How to Turn Off Headphone Mode On Android (With No Headphones In)

There are a few quick, simple solutions you can do to get your phone to stop thinking the headphones are always plugged in.

Is your Android phone stuck in headphone mode?

It may seem like a small issue, but being in perpetual headphone mode means you can’t make important calls without reaching for your headphones. Plus, you can’t quickly show music, videos, and other media to other people without it becoming a fuss.

Fortunately, you have plenty of options for fixing this issue.

In this guide, we’ll teach you what you need to do to learn how to turn off headphone mode on Android phones.

Why Do Android Phones Get Stuck in Headphone Mode?

When you connect a pair of headphones into an Android phone, the phone automatically recognizes the plugged devices and goes into headphone mode.

Unfortunately, there are times when your phone gets stuck in headphone mode, even after you have removed the headphones. The phone thinks the headphones are plugged in even when they’re not.

When this happens, the media stops playing once you remove the headphones. And it won’t play again unless you put the headphones back in. You also see a headphones icon at the top of the screen, indicating that the phone is still in headphone mode even with the headphones disconnected.

Getting your phone out of headphone mode may require a combination of hardware and software solutions. That’s because the problem may be due to a mix of hardware and software issues, such as:

• Dust, dirt, and lint getting stuck inside the headphone jack
• Issues with your phone’s settings
• Problems with the phone’s operating system

How to Turn Off Headphone Mode on Android

There are several possible solutions if your phone is stuck in headphone mode in Android. It’s always best to start with the quick, simple fixes before moving on to the more complicated ones.

• Remove your headphones from the phone again
• Clean the headphones jack
• Restart your Android phone
• Do a soft reset of your phone
• Use an app to override audio controls
• Do a hard reset or a factory reset

Remove your headphones from the phone again

An easy solution is to plug the headphones back into the phone and then unplug them again. The goal is to get your Android phone to stop recognizing the headphones.

1. Insert the headphone plug into the audio jack.
2. Gently but firmly rotate the plug inside the jack.
3. Remove the plug.

If the phone continues to play music, then you’ve solved the problem. Otherwise, you might want to look into other solutions.

Clean the headphone jack

It’s possible that your phone can’t get out of headphone mode because it has a lot of debris inside the audio jack. Dust, dirt, and even lint can build up inside.

If you keep your phone inside your pocket regularly, lint can collect inside the jack. When you connect the headphones, the plug pushes the lint further to the bottom of the jack. If the lint is conductive, it may be messing with the electronic circuits inside the jack, causing the phone to register it as a pair of headphones plugged in.

So if you’re asking, “How do I turn headset mode off?” you may want to get a good look inside the jack with a flashlight. If there’s debris stuck inside, follow the steps to clean it.

1. Take a Q-tip and remove most of the cotton wool on one end. It should be slim enough to fit inside the audio jack. You can also use a toothpick or a paper clip.
2. Insert the Q-tip into the jack until it reaches the bottom.
3. Once at the bottom, gently rotate it while keeping it pressed down.
4. Pull the Q-tip out. This should remove any debris stuck at the bottom of the jack.
5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 until all debris has been removed.

If it doesn’t work, try attaching a piece of double-sided tape to the end of the Q-tip. Any debris left behind should easily stick to the tape once you pull the Q-tip out.

This should get the phone out of headphone mode. To test it, play some media to make sure.

Restart your Android phone

Sometimes, all you need to do is a simple restart. Restarting your Android phones closes all apps in the background that may be causing problems.

1. Press and hold the Power button. You can often find it on the right side of the phone.
2. If your phone has a Restart option, choose that. Otherwise, tap Power Off.
3. If the phone doesn’t have a Restart option, press the Power button again to turn it back on.

Wait for your phone to boot up and check if the headphone mode icon is gone. You can also try playing some music to make sure the problem is solved.

Do a soft reset of your phone

If restarting your phone didn’t work, you may need to do a soft reset. A soft reset is a minor reboot that closes all apps and erases data in the random access memory (RAM) without erasing your personal information.

It’s quick and simple and is usually the first step in resolving plenty of software issues with Android phones.

1. Turn off your phone.
2. Wait for 30 seconds. Then, turn it back on.

This should have corrected the problem. If you have an older phone with a removable battery, you can also do the following:

1. Turn off your phone.
2. Remove the battery and wait for 30 seconds.
3. Put the battery back on.
4. Turn on the phone again.

Use an app to override audio controls

Android allows users to root their phones and gain control of its administrative controls. Certain apps give you root access so you can run certain commands that aren’t available on the standard OS.

One such app is Disable Headphone/Enable Speaker. This simple app lets you manually switch between headphones and speakers, whether you have headphones connected or not.

You may also want to check out Android Repair Tool, an app that diagnoses the most common Android problems and fixes them for you. It’s a simple one-click fix, which makes it a great option for people who have zero technical background.

1. Run the diagnostics.
2. Check for the problem.
3. Let the app fix the problem.

Of course, if the issue that’s keeping your phone stuck in headphone mode is a hardware problem, running a tool such as Android Repair doesn’t work.

In that case, you may need to plug and unplug the headphones, check for debris inside the audio jack, or contact a repair center if the first two options didn’t work.

Do a hard reset or a factory reset

If all else fails, it may be time to do a hard reset.

A hard reset, as opposed to a soft reset, deletes all your apps, files, and settings. It restores your phone back to its state when it was shipped from the factory.

Here are the steps for doing a hard reset.

1. Make sure your phone has enough battery for the process.
2. Open Settings.

   

3. In the Settings menu, go to General Management.

   

4. Go to Reset Options.

   

5. Click Factory data Reset.

   

6. Check all the apps listed and accounts you’re signed in to, these will be cleared out. Some of them may be reinstalled, depending on your provider. Once sure, click Reset.

   

7. The system will ask you to confirm this once again. To confirm, click Delete All.

   

It may take a few minutes for the phone to complete this process. Once it’s done, the phone will boot back up and will be good as new.

What If Your Phone Stays Stuck In Headphone Mode?

If you’ve done everything we mentioned above but your phone is still in headphone mode, you may need to contact a professional for help.

Call your service provider and ask for an appointment to visit a repair center. If your phone is still under warranty, you may not have to pay anything to have it repaired.

Alternatively, you can get in touch with an independent repair center that you trust.

If the problem is caused by a defect in the phone or a flaw in its design, your service provider will have to compensate you for it.

Conclusion

Headphone mode is a great feature that lets your phone automatically detect your headphones when you plug them in, but it can be inconvenient when your phone thinks your headphones are on all the time.

We hope we’ve helped you get your phone out of headphone mode. Hopefully, you can now easily switch between listening in private and sharing your media with anyone who wants to listen with you. Or, take urgent calls without scrambling for your headset!

Were you able to fix your problem? What methods did you use to get your phone out of headphone mode? Let us know in the comments below.