Headphone Jack Not Working On Laptop (Quick Guide)

Did the headphone jack of your laptop suddenly stop working? Are you unable to find the solution to this problem? Then you have opened the right article. Just continue reading on.

It often happens that our headphones or headphone jack suddenly stop working. The reason behind this can be anything from a fault in the hardware or an issue with the software system.

See Also: HDMI Sound Not Working.

Headphone Jack Not Working On Laptop Easy Methods to Solve

There is no need to worry as we have combined all the possible and very easy to do working methods to solve this issue for you.

Look for Any Physical Damage and Do Some Preliminary Checks

Did you drop your headphones or your laptop earlier during the day? This may have led to physical damage to the device and, in turn, could have affected its functioning. So be sure that before trying the other methods, you have ruled out this possibility.

Also, carefully clean the audio jack of your laptop by using a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol because sometimes dust or lint can block the connection between the jack the headphones.

If you are using wireless headphones, check if they are connected to any other Bluetooth device. If yes, disconnect it and on/off the Bluetooth to check if the sound is audible now. Check if you have accidentally muted your headphones. For this, in the task panel at the bottom of the screen, check if there is a cross or a red circle with a slash on the speaker icon. If so, unmute yourself. This will help with your headphone jack not working on laptop problem.

See also: Fix The Error “Windows Not Recognizing Headphones”

Headphone Jack Not Working On Laptop then Ensure That the Headphones Are Attached Properly

Sometimes there is no technical problem, and it is just that we get too lazy even to attach our headphones properly.

First, try removing and inserting the plug into the jack again. (Usually, a headphone icon is there alongside the jack.) also, ensure that you have inserted the correct plug to the right jack.

Test if the sound is audible from the headphone. If you cannot do so, move on to the following method.

Headphone Jack Not Working On Laptop then Check If Headphones Are Faulty

To see if headphone jack not working on laptop, there is another method. Check if there is an internal problem with the headphones themselves. Most of the time, it turns out that the headphones are faulty when we cannot hear sound after connecting the headphones to the laptop.

Therefore, if you experience a problem, you should permanently attach the headphone to a different device and check if it is working fine or not.

Headphone Jack Not Working On Laptop then Enable The Headphones As The Default Sound Device

Generally, if your device already has an in-built speaker or an external speaker attached to it, you must choose which device you want to set as the default device for playing sound. Follow the given below steps:

Go to the taskbar of your laptop and right-click on the sound icon. From there, select the sound settings option.

A list will appear in front of you of the connected audio devices. Select the headphones as the default sound device. 

Update Your Audio Drivers Regularly

Your headphone jack can also stop working because the audio drivers of your laptop are outdated, incompatible, or corrupted. Follow the given below steps:

1. Go to the search option in the Windows Start panel.
2. In the search bar, type Device Manager, then go to sound, video, and game controllers.

3. Right-click on your audio driver and choose the option of updating it.

Troubleshoot For Headphone Jack Not Working On Laptop

Troubleshooting is something that often helps to solve most of our technical problems. Go to the taskbar of your Windows, right-click on the sound icon, and click on troubleshoot.

Run it. It may help in finding out the exact issue and also its solution.

Try Force Rebooting Your Computer

Before using this method, make sure that all the essential content is saved on your computer and nothing important is left unsaved. Now click on the power button for 30 seconds continuously.

In a while, could you switch it on again? Insert the headphone pin in the laptop’s headphone jack. See if the headphones started working or not.

Headphone Jack Not Working On Laptop then Disable And Re-enable Audio Drivers

1. Type the shortcut “Windows+R” on your keyboard. A dialogue box will appear to type the name of a program folder, document, or Internet resource, and windows will open it for you.

2. Insert “devmgmt.msc” in the box.

3. Device Manager will appear with a list of several options. Select sound, video, and game controllers.

4. Click on your audio driver and disable it.

5. Now go back and restart your laptop. (It is a crucial step.)

Repeat the first three steps, but you have to enable the audio drivers this time.

Repairing Or Replacing

If neither of the methods for the problem of the headphone jack not working on laptop works, you should consider taking your laptop and your headphones to the repairman to check a hardware problem with the audio drivers.

If the headphones are the problem, you should consider replacing them with good quality ones. We are recommending a few companies which will prove to be an excellent choice for you:

SENNHEISER: It was founded in 1945 and is currently the most trusted company worldwide when it comes to headphones.

BOSE: It is the most famous American audio company known for the active noise cancellation feature of its headphones.

SONY: It is best known for its wide range of products but is also a popular choice for its audio products. It offers products within all fields, from affordable to one of the most expensive ones.

Conclusion

Don’t forget to tell us which of the above methods helped you fix the problem of your headphone jack not working on your laptop. In case of any queries, feel free to comment or mail us.

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