Headphones Only Work in One Ear: Common Causes and Easy Fixes

It's unbelievably annoying when one of your earbuds just suddenly stop working.
It’s unbelievably annoying when one of your earbuds just suddenly stop working.

Getting only half the audio experience? Here’s your one-stop guide to fix your headphones that only work in one ear.

Headphones are excellent for immersing yourself in music, podcasts, or video games. They let you enjoy your audio without noisy distractions while ensuring you don’t disturb anyone around you.

Unfortunately, you can instantly lose that immersive listening experience if one speaker fails. This can be a huge hassle, especially if you rely heavily on your headphones for entertainment or productivity.

Luckily, there are various solutions when one headphone speaker won’t work. This includes everything from tweaking your sound settings to soldering damaged wires. So, read on as we go through each fix for wired and wireless headphones below!

Headphones Only Work in One Ear: How to Fix Audio Source Issues

When audio problems crop up, like static noises or hearing sound in only one ear, it’s easy to assume the problem lies with your headphones. However, issues like these are usually due to incorrect audio settings or a temporary (and easily fixable) device malfunction.

So, before discarding your headphones or attempting to repair them yourself, go into your device’s settings and see if tweaking them will solve the problem of one-sided audio.

Here are some simple settings-related fixes you can try on your audio source device:

Try another pair of headphones

The quickest way to confirm the source of your audio issues is by getting a pair of perfectly working headphones or earbuds and connecting them to your device.

If they’re working as they should, you’ll know that the problem truly lies with your headphones. In this case, follow the tips in the sections for fixing wired and wireless headphones.

However, if the functioning headset also starts playing only in one ear, you’ll need to fix them using one of the solutions in the following sections.

Got problems with specific headphone brands? Check out our guides for what to do when your Powerbeats Pro earbuds only work on one side and when one AirPod isn’t working.

Restart the device

Another simple fix is restarting your device. The constant sleep-wake cycle swamps your device’s RAM with unnecessary logs, cache files, and background processes. This eventually causes a memory leak, leading to errors and system slowdowns.

Shutting down isn’t enough to reboot a sluggish device. Doing so doesn’t kill any processes but instead places them in hibernation mode.

Restarting your device shuts down all running programs and deletes all caches, effectively refreshing your device. This could be especially helpful if your audio issue occurred after a software update since specific components are removed or replaced during this process.

Once you’ve done this, check whether you can hear from both headphone speakers. If your headphones are still playing in only one ear, check your device’s audio settings by following the steps in the next section.

Adjust the sound balance

Windows’ sound balance function lets you adjust the left and right audio output so that both signals are equally loud and clear. Sound becomes unbalanced when the audio signals are directed more towards one speaker than the other. When this happens, you’ll have noticeably softer or no sound at all in one speaker.

To remedy this, ensure both channels are equal by adjusting the sound balance. Here’s how to do that on Windows:

  1. Go to Settings.

    'Settings' highlighted in Windows.
    ‘Settings’ highlighted in Windows.
  2. Select Sound.

    'Sound' highlighted in Windows Settings.
    ‘Sound’ highlighted in Windows Settings.
  3. Click on More sound settings under Advanced.

    'More sound settings' highlighted in Windows Sound settings.
    ‘More sound settings’ highlighted in Windows Sound settings.
  4. Double-click your audio output device in the Playback tab.

    Audio output device highlighted.
    Audio output device highlighted.
  5. Select Balance in the Levels tab.

    'Balance' highlighted in Speaker Properties.
    ‘Balance’ highlighted in Speaker Properties.
  6. Adjust the sliders for left and right audio until they’re identical, then click OK.

    Make sure both balance sliders are equal.
    Make sure both balance sliders are equal.

Disable Sound Enhancements

When you have Windows’ audio enhancements feature enabled, your sound undergoes additional processing to improve its quality further. These enhancements (or audio processing objects) include bass boost, surround sound, loudness equalization, room correction, etc.

