Why wont my headphones work on my S20?

I upgraded from an S9+ to an S20 Ultra at the start of the year.

I used to get a lot of use out of the headphone jack on my old S9+, but due to lockdown, I haven't been commuting and haven't had the need to use headphones on my new S20 Ultra.

I tried the bundled ones the other week, and...nothing. It completely ignores them as if they aren't even plugged in.

I just figured they were faulty, so I ordered a DAC off Amazon, only to find this does exactly the same thing. It's supposed to have an LED that lights up, but it never does.

I can charge the phone fine and DeX works flawlessly when plugged into my PC, so the port isn't the problem.

So...

• USB-C works for things not audio it seems

• No error messages or anything - just no response

• USB audio re-routing is not disabled in Dev options

• Clearing cache partition has no effect

Other advice online suggests force-stopping the Samsung USB-C Headset app - but the option to do so is disabled for me. The app also has no cache to clear.

Does anyone have any other suggestions? This very much just seems like a software issue of some kind as others seem to have a similar problem linked to a software/firmware update from last year.

EDIT 16/10/22

Dear people from the future who got sent here by Google....

I keep getting occasional replies on here asking if I ever resolved it. Well, it turns out it wasn't a software issue, but my port was faulty. Last year in early December, I plugged my phone into charge one evening and smoke started coming out.

At that point it became painfully obvious why I'd been having issues. I sent it off for repair and haven't had an issue since. It's just odd everything worked before except audio 🤷

Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority

Do you need help with your headphone jack? Connect one-on-one with an electronics expert through JustAnswer, an Android Authority partner.

Is your headphone jack not working all of a sudden? Problems with the headphone jack on smartphones aren’t as uncommon as you may think. It happens to many users and can be extremely frustrating, especially for those who regularly listen to music or find themselves in noisy environments.

• Check your headphones are working
• Ensure there are no other Bluetooth connections
• Clean the headphone jack

• Check audio settings
• Restart the device
• Wipe the phone clean

Editor’s note: Some of the instructions in this post were put together using a Pixel 4a with 5G running Android 13. Depending on which device and software you own, some steps might differ for you.

Make sure your headphones aren’t broken

Bogdan Petrovan / Android Authority

The first step when you find your headphone jack is not working is obvious. It’s entirely possible that there’s nothing wrong with the headphone jack and that the headphones are to blame. You can check this out quickly just by plugging them into another device. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a smartphone. A laptop, TV, or any other device with the 3.5 mm jack onboard will do. If you can’t hear any audio when using your headphones with a different device, you’ve found the source of the problem.

You can also use other headphones on your device, if you have any extras. If you can use your headphone jack with other headphones, the first accessory is the problem. Although it’s rare, there’s also a chance that your original pair isn’t compatible with your smartphone, even if they work with other devices.

Some headphones come with removable cables, so try replacing those and see if the issue is the cable or ports. If that doesn’t help, replace your headphones. If they’re working fine with a different device, something else is to blame. It’s time to try out one of the other fixes listed below.

Ensure the smartphone isn’t connected to a different device via Bluetooth

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

If you’ve paired the smartphone with wireless headphones, a speaker, or any other device via Bluetooth, the headphone jack could be disabled. Usually, when you plug in your headphones, the smartphone should recognize them, and everything should work as intended regardless of the Bluetooth settings. However, this isn’t always the case.

All you have to do is open up the settings menu on your device, find the Bluetooth option, and check to see if it’s on. You can also dig deeper into the settings and see which Bluetooth devices the smartphone is connected to.

If the phone is connected to an audio device via Bluetooth, you can try a couple of things. You can disconnect or forget audio devices, but the easiest solution is to turn Bluetooth off and plug in your headphones. If they still don’t work, you should move on to the next solution on this list.

How to disconnect or forget a Bluetooth device:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go into Connected devices.
3. Tap on the gear icon next to any connected device.
4. Hit Disconnect or Forget.

How to turn Bluetooth off:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go into Connected devices.
3. Hit Connection preferences.
4. Tap on Bluetooth.
5. Toggle off the Use Bluetooth option.

Clean the headphone jack

Ryan Haines / Android Authority

As you can imagine, a lot of dust, as well as lint and other debris, can make its way into the headphone jack over time. This might cause the problem, as dirt can block the connection between the headphones and the port.

The first thing you should do if your headphone jack is not working is to look into the jack to see just how dirty it is. A flashlight might come in handy for this. The next step is to try and clean it and hope that solves the issue. There are many ways to do this, and some work better than others. One option is to blow into the headphone jack, which should take care of at least some of the dust and lint found inside. You can also use a can of compressed air if you have one nearby.

Another great option is to use a cotton swab. Push it into the jack and swirl it around to get the dust and lint out. Be very careful when doing this, as the last thing you want to do is cause more damage to the device. You can also damp the cotton swab with rubbing alcohol but make sure you don’t use too much of it.

Look into the headphone jack again to see how much dust and lint you cleaned up. If things look better, plug in your headphones to check if everything works as it should.

Check audio settings

Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority

There’s also a chance the problem isn’t with the jack or the headphones you’re using but has to do with the device’s audio settings. If this is the case, you’ll be able to sort it out in no time. The most obvious fix is to check if you muted your phone or put the volume down. Most phones have physical buttons for this, but you can also access all the audio options within the phone’s settings.

Typically, there aren’t many settings like these on a smartphone, so you should find the problem more or less right away. If there is one, that is.

How to check your Android audio settings:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go into Sound & vibration.
3. Check if the Media volume is on. Increase it if it’s turned off.

Restart the device

If everything seems to be in order, but your headphone jack is not working, there’s another simple fix you can try, which is restarting your device. This can sometimes solve many smartphone-related problems and takes less than a minute. Just press and hold the power button, select the restart option, wait for the device to turn back on again, and then check to see if the problem persists.

How to restart an Android phone:

1. Press and hold the Power button.
2. Hit Restart.

Perform a factory data reset

If nothing else works, there is one last thing you can do before seeking professional help. A factory data reset will completely wipe your phone, and the complete operating system will be set to its default settings. If the problem isn’t hardware, a factory data reset should fix any software bugs that might be dwelling within your phone’s code.

How to do a factory data reset:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go into System.
3. Select Reset options.
4. Hit Erase all data (factory reset).
5. Tap on Erase all data.
6. Enter your PIN.
7. Confirm again by hitting Erase all data.

Time to call the repairman

Eric Zeman / Android Authority

If none of the fixes above work, the problem isn’t as minor as hoped. If your device is still under warranty, the best thing to do is contact the retailer or manufacturer. Explain the problem to the company, and send it in for repair or replacement. This can take quite some time in some cases, but at least it’s free.

If the warranty has expired, you may have phone insurance. Just make a claim with your provider.

The third solution is the worst one. You may have to pay to get the device repaired by the manufacturer or someone who knows what they are doing. You’ll have to open up your wallet and pay up, but at least you’ll be able to use the headphone jack again. Otherwise, you could opt for a pair of wireless Bluetooth headphones. That isn’t truly a solution, but you will be able to use headphones.

Read next: The best phones with a headphone jack

Do you still need help with your headphone jack? Connect one-on-one with an electronics expert through JustAnswer, an Android Authority partner.

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