It is unusual for your headphones to not connect to your mobile device; something must have gone wrong.
Your headphones may not connect to your phone because of a long distance or interference between both devices, low batteries, faulty jack plug or audio port, or full phone memory.
Several things could be behind this problem, and you have to figure out which one. This troubleshooting guide explores all the possible causes of headphone and phone connection issues and what to do in every instance.
Let’s get started!
Why Your Headphone Does not Connect to Your Phone
Here are the top reasons your wired or wireless headphone does not connect to your phone.
You Incorrectly Plugged in the Headphone
I know this sounds basic, but it could cause your wired headphone connection issues. Always check to see if you plugged your headphones correctly.
Remove the jack plug and re-insert it into your device. If the problem persists, continue to the following possible reason below.
You Have not Enabled Bluetooth
The first step to connecting your wireless headphones is to enable Bluetooth. Your headphones can’t pair with your phone if you do not enable Bluetooth on the device.
Check the Bluetooth to see if it is enabled. If the Bluetooth is enabled, disable it, and re-enable it to give it a fresh start, and then you can try reconnecting your headphone to see if it’ll work.
Long Distance Between Both Devices
Devices with the latest Bluetooth technology can maintain a stable connection over long distances. But every device has its limits, and you may have reached yours.
Do a quick test to determine if the distance is the reason behind your headphone-device connection issues.
Bring the Bluetooth headphones closer to the device and try to connect again. This should fix your earphone and phone connection issues if the distance is the culprit.
Bluetooth devices should easily connect within 20 feet.
Your Phone Needs a Restart
One of the simplest ways to fix phone errors is restarting the phone. When your phone runs for a long time, the cache might become full, and the RAM choked up, causing the system to fail. The system failure can cause Bluetooth malfunction and difficulty connecting your headphones.
Restarting your phone at this time can be helpful. It will clear out the data that takes up the available storage in the RAM, and close any running background app, giving the smartphone a fresh start.
As a result, the system will work faster, the Bluetooth will be free from any bugs, and your headphone should connect without hassle. Note that this fix applies to wired headphones as well.
Phone Memory is Full
It happens more often than not: Your phone storage fills up, and you start having problems operating the phone.
When this happens, you will probably experience issues like overheating, freezing, and difficulty enabling Bluetooth. Sometimes, when the Bluetooth is already enabled, it will fail to pair.
You cannot connect your headphones in such conditions unless you find a fix. So, what do you do? Restart the phone and free up some space.
To do this, press and hold the power button till the phone goes off and turn it on again. When the booting is complete, free up space on the phone. If you are not sure how to do this, here are viable options to consider:
- Delete heavy files that are not important.
- Uninstall apps that you rarely use or need.
- Create a backup for low-sized files you want to keep, then delete them from the phone. You can back them up on external drives, your PC, or Google Drive.
- Expand the storage capacity with an additional storage device like SD cards or Flash drives.
Once a reasonable amount of space is available on the phone, try reconnecting your headphones – wired or wireless.
Low Batteries
Low batteries can make your headphones not connect to your phone. While your phone may function well with a low battery, your wireless headphone may not.
When your headphone battery is low, it lacks sufficient power to function optimally, especially if you want to pair it with Bluetooth. Go ahead and charge your headphones if they have a low battery and attempt to reconnect afterward.
Outdated Firmware
Outdated firmware is a very likely culprit when devices malfunction. You may be dealing with an outdated firmware issue if you have duly checked all the factors above.
Outdated firmware will lack the latest drivers and software your device needs to function as intended. Sometimes, firmware updates happen automatically, but other times, you need to install them manually.
Check for available updates for your phone and headphone. If there is, install them.
Faulty Jack Plug
A faulty headphone jack plug will result in a failed wired headphone connection. Wired headphones connect to your phone through the jack plug terminal; if the plug develops a fault, you can’t have a successful connection. Consider fixing the jack plug or replacing it entirely.
Audio Port Problem
If there is a problem with the audio port on your phone, it is as good as having a faulty jack plug. Audio port problems in phones are usually caused by dirt accumulation.
If the audio port stops your phone from connecting, carefully clean the area. If the problem persists, ask a technician to take a closer look and maybe install a replacement.
Broken Headphone
Your headphones can break, and anything can go wrong if they do. Both wired and wireless headphones may not connect to your phone in this condition.
If none of these troubleshooting guides work for you, you may be dealing with hardware damage to the headphone. Visit a technician to repair the broken headphones, or consider getting a replacement.