As great as that sounds, these extra enhancements can affect playback on your headphones because they manipulate the different audio frequencies. This sometimes causes no sound output on one side.

To fix this, simply disable the audio enhancements with these steps:

  1. Go to Settings.

    'Settings' highlighted in Windows PC.
    ‘Settings’ highlighted in Windows PC.
  2. Select Sound.

    'Sound' highlighted in Windows Settings.
    ‘Sound’ highlighted in Windows Settings.
  3. Under Advanced, click on More sound settings.

    'More sound settings' highlighted in Windows Sound settings.
    ‘More sound settings’ highlighted in Windows Sound settings.
  4. Double-click your audio output device in the Playback tab.

    Audio output device highlighted.
    Audio output device highlighted.
  5. In the Advanced tab, uncheck Enable audio enhancements, then click Apply and OK.

    'Enable audio enhancements' highlighted.
    ‘Enable audio enhancements’ highlighted.

Update the software and drivers

Outdated software and drivers can cause errors in how your system’s sound card functions. This can lead to various sound problems, from your headphones not being detected by your computer to hearing audio in only one ear. To avoid this, ensure your Windows OS and audio drivers are updated.

Here’s how to update your Windows OS:

  1. Go to Settings.

    'Settings' highlighted on Windows.
    ‘Settings’ highlighted on Windows.
  2. Click Windows Update.

    'Windows Update' highlighted in Settings.
    ‘Windows Update’ highlighted in Settings.
  3. Select Check for Updates.

    'Check for updates' highlighted under Windows Update.
    ‘Check for updates’ highlighted under Windows Update.
  4. Once the updates are downloaded, you can proceed to install them.

To check and update your audio drivers, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click on the Start menu icon in the taskbar and select Device Manager.

    Start menu icon and 'Device Manager' highlighted.
    Start menu icon and ‘Device Manager’ highlighted.
  2. Double-click Sound, video, and game controllers from the list.

    'Sound, video and game controllers' highlighted under Device Manager.
    ‘Sound, video and game controllers’ highlighted under Device Manager.
  3. Right-click your audio output device and select Update driver.

    'Update driver' highlighted in Device Manager.
    ‘Update driver’ highlighted in Device Manager.

Clean the headphone jack

People bring their phones everywhere–from their bedrooms to the rugged outdoors. Eventually, lint and dirt get trapped in the headphone jack. This loosens the connection between the plug and jack, thus affecting audio output.

That said, consider cleaning your device’s headphone jack if your headphones play in only one ear when plugged into your device but play the usual way when connected to other gadgets.

One way to do this is by using the pointed tip of a brush toothpick (or an interdental brush) to loosen any dirt, then using the brush side to scoop it out.

Interdental brush inside phone jack
Interdental brush inside phone jack
For more headphone cleaning tips, check out our guide on how to deep clean your headphones.

Wired Headphones or Earbuds Only Working in One Ear: What to Do

Headphone wires are notoriously fragile due to their thinness. As such, it’s one of the most common reasons we find ourselves with one headphone that’s stopped working. This is even more true for those who habitually wad up their headphone wires at the end of a listening session.

If you suspect a wiring issue is causing your headphones’ audio problems, there are three ways to solve them.

Remember that DIY-ing headphone wires can be complex for the inexperienced. Doing unauthorized repairs can also result in voiding its warranty. So, if your headset starts playing only in one ear within the warranty period, it’s best to have it serviced by the manufacturer.

Fix exposed or damaged wires near the plug

When hurrying, some people yank out their headphones by tugging the cord instead of the plug’s plastic base. This motion strains the weak spot where the plug meets the cord.

Over time, this wears down on the protective rubber casing, exposing the wires to damage and making them prone to shorting. Doing this with enough force can sometimes even result in a bent headphone plug.

Headphone “plugs” and “jacks” are two terms often mistakenly interchanged. Remember that the “plug” is the part at the end of your headphones’ wire that you plug into a socket. On the other hand, the “jack” is the socket into which you plug your headphones.

