Problem with audio after removing headphones from Macbook

Question

Problem with audio after removing headphones from Macbook

Basically, I'm using a Macbook with Snow leopard (version 10.6.8) and in the last week or two (though it couldn't happened previously and not been noticed) whenever I remove my headphones from the macbook and go to listen to some audio, the mute and volume up/down buttons on my keyboard do not respond to changes in the volume.

So when I'm in itunes the only way to change the volume is by pressing pause in itunes itself and to use the slider, the keys F10, F11 and F12 to change them don't do anything. It's the same when watching youtube videos - the audio can only be muted through the button on the website and not through the audio buttons as I can do usually.

This problem goes away when I restart the macbook. Obviously it's not a massive issue, but restarting after finishing with my headphones just to have easier control over audio is annoying, and I was wondering if anyone else has this problem or has dealt with it? Thank you 🙂

MacBook (13-inch Mid 2010), Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Apr 7, 2012 4:29 PM

Reply

Answer 1

kostby

Level 4

2,964 points

Apr 8, 2012 1:23 PM in response to Community User

Welcome to Apple Support Communities.

Do you notice a red light in the audio jack when the audio does not work?

If yes, it's a common problem when the optical audio switch inside the jack sticks 'on' when headphones are removed.

This thread gives suggestions for correcting that problem using a plastic toothpic, inserted at the 3 o'clock position and rotated from the 3'o'clock position to the 6 o'clock position.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1367226?start=0&tstart=0

Reply

Answer 2

Apr 8, 2012 1:58 PM in response to kostby

No, there was no red light at all 😟. I have found a temporary fix, in that if I press the audio buttons on the keyboard as I pull the headphones out they continue to work, although I'm not sure why this works :S I'm going to stick with this and try not to use headphones, since I don't need to use them.

Reply