Broken headphone jack! 3.5mm dillemma. Help. Please.

We have been dealing with a mute iPad for months now after one of the kids broke the jack from a pair of cheap headphones in it. We took it to the Apple Store (no dice) and to a third-party repair shop that wanted to charge us $80 to take the entire thing apart. After I read your solution about the pen refill, I grabbed the nearest cheapie ballpoint, pulled it apart and saw that the end was the exact right size to fit in the hole. I used a pair of pliers to grab it and really shove it in there, and then pulled it out. Voila! Months of suffering done in 30 seconds! Just had to say thanks!

So, I had my shiny new iPad and inside it was the tip of a jack/headphone which some how managed to break inside my iPad. Epic fail. Desperate to be able to listen to audio from my iPad again and frustrated by the failed attempts to remove the tip using tweezers, toothpicks, super glue and the inner part of Bic biros I started to pace up and down my bedroom to find something, anything that might help.

What I used:

Wooden Cuticle Stick (for those who aren't familiar with what this is, it can be bought from most pharmacies, chemists or drug stores and usually comes in a set of 3 or more or in a nail kit)

Knife (to cut one end of the Cuticle Stick so that it is flat)

Needle (to make a small hole in the flat end of the Cuticle Stick)

Super Glue

What I did:

1.Cut the end of the Cuticle Stick so that it was flat

2.Made a hole in the flat end of the Cuticle Stick about the same size as the part of the tip that was sticking up. Tried it out for size by inserting the stick into my iPad

3.Applied a small blob of Super Glue into the hole at the end of the Cuticle Stick

4.Inserted the Cuticle Stick into my iPad and held it in place whilst turning my iPad around so that the Stick was pointing downwards

5.Left the glue to set for about 1.5 minutes

6.Pulled the stick out of my iPad and the jack came out too!!!!!

If anyone knows how I can post images up here (I can't find the camera icon!) then let me know and I'll add the images.

Good luck!!!

I had very good luck with a thumbtack with the end bent like a hook. Pushed the thumbtack into the broken piece of headphone and twisted the thumbtack a couple of times. When it felt like it had a good grasp I quickly pulled the thumbtack out and the broken piece.

Thumbtack did the job, thank you so much. A very very happy teenage daughter :-)

There are 2 solutions for a headphone tip broken in the laptop. (I did go the the Apple store and they couldn't get it out.) 1. HMDX bluetooth speaker. I'm not sure if there is a headphone jack. After months of no audio with the tip still stuck in my computer a friend bluetoothed my laptop up with his little speaker and voila! Sound!

2. A USB plug in with a headphone port. Haven't tried yet but ordered this from Amazon for $8.99 with free shipping: High QualitySYBA Accessory SD-CM-UAUD USB Stereo Audio Adapter RoHS Sound Retail

I got mine out! Here is my way...

I took a bobby pin, straightened jt out, and pulled off the plastic end of one side. This exposes a sharp, blunt end. Because my jack broke off VERY low, there was no "hole" to stick a toothpick, thumbtack or anything in. There was a little gap on the side, I pushed the bobby pin in and slowly pulled out. It literally took 1 minute total, and 2 seconds to pull out.

Thanks to all the suggestions here, this idea was due to inspiration.

Too bad I went soundless for 2 months though =)

If you have the remaining portion of the mini plug, as I did, then coat the piece with oil or liquid soap. Next get small tube of gel super glue. With toothpick put tiny portion of super glue inside the tip of broken tip. Not too much or you will glue plug to jack. Soap should keep this from happening. Insert plug and press hard for several minutes. Now pull the plug out. Voila, out came the broken piece.

moorem85Thumbtack advice TOTALLY WORKED!

I was avoiding using glue and paying for this fix...

The jack has a ring of plastic that the thumbtack just borrowed into and I was able to slowly pull it out

Safest bet yet

Used the bent thumbtack, worked like a charm. All other remedies failed, although, I did not have access to a antenna tube. Thank you moorem85!

The thumbtack solved it! 🙂

I had low expectations, as I thought that I would be required to hook into metal with a metal thumbtack...

Hardest part was bending the thumbtack.

Thanks for making my day so much better!

moorem85, you're a genius. Such a simple solution and it works! I took the same type of push pin and bent the tip by squeezing the pin (from tip to top) in a pair of plyers. - took two seconds. Snagged the plastic of the embedded tip a couple of times, and pulled - nothing seemed to happen, until I turned the iPad mini upside down.

Guess what drops out? the tiny broken tip of the headphone jack. This solution works, doesn't seem to endanger the device and price is the cost of a push pin. Moorem85, you win the McGyver contest. Thanks a bunch!

I did the same thing and it was easy to remove. Do not use glue it will not work and if the glue seeps down into the chamber it may make it harder to remove. I used a small wall hook ( one that will screw into a wall). I gently twisted the screw a few turns into the broken jack and out it came. You do not have to screw it in very far for it to work. You could also use a small screw and screwdriver but i found the hook was easier to manipulate and turn. It took all of about 15 sec and it was out. Hope this helps

I have successfully managed to pull out the broken piece without glue or anything else but a headphone jack.

All you need to do is find a headphone/mic jack that you don't need.

Hold the middle piece and pull out the end piece carefully not to damage the plastic bit that separates the pieces.

Enter the 2/3rds now jack into the iPad's headphone jack and push it to lock with the broken piece.

Thats all. I hope i helped.

Hi, I am having the same issue you mentioned with no luck of getting the stuck piece of my headphone out of the jack....I also ordered the same syba accessory you did....could you tell me if you've recieved yours yet and if you have did it work? thanks!

I am so sorry. The syba accessory did not work, only bluetooth to a speaker.The other solutions in this discussion might have worked for me had I not let a jeweler touch it with his small drill.