So, if you’re only getting audio in one ear and seeing signs of wear and tear near the headphone plug, you’ll need to fix the damaged portion of the wire. To do that, follow the steps below:

  1. Using a knife or cutter, slice through the protective plastic base around the earphone plug and the cord near it.
  2. Locate the section with the damaged wires and cut it off.

    Slicing the protective cover using wire cutter
    Slicing the protective cover using wire cutter
  3. Remove the plastic cable around one end of your headset cord.

    Exposed ends of internal wires
    Exposed ends of internal wires
  4. Use a match or lighter to burn off the wire’s insulation briefly.

    Use lighter to burn insulation on wires
    Use lighter to burn insulation on wires
  5. Solder the wires to the earphone jack following the illustration below.

    Make sure to connect the right wires to their corresponding section on the earphone jack.
    Make sure to connect the right wires to their corresponding section on the earphone jack.
  6. Cover the newly joined section with a heat-shrink tube or electrical tape.

    Securing wire with heat-shrink tube
    Securing wire with heat-shrink tube
Watch this tutorial by Bong Maker for a visual guide.

Fix shorted wires

Unlike damaged wires that show external signs of breakage, it’s not always easy to tell if there’s a short in your headphone wire.

Shorted wires occur when a powered wire touches a neutral wire, exposing it to excessive electricity and causing it to short-circuit. This problem typically happens in wired headphones and earbuds if they’re always tangled or wrapped improperly.

You’ll know you have a shorted wire if you hear static in your audio or if it cuts out when you move the wire. A quick way to fix this is by doing a “wiggle test.” Here’s how:

  1. Plug your headphones into your device and play an audio or video file.
  2. Locate the short by bending the headphone cord every half inch. Continue doing this until you start hearing sound coming off both headphones.
  3. Remove the damaged portion of the wire.

    Remove the damaged wire
    Remove the damaged wire
  4. Get the remaining sections of the headphone cord. Slice through both tips of the plastic cord to expose the wires.

    Use cutter to expose the internal wires
    Use cutter to expose the internal wires
  5. Separate the copper wires (ground wires), insulation (white wires), and colored wire.
    If you’re repairing the right section, the colored wire will be red. Conversely, the colored wire will be green or blue when repairing the left section.

    Isolate internal wires based on color
    Isolate internal wires based on color
  6. Cut the insulation wires. Meanwhile, twist the copper wires to keep them together.
  7. Use a match or lighter to briefly burn off the enamel at the tip of the colored wires.

    Burn off the enamel using lighter
    Burn off the enamel using lighter
  8. Join the colored wires by twisting them together. Secure these with electrical tape.
  9. Link the ground wires in the same way and wrap electrical tape around these as well. Ensure the ground wires do not touch the colored wires.
  10. Wrap electrical tape around this newly linked section.

    Wrap repaired wire with electrical tape
    Wrap repaired wire with electrical tape
For further guidance, watch this tutorial by RichsMethods. On the other hand, if you’re looking for solutions to other headphone wiring-related problems, check out our guide on how to fix headphone wires.

Solder faulty wires inside the defective headphone or earbud

Sometimes, loose or broken wires can occur inside the earbud speaker and not along the cord. Similar to the previous issues, faulty wiring arises from poor handling or, in some cases, a manufacturer defect.

Regardless of the cause, this issue will manifest as your earbuds having no sound in one or both speakers or your earbuds’ mic not working. And if there’s no damage to the earbud’s cord, you’ll know the problem is likely inside the earbud itself.

If you’re sure this is the cause of your audio problem, follow the steps below to learn how to fix faulty wires inside earbuds:

  1. Open the earbud casing using a small flat-blade screwdriver. You can also use your nail clipper’s lever to open the earbud’s front casing or ear tip.
    Check out this tutorial on Arddy’s Channel to see how to open your earbud shell.
  2. Do not pull at the case to fully open the earbud – doing so can further rip the wires if they’re attached to the front case. Instead, push the cord up through the earbud’s upper housing. This will shove the front case and expose the internal components.
  3. Resolder the loose wire and let it cool before testing the earbuds.

