The majority of smartphone users know how to care for their devices. They are conscientious and frequently clean their phones. Hopefully, that describes you. But most people, even obsessive “clean freaks,” neglect their headphone jack. And guess what happens then? It affects the quality of your sound – that is, if you’re able to get any sound at all.
Your headphone jack not working? Remember that, just like your charging port, the headphone jack is an open connector that is virtually a magnet for lint and dust. If you’re having connection trouble with your headphones, it may be because the headphone jack needs to be thoroughly cleaned. Can you remember the last time you cleaned it? Have you ever cleaned it before?
Here are a few easy methods, using everyday tools, to clean your Galaxy smartphone headphone jack:
Always power off your device before performing any of the cleaning steps below.
- Tool needed: air can
It’s simple: Use an air can to blow out dust and lint that may have accumulated in the hole of the headset jack. - Tool needed: cotton swab
Carefully insert the tip of a dry cotton swab into the headset jack to clean it out. Be sure to do this gently so you don’t cause damage to your device. - Tools needed: tape and a paperclip.
We call this last option the homemade lint roller technique. First, unbend and straighten a paperclip. Next, take a small piece of regular clear tape and wrap it around the paperclip with the sticky side up. Make sure the tape is firmly in place. You have just made a micro lint brush. Very gently insert the sticky taped paperclip end into the headset jack and pull out any lint or debris.
If your headphones are still producing no sound after the cleaning, you may have a hardware issue. How to fix headphone jack? We would first recommend trying a second pair of headphones to see if the sound is present. If that does not work you should contact your carrier, your warranty provider (if you have one), and lastly Samsung. If your phone is out of warranty, local repair shops can also perform a headphone jack replacement for less than $40. How to fix broken headphone jack is a question for hardware technicians.
But even better, what if you were able to ensure that your headphone jack never got dust and lint, or broken, in the first place? Purchase a set of port plugs for your Samsung Galaxy Smartphone.
Note: this post has been updated 2/11/17 for accuracy.