iPad won’t work with headphones

Why not?

It is a little hard to help/advise you when you provide little to NO useful information about your iPad.

Lots of iPad year and models.

Here are my questions to you.

Can you, please, confirm what year and model iPad do you have/own?

The “A” model number can be found on the aluminium back of your iPad, in very small print, right under the larger bold print “iPad” on the back of the iPad.

AND/OR

Supply the “M” model number, which can be found in the Settings app, under the General settings panel, then tap About.

Your iPad maybe too old.

What iOS/iPadOS version is this iPad, currently, running? Your iOS/iPadOS version maybe too far behind in iOS/iPadOS versions OR cannot be upgraded/updates any farther than what your iPad OS version is already, currently, running.

What is the rated, internal data storage space/capacity of your iPad model and how much of this free, internal data storage capacity is left inside of your iPad model?

All of that additional info can, also, be found in the Settings app, General settings panel, About.

Your iPad needs sufficient free internal data storage space. At the very least, 7-8 GBs or greater internal, free data storage space.

For iPad models with a Home button, do a simple hard reset/forced restart of your iPad by holding down both the Home and sleep/wake/power button simultaneously until your iPad goes to black and restarts with Apple logo, then release the buttons.

OR

For much newer design iPad models, without a Home button, try the new simple hard reset/forced restart procedure for the new 2018-2022 iPad Pros, 2020/21 iPad Air 4 and 5, the 2021 iPad Mini 6 and the new 2022, 10th gen base models,

1. Press and release the volume button closest to the top Power button

2. Then immediately ( and quickly ) press and release the volume button farthest from the top Power button.

3. Then, press and hold the top single sleep/wake/power button You will see the Slide to Power off button, but keep on holding down the power button until you see the Apple logo, then let it go.

Once you have performed all the steps, wait for a few seconds and your 2018-2022 iPad will boot up completely to the iPad’s Lock screen.

Tap, read and follow this Apple support link below.

Force restart iPad - Apple Support

Best of Luck to You!

Assuming that you are connecting your headphones directly to your iPad (with a headphone socket) or suitable headphone adapter, it is possible that your headphone plug may not be wired correctly for iPad. There are different wiring standards for TRRS connections.

In general, there are three main wiring standards for 3.5mm TTRS connections - and they are not interchangeable:

CTIA (Apple)

OMTP (Nokia)

Camcorder AV