"This accessory is not supported by this iPhone" error when using lightning to 3.5mm adapter. iPhone 7, iOS 10.3.2

Deggie (my Autocorrect wants to call you Doggie but I caught it in time...) it turns out I was in fact just unlucky with the cables. The fellow at the Apple store gave me a new cable no charge (I have Apple Care or whatever it’s called) and the headphones work fine. One thing for sure I will stay away from non-certified third party products. Those still don’t work and I threw them out. They all had mostly great reviews on Amazon.ca. Probably from before that iOS update that started disallowing them. When I got home I found an old cable that was not Apple but from a certified maker. That cord does work. And the Apple cords are cheap, just $10 CDN, so it’s not a big issue. Thanks for your help.

Ultimately, only one solution worked for me; physically going to the Apple store and having them determine that the accessory itself was faulty. 😕 New adaptor, problem resolved.

I will follow up on my comment. I purchased a new connector from an Apple store and my EarPods work fine. My original connector came with the phone.

I distribute iPhones to our company. I ran into this issue with a brand new phone and adapter and noticed the bad adapter was a little different than all the other adapters. Phones were shipped sealed to the office from Verizon. In comparing the bad adapter to any other adapters from the same shipment, this one is longer overall. Both the cable and hard plastic grips. The wire is a little thicker and it doesn't specify its an official apple product on the wire like all the other phone adapters. Can Apple tell me why I have a different adapter straight out of the box and why it doesn't work?

Here is a picture of two adapters that I pulled from two brand new iPhone boxes. As you can see one is noticeably longer. The shorter cable has Apple markings while the longer does not. The longer cable I get the same message about the accessory not supported. I'm curious how long your adapter is and if it has any Apple markings on the cord anywhere.

1st thing to check is the Lightning port and clean any debris you find (they are pocket lint magnets). If your iPhone adapter still does not work it is probably defective, exchange it. As to your new adapter, is it Made for iPhone certified.

Get a flashlight and check the Lightning port on your iPhone and carefully clean it with a toothpick. Also check the headphone jack on the adapter and do the same.

If you still get an accessory error message then replace your adapter, it is defective.

You mean Apple and the over 160 companies that are Made for iPhone certified? Is that really a limiting factor?

If none of them are working on your iPhone then you have a hardware problem with your Lightning connector. It may be dirt or something obstructing the port, may be a damaged pin, or the connector may be faulty. Make a Genius Bar appointment and have it looked at.

If you read the Terms of Use you agreed to coming here you would know that this is a user-to-user technical support site operated by Apple, so it isn't really amazing at all.

If this is an Apple adapter it appears it has failed, exchange it with Apple.

On number 3, where you used a different Apple earphone, did the other earphone work?

Have you tried a forced restart? A restore from backup? A restore as new?

If your port has a problem your phone is under warranty you can get it replaced.

OK, everyone take a deep breath! I just got out my etymotic headphones that have a lightning to 3.5mm Adapter installed on them. I don't use them often anymore, but plugged them into iPhone XS and NO PROBLEM at all.

The Adapter I have is from the first generation of them coming out (I can't remember the iPhone model) Running iOS 12.1

Anyway as I said they work fine, stop by an Apple store and sort it out with them, guessing if it is a new purchase, they are going to give you a new Adapter. Check it out before leaving. Take your current "Problem" adapter with you, and before going give the lightning plug in a quick blast of compressed air to blow out any pocket lint. If an old adapter, you may need to purchase a new one. Things do break and weat out.

Are you referring to the Apple adapter? It isn't passive, it has four separate chipsets in it. If you do have the Apple one then use your warranty and exchange it.

If it is the Apple adapter then get it replace, it is malfunctioning.

Since my original post, I have been educating myself.

This is an non-Apple adapter, apparently not MFi certified. Presumably, having those chipsets is what makes an adapter or device qualify as MFi certified. Given the fact that only MFi certified adapters and connectors will work with iPhone 8, in my mind it is verging on fraudulent for retailers to market products (such as the ones I purchased) as "compatible" with the iPhone. Apparently not true at all.

Lesson learned. 😟

• If it's not an Apple or Apple approved Made for iPhone adapter replace it with one that is.
• Clean the Lightning connector on the bottom of the phone. Use a bright light and a sharp non-metallic object like a toothpick.