    Soldering loose wire
    Soldering loose wire

Wireless Headphones or Earbuds Only Working in One Ear: What to Do

Wireless headphones and earbuds eliminate the hassle of untangling messy cords. However, that doesn’t mean you’re free from the issues that cause headphones to play only in one ear.

Here are four things you can do when experiencing audio malfunctions in one earbud or headphone speaker:

Reset your headphones or earbuds

When you aren’t getting audio on one side of your wireless headphones, sometimes a quick factory reset is all it takes to set things right.

Bluetooth connections can become bogged down over time, especially if your devices haven’t undergone important firmware updates or have multiple paired devices. This eventually causes errors in how your headphones function, leading to audio and pairing issues.

By resetting your Bluetooth headphones, you’re returning them to their default configuration and clearing out all the extra information stored on the device. Basically, it’s like wiping the slate clean.

If you think your Bluetooth headphones need a reset, refer to the steps below:

  1. Press your device’s power button.

    Bluetooth headphones power button
    Bluetooth headphones power button
  2. Hold it down until the headset’s light flashes blue or red.

    Holding down the power button
    Holding down the power button
  3. Pair the headphones again with your device.

    Pairing bluetooth headphones with device
    Pairing bluetooth headphones with device
Although these steps will work on most standard Bluetooth headphones, some branded headphones may require more specific reset instructions.

Check for a halfway point issue

Most wireless headphones have detachable cords that let you switch easily from wired to wireless mode. However, if you notice that your audio goes from normal to only working on one side whenever you detach the cord, you may be dealing with a halfway point issue.

Wireless headphone jacks contain small springs attached to metal balls. These act like mechanical triggers that turn off Bluetooth functionality upon contacting a headphone plug’s conductors.

To better understand what this looks like, check out the illustration created by mewoosh in their video on extracting a broken headphone plug from the jack.

If you’re still not getting sound in one ear after removing the headphone plug, these switches may be stuck in a halfway position, thus causing one of your headphone speakers to malfunction.

Fortunately, the solution is quite simple and is a matter of trial and error:

  1. Insert, then remove the AUX plug from the jack.
  2. Repeat the first step using various angles. The goal is to try and push the mechanical trigger back into its original position.
  3. Test your Bluetooth headphones to see if this resolves the issue.

Check for low battery in one earbud

True wireless earbuds have separate battery lives and need individual charging. In some cases, one may drain faster than the other, especially if you prefer using only one earbud to maintain awareness of your surroundings while working or commuting.

Additionally, one earbud (usually the right one) performs more functions than the left earbud. That’s because one earbud manages the connection between the earbuds and your mobile device while the other earbud connects to the first one.

Thus, one drains faster than the other, which could be another reason you’re not getting audio in one speaker. Luckily, the solution to this is also relatively straightforward.

  1. Place both earbuds in their charging case.
  2. Wait until they’re fully charged, then check to see if the audio works in both earbuds.
If your audio issues stem from the earbuds not charging properly, check out our guide for tips on how to get them working again.

Check for disconnected wires inside earbud

If one side of your wireless earbuds is silent, despite being fully charged, the problem could be internal.

As mentioned in the previous section on faulty wiring, if there are no visible signs of damage on the earbuds, your audio issue is probably due to displaced wires in the hardware itself, particularly in the control panel where the Bluetooth module is stored.

To confirm this, you must open the control panel and check for disconnected wires. Read the steps below on how to repair Bluetooth headphones:

We used wireless earbuds as an example for the procedure below. Wireless earbuds are different from true wireless earbuds. The former still has a wire connecting both earbuds, whereas the latter is entirely wire-free.
  1. Using a pair of cutting pliers or a flat-blade screwdriver, pry open the casing of your earbuds’ control panel.

    Using a pair of cutting pliers to open the casing of the earbuds. (From: Youtube/Creative & Duck) 
    Using a pair of cutting pliers to open the casing of the earbuds. (From: Youtube/Creative & Duck
  2. Carefully take out the internal components.

