reboot to Safe Mode.

  • Headphones work in Safe Mode — a recently installed app is causing the problem. Restart normally and uninstall recent apps one at a time.
  • Still no audio in Safe Mode — the issue is likely your headphones or the jack.

Run your phone's built-in diagnostic

Many Android phones include a sound test:

  • Motorola: open Device Help (or Moto Help) → Device diagnosis → Sound test.
  • Schok: open MySchok → Hardware test → Speaker test / Microphone test.
  • TCL: Settings → search for Sound test.

A diagnostic that flags a hardware problem is a strong signal, but not perfect — it's still worth doing the cleaning and pair-swap above before assuming the jack is broken.

When to contact support

Reach out if:

  • The jack is clean and undamaged, multiple headphone pairs fail, and the diagnostic flags an issue
  • You've worked through the steps above without success

We'll help you figure out whether a replacement device is warranted.