(Last Updated On: September 22, 2020)

Learn how to untangle your headphone cords plus simple hacks and accessories to keep them tangle-free.

Do you listen to podcasts or music while studying or take lots of phone calls while on business trips?

How many times have you pulled out your headphones and found it in a messy bundle?

When this happens, you’re forced to stop what you’re doing to figure out how to untangle your headphone cords first. Some attempt to multitask, switching between removing stubborn knots and watching the street ahead.

This situation can be frustrating, especially if you’re in a hurry.

The good news is that there are quick and easy solutions to keeping your earphone cords tangle-free. This article will teach you how to straighten headphone wires and give you several options for storing them properly.

Let’s dive right in.

How to Untangle Headphone Cords in 4 Easy Steps

When your headset wires are in a knotty mess, it’s tempting to throw it away and just get a new set.

But don’t give up on them just yet, especially if these are still working. Patiently follow the steps below on how to untwist a cord. In just a few minutes, you’ll have tangle-free earbuds, and you save on buying a replacement.

Step 1

Place messy cable on a flat, clutter-free surface
Place them on a flat, clutter-free surface

Unplug your headphones and place them on a flat, clutter-free surface. Doing so allows you to quickly see where the knots are and untangle the wires more easily.

Step 2

Starting untangling the knot closest to the plug end
Starting untangling the knot closest to the plug end

Untangle each knot, starting from the one closest to the plug end. By working on the bottom portion first, you can easily pass the plug through the knots and untwist the cord.

Step 3

To be able to move the plug through tight knots, you need to loosen the twists first. Pull on the knot’s outermost wire or use the tip of a pen to push the outer cord up.

Step 4

Once you’ve slackened the knot and formed a small loop, move the plug and the loose wire through it. Repeat steps 2-4 until you completely detangle your earbuds.

Simple Hacks to Keep Earphones from Getting Tangled

Headphones are almost always going to end up curled or twisted unless you coil them properly.

These cord knots and tangled wires are more than a nuisance. They can ruin your earphones’ internal wires, forcing you to get a replacement.

Avoid these hassles by learning how to correctly store your headphones. Each option below only takes a few seconds and uses supplies you may already have.

  1. Learn the over-under method
  2. Improvise with a binder clip
  3. Have a dedicated small storage for your earphones
  4. Wrap the cord in yarn or embroidery threads
  5. Wind it around an old card

Learn the over-under method

Protect your earphone wire from damage by coiling it using the over-under method, then securing it with a strip of velcro.
Protect your earphone wire from damage by coiling it using the over-under method, then securing it with a strip of velcro.
 
Audio engineers recommend the over-under technique to keep cords tangle and twist-free without damaging the internal wirings.

Follow the steps below:

  1. Over loop: Grab the plug with your left hand. Use your right hand to hold the loose wire and create a loop. Make sure the loop falls on the opposite side of the plug.
  2. Under loop: Grab the loose end again, this time with your right thumb pointing away from you. Form a loop and flip it, making sure your right thumb is pointing toward you.
  3. Create another over loop. Make sure it falls to the right of the previous loop.
  4. Repeat these steps then tie the wire or wrap a strip of velcro around it. Doing so can help prevent the wire from coming loose.
You can watch how it’s done here.

Improvise with a binder clip

Wrap your earphone wires around a binder clip to keep organized. (From: SpaceTech)
Wrap your earphone wires around a binder clip to keep organized. (From: SpaceTech)

You can use a medium-sized binder clip not just to organize your papers but to keep your earbuds tangle-free too.

  1. Thread the earphone wire through the metal binder until the buds are against the clip’s body.
  2. Coil the wire around the binder’s pressing levers.
  3. Insert the headphone jack inside the levers to keep the coiled wire from becoming loose.