    Take out the internal components. (From: Youtube/Creative & Duck)
    Take out the internal components. (From: Youtube/Creative & Duck)
  3. Locate broken wires or wires separated from others and reconnect them using a soldering iron.

    Use soldering iron to fix the broken wires. (From: Youtube/Creative & Duck)
    Use soldering iron to fix the broken wires. (From: Youtube/Creative & Duck)
  4. Return the internal components inside the casing.

    Return the internal components inside the casing. (From: Youtube/Creative & Duck)
    Return the internal components inside the casing. (From: Youtube/Creative & Duck)
  5. Turn on your Bluetooth earbuds to test if your audio is working normally, then reseal the casing if it’s all good.

    Turn on the Bluetooth earbuds by pressing the power button. (From: Youtube/Creative & Duck)
    Turn on the Bluetooth earbuds by pressing the power button. (From: Youtube/Creative & Duck)
For a visual guide, watch this video by Creative & Duck on how to fix the wires on your Bluetooth headphones.

How to Reuse Multiple One-Side Working Earbuds

If you have several wired headphones with only one earbud working, you can reuse these so long as they have the same plug type. Just keep in mind that the audio quality may no longer be as good as it was before.

If you have a couple of old Bluetooth headphones that you want to reuse, you can use an adapter. You can also set up your phone’s Dual Audio feature, allowing you to connect two different Bluetooth headphones simultaneously.

Here’s how to resurrect your old wired earbuds using an audio splitter:

Use a headphone splitter to reuse one-side working earbuds. (From: Amazon)
Use a headphone splitter to reuse one-side working earbuds. (From: Amazon)
  1. Get an audio splitter with two output jacks and plug it into your device’s AUX output.
    Not sure which splitter to get? Check out this article to learn more about the different types of headphone splitters.

    Plug the audio splitter into your device (From: Youtube/TechWorld-jj5zj)
    Plug the audio splitter into your device (From: Youtube/TechWorld-jj5zj)
  2. Plug both pairs of one-side working earbuds into the audio splitter’s output jacks.

    Plug the earbuds into the audio splitter (From: Youtube/TechWorld-jj5zj).
    Plug the earbuds into the audio splitter (From: Youtube/TechWorld-jj5zj).
  3. Play an audio or video file to test the sound quality.
  4. Keep your earbuds looking neat by trimming off the opposite non-working wires.
  5. Insulate the ends of the trimmed wires with electrical tape or heat-shrink tubing.

    Isulate the ends of the trimmed wires.
    Isulate the ends of the trimmed wires.
  6. If you want to permanently join the two functioning earbud wires, trim off the non-working wire from one pair of earbuds and dispose of it.
  7. Using a cutter, take off the rubber covering of the trimmed section.

    Trim off the rubber using a cutter.
    Trim off the rubber using a cutter.
  8. Next, using a lighter, briefly burn off the wire’s insulation.

    Burn off the wire insulation.
    Burn off the wire insulation.
  9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 on the functioning wire of the other pair of earbuds.
    At this point, you should have one working earbud still attached to its plug and a separate working earbud wire that isn’t connected to anything.
  10. Once the wires on both ends are clean, simply twist the same-colored wires together.

    Twist the same-colored wires together.
    Twist the same-colored wires together.
  11. Finally, insulate the exposed section with electrical tape or heat-shrink tubing.

    Insulate the wire with eletrical tape or heat-shrink tubing.
    Insulate the wire with eletrical tape or heat-shrink tubing.
If you wish to skip the trouble and buy a new pair of headphones instead, read our tips on what to do with broken headphones.

Conclusion

If you’re investing in quality headphones or earbuds, you’ll want them to last for a long time. After all, even if your earbuds aren’t expensive, it’s a shame to have to keep throwing them out just because one headphone speaker isn’t working.

