iPhone stuck in "headphones" mode

thanks! it worked for me

Thanks for the post! You ever need help with an iphone issue or need troubleshooting contact me at support@driphonedirect.com.
-JonnyDrex

Well, a thanks to all for all the suggestions. Sadly, nothing has worked for me as a permanent fix or a way to stop this from happening. I suffer from this sometimes as little as 4 minutes into a phonecall. If this was already addressed in this thread i apologize, i missed it. It occurs as soon as my phone gets a bit warm. First i thought i was dropping calls. Then i thought i just couldn't hear the other party and they should be hearing me and found myself explaining "i'll call you back, i can't hear you". I quickly found out neither of us could hear each other.
While i haven't found a fix, there is an immediate solution that always works during calls. As soon as you hear that 'sound of silence', switch to speakerphone and you will be able to continue your conversation. Unfortunately, after the call you'll be back in Headphones mode till the phone cools down, which sadly also kills your ringer volume.
Basically, it's getting to be torture, i want to hurl my phone. Droids are looking more and more attractive. (you listening, Apple?)
But a rapid switch to speakerphone will enable you to continue phone calls that go to Headphones.

Good luck!!!
3G 16GB


and c'mon Apple, get this addressed!!

I believe this problem is a bit more complicated than just dust or heat. My phone exhibits all the problems here but sometimes they are separate and sometimes combined.:

1) if the phone gets slightly warm (not even hot), it will put itself in Ringer (headphones) mode. By cooling it in front of an air vent it will switch back to "Ringer" mode. It can and has gone into headphone mode in the middle of a call, but basically, any significant cpu/memory activity can trigger this problem

2) Even though the headphone jack is clean, it will occasionally put itself in Ringer (headphone) mode, even when cool (lying on the desk with no activity). Usually, plugging and unplugging a headset jack will clear this (unless it is hot - see #1 above).

3) The problem seems also related to the iPod application. Sometimes, the phone will become confused and actually play the currently selected iPod tune through the speakers, even though it is stuck in headphone mode (without any headphones attached). I am beginning to believe there is some problem with the iPod logic, as I can usually correct this by opening the iPod app and changing selections or pausing the current selection (there doesnt seem to be a way to "Stop" an iPod selection i.e. eliminate the "Now Playing" status in the app).

It seems that issues #1, #2 and #3 can occur individually, or in any combination. I believe that while lint or dust "Can" cause issues, the problem is more complex. Those that are using air or vacuum etc. may be inadvertantly cooling the MB down enough to "fix" the problem (if it was really a heat not a dust issue). I don't believe most problems are "dust" as the problem can exhibit itself while lying on a cool desk, with no other activity.

It is interesting to me that Apple seems to be ambivalent about this problem even though it is all over a number of boards, including the Apple forum.

We should have an official response from Apple on this.. My efforts at the Genius bar have been ineffectual, with suggestions by Apple to reboot or restore the phone.. Based on the experience of many others, this does not seem to cure the problem either.

Paul O.
Cary, NC

iPhone 3g
version 3.1.3

Paul
Mine is doing basically the exact same things with the headphone mode and ipod. Sometimes after I put it to sleep, the screen will light back up to my wallpaper, then turn back off when I don't unlock it, and do this over and over for about 3 minutes. Very frustrating. I'm surprised Apple hasn't addressed this. I'm headed to the Genius Bar tomorrow to look for suggestions. I'll post back if I get anywhere...
Commiserating...
Alice

Alice,

Let me know how it went.. I have been lately experimenting with the "Adjust ring Tone" fix to see if it can restore the ringer mode even when the device is warm. This is the process of checking and changing the current ring tone to another and has been reported elsewhere on this board as a fix.. it is not permanent though does seem to restore functionality temporarily at least.. very strange bug..

Would really like to find the solution to this.. mayby iOS4...?

Paul

I have the same problem

I have had the "indicates headphones are connected when none are" issue for some time and have missed many calls, I tried all suggested remedies to no avail. I then inspected the jack and internal surface appeared grey inside the barrel. Suspecting enough continuity from this (probably conductive) residue to give a false 'headphone installed' reading between contacts I took a non-fiber 'tech' q-tip lightly moistened with ethanol and cleaned the interior surfaces. The q-tip came out pretty grey and the barrel pristine. For good measure I also cleaned the headphone plug. I don't know if that was the result of the cleaning or exercising the spring-loaded contacts, but since then I have had no reoccurrence of the issue.

thankyou to everyone on thier advise my iphone was in headphone mode and it would not come off it as i have never used the headphones i could not understand this the one that worked for me was turning the headphones while the were in the phone once again many thanks to everyone

the question above is not answered so apple needs to fixed. I have tried everything yeveryone has mention. I restored is so many times it's not funny. APPLE FIX THIS ISSUE!!! anyone else have anymore soultions?

OMG...this actually worked for me! Thanks! LOL!

Hello to all with this nerving headphone mode
I had this problem for nearly 1 year (iPhone is out of warranty...)
All hints from the net failed...
- Plug & unplug the connector several times
- reset iPhone
- uninstall and reinstall applications
- blow out the connector
- replace the headphone jack (that was a hard work!)

... ALL of these things failed

It's a temperature (hardware) problem. When the iPhone gets warm it switch to "headphone mode".
If you put it into the refrigerator for 2 minutes it works ok. Or if you blow it out it will work (cause it's cooling down) .... but just a few minutes...

Finally - I get in contact to the company where I bought the Flex cable and asked if they know about that problem. They answered that they wanna try to take a look at my iPhone... AND after 1 week I got it back...

IT'S FIXED!!!!

Get in contact with:
Mobile Parts Discount
shop@mobile-parts-discount.net
http://mobile-parts-discount.net

I suggest these guys to everybody with this problem
I will post this message also into other forum or discussions, cause I was searching for half a year about a solution in the net. There are 40,000 post referring this problem.

Best regards
Stefan

Please ignore my bad English

I just had the same problem as everyone, and after reading about 7 pages of unplugging/replugging, restoring the firmware, blowing on the earphone jack, throwing a football into the air for a hail Mary to save my expensive piece of hardware, etc, I tried it all and was about to give up hope...

Then I basically (as stupid as this sounds) sucked on the earphone jack as hard as I could, for as long as I could, and it finally fixed it. Yup, basically just exhaled all my air, and inhaled a lungful through the earphone jack.. and, very surprisingly, it worked.

I assume it could be lint or dust like others have said, or even a bit of moisture, depending on where you live in America or Canada vs. climate.

The lint would be easy enough to suck out, but once you get that little molecule of moisture within the jack, any other moisture automatically collects on it, sabotaging your beautiful (and expensive) iPhone.

For anyone who was panicking like I was, just keep trying to dehydrate your phone's electronics, and it'll eventually help. It's ridiculous how easily modern electronics are affected by moisture.

This is most definitely an issue that is " NOT SOLVED." This issue can arise from beta or unofficial released software. It's not always your hardware!
-JonnyDrex
support@driphonedirect.com

i have a problem on my iphone 4 where i cant hear anything and no one can hear me in calls even if i have headset on, and im sure its not a headset issue. The problem have been occuring since my 1st call when i got the phone (3 days ago), and the problem have been coming and going I don't know what is the problem.
I reset & restore & reboot & restart and done every possible thing and still the problem occurs, can anyone PLEAAASE help me? and is it possible to replace the phone outside the country of purchase ? Its a factory unlocked Iphone bought from germany, can it be replaced from apple Egypt ?