iPad thinks it is connected to a dock connector = no sound

I had this exact problem with my iPad 2, and what I did was gently (gently is the key) jiggle the 30-pin connector with a small screwdriver, like you get in those computer or eyeglass repair kits. I ran the screwdriver along the length of the connector, and the sound would suddenly re-appear at certain points, and then disappear again when I removed the screwdriver. I kept gently probing the connector with the screwdriver, and jiggling it slightly up and down. It seemed to work better when I jiggled it downward (toward the back of the iPad). At one point, the sound came back for several minutes, and I thought I had fixed it, but then the sound went away again. Finally, I pressed slightly harder on the connector downward (again, toward the back of the iPad) and held it for a few seconds, and that seems to have permanently fixed it, at least until it happens again. Based on the results, I would say that either the connector gets a bit loose when the charger is removed abruptly in an upward direction (toward the front of the iPad), or there was a short in the connector that probing with the screwdriver eventually cleared. I felt like I had nothing to lose, since I had brought it to the Genius bar and they said the fix was to get a new iPad, and because I was out of warranty, it would cost $299. I didn't think I could possibly make it worse with the screwdriver, so I gave it a shot.

Take a look at this discussion. There were a couple of solutions in here that involved cleaning the dock connector port (I think). Give it a look and maybe one of these things will work for you.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3822973?answerId=20287790022#20287790022

Hi, Mick, there are other threads on this frustrating problem. It initially seems like a software problem, because there isn't a definitive trigger event and the problem can be quite random. Well it was with me.

The solution is to gently clean the dock connector with a little Windex or similar cleaner. Wiping the terminals with a little of the cleaner on a Q-tip sliced lengthways down the middle did it for me. Dry the terminals with the other end of the Q-tip, do a restart and the sound slider reappears permanently, as does the IPad option in the Airplay options.

From what I can glean (I'm not an expert), dirt, lint or minuscule metal scrapings short out pin 21 on the dock connector, which makes the iPad think that there is where the sound should go.

My sound problem has gone away, after weeks of frustration, research and attempts at all sorts of other suggested "solutions"...

TV

Cleaning the dock connector was my solution, thank you.

Hi, by way of update, the problem reoccurred on my iPad after a few weeks. Took iPad to the Apple Store, where it was replaced with a new one in a matter of minutes.

Having similar issue. Far as I can tell, happens with Facebook auto movie play or somehow related to that though I can't replicate any one series of settings/actions. What seems to work is select appletv then turn off all programs running in background. Then I get my sound control back.

A simple fix for apple would be to have airplay ALWAYS have internal speakers available as a selection. Why that is not present no matter what is beyond me.

It happend to my iphone 5 yesterday. I turn the phone off waited a few minutes and turn the phone back on and it fixed the problem. Days after my warranty expired.

Having the same issue. Just started happening the other day. Can run a toothpick along the connector (gently) and the sound comes back at several points. The strange thing is this behavior only seems to happen when Netflix is running. Every few minutes. Never happens while playing music (through the iPad). It would be nice if we could simply turn off airplay altogether, but that doesn't seem to be an option (unless I've missed something).

Fixed the issue perfectly!