With the tips above, hopefully, you can now determine if your headphones simply need a quick fix before buying a new one. By repairing your headphones, you can quickly go back to enjoying your music playlist or watching videos, save a bit of money, and reduce electronic waste at the same time.

What are your thoughts on the fixes listed above? Do you have other tips and tricks for repairing headphones with only one earbud working? We’d love to hear about them in the comments section below.

38 comments

  1. I looked over all the methods (for the wired ones) and my headphones have none of those problems but only one side works. could you help?

  2. My headphones work on my phone but the right ear is cut out when I’m on my PC. I have had this PC for around a month and it has been in clean conditions. Any suggestions?

    1. you might need to clean the jack because thats happened to me or the headphones are the problem because some headphones only work on certain devices

      1. everything is good with my jack and everything else just left side i cant hear it i tried everything i could to fix it it only works when i put it halfwy

  3. My merlin earbuds both are working good. but not the same time. if Left is work then right side stop & Vice versa. how to fix this problem? please help me. my contact no. is 9987469278

  4. Oh God, thank you so much for this! I went to my settings on my Mac and somehow the balance had shifted all the way to only the right headphone. After I switched it back to the middle, it started working perfectly. Thank you so much, I am indebted

  5. Hey, thank you so much for this amazing website. I have a JBL live 650BTNC and it had the half way point issue. Followed the steps and wallahhhh!! Now it’s fixed????

  6. I looked over all the problems, and I can’t seem to figure out what is going on. I can’t test my earbuds in someone else’s device because mine is the only one with this type of jack. What do I do?

  7. My earphone is only working from one side I tried restarting my phone to see if it was that but it’s not and I’ve checked a few other articles and it’s still not working I’ve tried everything they’ve said

    1. you might need to clean the jack because thats happened to me or the headphones are the problem because some headphones only work on certain devices

  8. I have indy vevo blue tooth headphones and i have tried ones with wire’s but i can inky hear out of one ear does anyone kniw what i do

  9. Me tooo I have got problems on my headphones , I just brought it yesterday, My wireheadphones just working on the left side not in right side , i mean , the occured thing is when i first connect to pc its working on the right side , but when i connect to the tab its working on the left side , untill then its working on the left side even if on the pc , Anyone have any solution ???/

    1. Same I also have the same problem but my left side is not working and right side is working!

  10. Huge shoutout to Barsin for leaving a comment above who had the same halfway point issue as me on JBL Live 650BTNC and because of whom I could find this page.

  11. both right and left of my headphones are doesn’t work sometimes. and sometimes only one is working could you help me?

  12. my earbuds work without the ear cushions….when you put the ear cushions the sound become very low that i can hear even in full volume

  13. The left side of my headphones doesn’t work I’ve opened the case so I can see the speaker and it looks fine apart from the fact it has disconnected from the case…

  14. my problem is the wire extremely close to the plug, the plug is not rubber so i can cut it to get to the few copper wires.

  15. Thank you very much I went and bought another pair of headphones because I thought my first headphones were broken but when I came home from the store with the 2nd bought headphones I read this article and got the problem fixed.
    I must return one of them now.

  16. I’ve got two headphones w. 6.3mm jacks and bought a 3.5 to 6.3 connector.
    The connector has three sections, so should be left/right and ground for stereo I assume.
    It is the same design as my 3.5mm earphones, just bigger, so it corresponds.

    When I plug in the connector and the 6.3mm headphones, only the right side works. I‘ve got two such connectors, so it’s unlikely that the connectors are at fault.
    Band I can confirm that both headphones work on both sides otherwise.

    Somehow none of the above solutions seem to match this problem.
    Anyone any ideas?

  17. Great article to help with troubleshooting!

    I was having an issue with my Taotronics BH22 Bluetooth headphones with sound coming out of the right side only. Went through the steps listed here. Connected them manually (cord) to my device and discovered the noise cancellation switch was halfway between on/off. Setting that properly fixed my one-side issue.

  18. I checked those things but all of them are ok! The headphone is not working. How can I identify the true problem?

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