Have a dedicated small storage for your earphones

Earbuds stored in the sturdy FiiO HB1
Earbuds stored in the sturdy FiiO HB1

Instead of shoving your earphones in your bag together with other items, coil these properly and put them in a dedicated container. It can be a small box, pouch, or a spare purse. Doing so guarantees that the cords won’t get tangled up with your pens, keys, and other belongings.

Related: FiiO HB1 – A protective earphones case that is indestructible?

Wrap the cord in yarn or embroidery threads

Wrap your headphone wires in colorful yarn or embroidery threads to keep them knot-free. (From: Etsy)
Wrap your headphone wires in colorful yarn or embroidery threads to keep them knot-free. (From: Etsy)

With a few materials, some creativity, and patience, you can protect your headset wires, prevent knots from forming too easily, and personalize them too.

  1. Get a pair of scissors and yarn or embroidery threads.
  2. Knot the threads near the jack.
  3. Keep the jack in place by taping it on a flat surface.
  4. Start wrapping the threads around the wire.
  5. Once you reach the neck of the earpiece, tie the threads.

Wind it around an old card

If you don’t have binder clips, yarns, or small containers, you can recycle an expired credit card or shopping card.

Recycle oldcredit cards into earphone cord organizers (From: CreditCards.com)
Recycle oldcredit cards into earphone cord organizers (From: CreditCards.com)
  1. Get a pair of scissors, a puncher, and an old card.
  2. Make a curved or half-moon cut along the old card’s length.
  3. Punch one hole on one end and two holes on the other.
  4. Cut a slit on each hole.
  5. Insert your earbuds into the two slits, coil the wire around the card’s narrow middle, then slide the jack through the remaining slit.

3 Products That Can Keep Your Earphone Cord Untangled

Aside from the simple hacks above on straightening your headphone wires, you can also look for accessories specifically designed to keep your earbuds untangled. Below are three products you can consider depending on your needs and style preferences.

  1. Bluelounge CableYoYo
  2. ABZON Cable Organizer
  3. TETDED Premium Leather Earphone Holder

Bluelounge CableYoYo

Use Bluelounge CableYoYo to keep your headphone wires in a neat coil. This product has a magnetic center to secure your headphones in place. (From: Amazon)
Use Bluelounge CableYoYo to keep your headphone wires in a neat coil. This product has a magnetic center to secure your headphones in place. (From: Amazon)

With the CableYoyo, you can easily wrap your in-ear headphones’ wires around the cord spool. The magnetic center keeps the earpiece in place, so you don’t need to pull it through the center. Its slim design allows you to easily slip it in your pocket while you go for a run or take calls.

ABZON Cable Organizer

The ABZON magnetic cable organizer not only keeps your wires organized. You can even use it as a magnetic note holder or key organizer. (From: Amazon)
The ABZON magnetic cable organizer not only keeps your wires organized. You can even use it as a magnetic note holder or key organizer. (From: Amazon)

After wrapping your headphone cord around your finger, you can use the ABZON magnetic cable organizer to hold the wires in place. These multifunctional accessories come in packs of five colors. Aside from securing cords and cables, you can use them as magnetic note holders, bookmarks, and key organizers.

TETDED Premium Leather Earphone Holder

The TETDED Premium Leather Earphone Holder offers you a stylish way to organize your wires. Use the metal buckle to hang it on your bag or clothing. (From: Amazon)
The TETDED Premium Leather Earphone Holder offers you a stylish way to organize your wires. Use the metal buckle to hang it on your bag or clothing. (From: Amazon)

The TETDED premium leather earphone holder lets you keep your cords stylishly organized. Just wrap the wires around this hand-made, finely stitched accessory, then slide it in your pocket or hang it on your bag using the metal buckle.

Enjoy Having Tangle-Free Wires Anytime

Knowing how to untangle your earbuds and keep them properly coiled enables you to jump to any task uninterrupted. You don’t have to sort a jumbled mess each time you want to use your headphones. You can simply get them out of your bag and start using them at once.

Do you have other tips on how to detangle earbuds or keep headphone wires from curling? Share your suggestions with us.