In this article, we discuss things that you can do to fix and mend your iPhone headphone Jack.

 

Apple of course designs its products such that you can not make use a generic replacement.

 

Sometimes the problem can be with the headphone jack itself and sometimes it could be with the phone.

 

The jack can break or bend as a result of excessive use or if it is repeatedly inserted with great force.

 

Obviously the first step is to head over to apple and ask what the issue is.

 

Sometimes apple service agents have been known to overstate problems, so it would be wise to ask them to insert a new set of headphones and then test these headphones to see of they work. Grab a cloth or a soft brush and clean the Jack.

 

1. Clean out the headphone jack

 

lint, gunk, debris and other dirt could get stuck in the headphone jack. This could be due to a number of reasons.

 

When you put your headphones in your pocket or in between clothes, they can gather dust and lint.

 

Headphones that are stored away in cupboards or draws and not used for a long time can also gather dust.

 

The best thing to do is to ensure that you clean out your headphones with a soft brush or a cloth and you can even blow on the headphones to remove particles

 

2. Make us of your warranty

 

Most apple products come with some sort of warranty, which allows you to get your product fixed within the warranty period.

 

Head over to your nearest apple store and get them to fix it.

 

Due to the exorbitant prices sometimes charged by apple, there are services that have popped up that can fix your iPhone sometimes at a price below what apple will charge.

 

3. Double check that you are not connected to other devices

 

If you are connected to more than 1 device then it is possible that your iPhone could be playing through another device instead of your headphones.

 

So if your iPhone happens to be connected to other devices via Bluetooth then double check to make sure that your audio is not playing through another device.

 

4. Replace the jack your self

 

I would not recommend this as the best possible method especially if you are afraid of wires or are not that into handy work.

 

Working with wires is dangerous and I would proceed with caution before attempting to do this.

 

This involves exposing wires and burning them and can be very dangerous.

 

Please proceed here with caution , if you are unable to do this then get someone who is a pro to do it for you.

 

• Cut the cable at the point where the wire and jack intersect

 

• Strip the  wire down with pliers

 

• The wires of the iPhone  are very insulated, so you may need some soldering paste. Read on to find out where you can get some and how to make use of it.

 

• Slightly burn the wire to remove insulation

 

• After burning the wire gently rub them with a blade.

 

If soldering is not possible due to strong insulation then you may very well need a soldering paste.

 

There are many types of solutions and paste that one can get for soldering, take a look at the following for one that may do a very good job.

 

For those that do not know what soldering means Wikipedia offers the best definition:

 

“In essence a solder is a fusible metal alloy used to create a permanent bond between metal work pieces.

 

Once the wires have been soldiered then we will need to purchase a replacement headphone jack. this can usually be found on Amazon.

 

Consult with an apple specialist for the correct type of jack to use. There are many verities that can be purchased. See some here.”

 

I personally like to make use of a 4 pole 3.5mm.

 

The next step is to apply the solder paste on the wire. For a detailed video on how to solder a headphone jack, please refer to the following link

 

5. Consider getting a nice pair of headphones with a solid jack.

 

There are many variations of headphone that you can get . This will depend on the amount that you want to spend and the type of headphones that you want.

 

The traditional headphones for an iPhone are generally very basic headphones which do not come with any bells and whistles.

 

However there are many verity of headphones out there that can be used for more than just listening to music and are feature rich.

 

Headphones today have been optimized for bass and the sound quality can be fantastic. Some headphones are even noise cancelling and as a result give you the opportunity to shut out the outside world.

 

At the end of the day it is up to you what you are into.

 

6. take precaution and safeguard them before hand

 

One thing that i like to do with my phones when I buy them is to ensure that I protect them before anything happens to them.

 

There can be nothing worse than cracking a screen and having to pay the associated costs.

 

Mistakes happen, sometimes you drop your headphones or they are pulled out from your pocket and then get damaged.

 

One of the best things to do in my view is to make use of Heat-shrink tubing. Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia explaining heat shrink tubing in detail.

 

“Heat-shrink tubing (or, commonly, heat shrink or heat shrink) is a shrinkable plastic tube used to insulate wires, providing abrasion resistance and environmental protection for stranded and solid wire conductors, connections, joints and terminals in electrical work.

 

It can also be used to repair the insulation on wires or to bundle them together, to protect wires or small parts from minor abrasion, and to create cable entry seals, offering environmental sealing protection.

 

Heat-shrink tubing is ordinarily made of polyolefin, which shrinks radially (but not longitudinally) when heated, to between one-half and one-sixth of its diameter.

 

Heat-shrink tubing is manufactured in a multitude of varieties and chemical makeups with the exact composition of each type being dependent on the intended application.

 

From near microscopically-thin-wall tubing to rigid, heavy-wall tubing, each type has precise design and chemical additives that make it suitable for meeting any of a wide variety of environmental demands.

 

Heat-shrink tubing is rated by its expansion ratio, a comparison of the differences in expansion and recovery rate”.

 

For more details on heat shrink tubing and how it is made or composed and what it is made out of then follow this link

 

7. Make sure that it is definitely the headphones that have a problem?

 

This piece of advice was given to me when I called the iPhone store. The guys at apple offer the following advice. You can also find this advice on the apple support pages.

 

• Check for debris in the headphone port on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

 

• Check your headphone cable, connector, remote, and earbuds for damage, like wear or breakage.

 

• Look for debris on the meshes in each earbud. To remove debris, gently brush all openings with a small, soft-bristled brush that’s clean and dry.

 

• Firmly plug your headphones back in. If your iOS device has a case, remove the case to get a firm connection.

 

 

The problem could be with your volume, in which case it is advised that you:

 

• Adjust the volume with the volume buttons on your iOS device or use the Volume slider in Control Center.

 

• To see if you need a replacement, try a second pair of headphones.

 

• If the second pair works, contact the manufacturer of the initial pair and ask if you need a replacement. If the second pair doesn’t work, contact Apple Support.

 

Sometime the problem could be that only one of your earphones works – how do you fix this ?

 

You can follow a few easy steps

 

• Plug your headphones into an audio source

 

• While music is playing rub the wire and bend it to isolate where the wires have short cut.

 

• Rub the wire and move it around particularly close to the headphone jack

 

• If you know where the wire has shorted cut out that portion.

 

• You can attempt to solder the wires

 

• Again follow the above steps with caution as they relate to wiring.

 

Conclusion.

 

All in all, I think that the best advice is to contact apple and get them to advise you on what to do.

 

This is especially so if the problem is not a quick fix such as re starting your device or checking if your device is not connected to other devices via Bluetooth.

 

Alternatively get a better set of headphones.