How To Turn Off Headphone Mode On Android? (Explained)

While some flagship Android phones are doing away with the headphone jack, many brands still maintain this feature. After all, wired headphones remain trendy for tech lovers as many believe they deliver better sound quality. 

An Android with a headphone jack has numerous benefits. You can plug in your wired headphones or earphones and use them to take calls and listen to music without experiencing lags. In any case, the digital conversion and transmission of audio signals are faster with wired connections than with wireless options.

You don’t have to pair your headphones with your Android to use them. You only need to plug the headset into the 3.5mm audio port, and your Android will automatically detect your headphones.

While headphone mode is a convenient feature, it has its fair share of shortcomings. You may unplug your headphones from your Android only to realize the headphone icon still appears on your screen. When this occurs, you can’t make calls or play music.

The good news is that headphone mode is not a permanent problem. You can quickly fix it in several ways. This guide explains how to turn off headphone mode on Android. 

Key Takeaways

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What Is Headphone Mode on Android?

Headphone mode is an integrated feature in smartphones with audio jacks. It detects plugged-in headphones or earphones, automatically switching the default audio output from the speaker to the headphones.

When you plug your headphones into your Android’s audio jack, your device will disable the speaker and switch the sound output to the headphones. A headphone icon will appear at the top of the screen to indicate you are now using your headphones.

If you want to turn off headphone mode, unplug the headphones to switch the audio output to the speaker. However, issues might arise, causing your Android to remain in headphone mode even after removing your earphones. You can’t play music or pick up calls via your Android speaker. 

Understanding the causes of headphone mode problems on Android can help you fix the issue quickly. 

Android Phone Stuck in Headphone Mode – Quick Fix

What Causes Headphone Mode Problems?

Here are some reasons why your Android is displaying the headphone mode icon even after unplugging your headphones:

How to Turn Off Headphone Mode on Android?

As mentioned above, the quickest way to turn off headphone mode on Android is to unplug your headphones. Your device will automatically detect that the headphones are no longer plugged in and switch to the speaker as the default audio output.

That said, if your device acts up and remains in headphone mode even after unplugging your earphones, here are proven tips to help you troubleshoot this problem:

Re-Plug and Remove the Headphones

Your Android phone might remain in headphone mode simply because the device didn’t detect when you unplugged the earphones from the headphone jack. 

The audio port technically monitors changes in resistance across the headphone jack. When you plug in your headphones, the resistance is measurable and becomes infinite when unplugged. For some reason, the audio jack might fail to keep up with the changes.

Re-plug and unplug the headphones

The most practical hack to fix this issue is to re-insert and remove the headphones several times until the headphone icon disappears.

Restart Android

Background processes and apps can cause your Android device to remain in headphone mode. Your phone might have too much to handle if multiple processes run simultaneously. If you unplug your headphones when the Android is still processing these tasks, it might remain stuck in headphone mode until you resolve the issue.

The quickest way to solve this problem is to reboot your device. Restarting your Android will temporarily stop the background processes, allowing your smartphone to prioritize more critical tasks.

Restarting your Android phone will stop background processes that might be preventing your phone from exiting the headphone mode.

Press and hold the power button for a few seconds until the power menu appears. Tap restart to reboot your device.

If you have an older Android phone with a removable battery, you can turn your phone off and remove the battery. Wait for at least 30 seconds before re-inserting the battery. This hack can help erase temporary data in the RAM without deleting your custom settings or saved data.

How to Force Restart an Android Phone

Clean Headphone Jack

Dirt and debris in the audio jack can cause your Android to remain stuck in headphone mode even after removing the earphones. The dirt buildup might connect to the electrical circuits inside the headphone jack, deceiving your phone to register that the earphones remain plugged. 

Dirty headphone jack could cause your phone to stay in headphone mode.

If the audio port is wet, your device might also display the headphone icon. Since water contains electrolytes, it is conductive and might mess with the headphone jack, causing your phone to remain in headphone mode.

Inspect the headphone jack for dirt, debris, lint, or liquids to determine your next action. If you notice elements inside the port, flush them with a cotton swab or blower. You can also allow the audio jack to dry naturally before rebooting your phone.

Cleaning the Headphone Jack on Your Android Phone

Wipe Cache Partition 

Your phone stores temporary data associated with the operating system in the cache partition. The junk files in the cache partition might sometimes cause performance issues, causing your device to act up and remain in headphone mode.

Wiping the cache partition can considerably improve the performance of your device and turn off headphone mode on Android. However, you can only clear the system cache by entering recovery mode. 

Follow these steps to wipe the cache partition on Android:

• Plug in your headphones.
• Turn off your phone.
• On a Samsung phone, press and hold the VOL DOWN and POWER buttons simultaneously for 10 seconds. Then, without releasing the power button, release the VOL DOWN button and press and hold the VOL UP button until the Samsung logo appears. 
• Release when the device enters recovery mode (Android Recovery).
• Use the volume down button to navigate to the Wipe Cache Partition.

Wiping the cache partition could turn off the headphone mode on your Android phone.

• Press the power button to confirm your selection.
• Once done, use the volume up button to navigate to the Reboot System Now.
• Press the power button to confirm your selection.

Wiping Cache Partition on a Samsung Galaxy Phone

Reset Android

Software issues and glitches are widespread with Android devices. They might cause your phone to remain in headphone mode. Fortunately, resetting your smartphone to factory defaults can help resolve the problem.

Before performing a reset, backup all your data. A reset will erase all your custom settings, installed apps, and saved files.

Here are the steps to reset your Android:

• Turn off your phone.
• On a Samsung phone, press and hold the VOL DOWN and POWER buttons simultaneously for 10 seconds. Then, without releasing the power button, release the VOL DOWN button and press and hold the VOL UP button until the Samsung logo appears. 
• Release the buttons when the device enters recovery mode (Android Recovery).
• Use the volume down button to navigate to Wipe data/factory reset.

Resetting your Android phone may help it exit the headphone mode.

• Press the power button to confirm your selection.

Resetting a Samsung Phone to Factory Default Settings (Using Phone’s Settings)

Resetting a Samsung Phone to Factory Default Settings

Update Firmware

Android phones require frequent software updates to fix bugs and resolve various issues. Your Android might show the headphone mode icon because of firmware issues.

Updating your phone to the latest version can resolve the issue. Here are the steps:

Updating Android Phones – Step-by-Step Guide

Repair Headphone Jack

If unable to turn off headphone mode, schedule a repair service with a phone expert. The headphone jack might be faulty or damaged. You can only turn off the headphone mode after repairing the audio jack.

Use Third-Party Apps

Consider installing a third-party app if, at this point, you’re unable to turn off headphone mode. Some Android apps allow you to root your device and access developer or administrative controls. The applications override audio controls enabling you to switch between your headphones and speaker.

However, I suggest you only try this method if you have some expertise in rooting Android devices. Any wrong step might damage your phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Headphone mode can be an excellent feature, but it also has downsides. Your Android device might remain stuck in this mode after removing your headphones. The implication of this issue is that you won’t play sound or pick up calls through the speaker. Fortunately, you can solve this nagging problem using the above tips.