iPhone 5S earbuds remote not working

Question

Level 1

20 points

iPhone 5S earbuds remote not working

I have an iPhone 5S running i0S 8.1.3.

I often use the remote/mic on my earbuds to activate Siri, but suddenly I am unable to get the phone to respond when I press the remote/mic button. I can hear music/phone calls just fine but the button doesn't do anything. I also cannot adjust the volume of music, videos, etc. unless I use the buttons on the phone itself. I have two spare sets of earbuds and all of them are doing the same thing, which leads me to believe there's something wrong with the phone. Anyone else ever have this issue?

Thanks.

iPhone 5s, iOS 8.1.3

Posted on Jan 30, 2015 12:49 PM

Reply

Answer 1

sterling r

Community Specialist

Feb 2, 2015 7:20 AM in response to zfilm111

Hi there zfilm11,

It sounds like the phone is not recognizing some of the functions of ANY earpods that you connect to it. I would use these steps specifically to help resolve this issue if it is to do with the software on the phone:

If you need help with iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch accessories

Disconnect and inspect the accessory, then restart your device

Disconnect the accessory and turn it off, if possible.

Inspect the connection between the accessory and device and make sure that no debris or other damage is present.

Restart your iOS device by turning it off, then back on. When the Home screen appears, reconnect the accessory.

Try a different device

Make sure the issue is with the accessory, if possible. Always use an identical or similar, compatible device with the accessory you're troubleshooting.

Restore iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Restore your iOS device. You should rarely need to use this step with an accessory issue.

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

Cheers,

Sterling

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Answer 2

zfilm111 Author

Level 1

20 points

Mar 1, 2015 7:33 AM in response to sterling r

Thanks for your reply, Sterling. I have three sets of EarPods and none of them work properly with my phone, but they work fine with my wife's iPhone 5c. I was trying to avoid restoring my phone but I finally did it -- still no luck.

I'm guessing my only option now is to have an Apple tech look at it.

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Answer 3

zfilm111 Author

Level 1

20 points

Mar 26, 2015 2:03 PM in response to zfilm111

If anyone else is having this problem, it seems I have found the solution.

It turns out lint was collecting in the earphone jack and causing a poor connection. I tried blowing compressed air to clean it out but it didn't help much -- the EarPod remote worked better but not consistently. I also tried plugging and unplugging the earbuds repeatedly, which didn't do much either. Then it would stop working altogether again.

Eventually I used a needle to gently dig out the lint, and I was surprised how much actually came out. Compressed air might have been blowing it in farther. After that cleaning it seems all of my EarPods are working properly.

Hope this helps someone.

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