How To Remove A Broken Headphone Jack From Phone

Cleaved Headphone Jack

Belongings a cleaved headphone jack and wondering where the end is? Did you pull the earphones besides apace from your tablet or smartphone, only to notice a bit was left backside?

Sadly, earphone jacks aren't constructed for regular and repeated insertion and removal. If a portion of your earphone jack gets trapped in your phone, tablet, or even MP3 player, y'all'll need to remove it before yous can use whatever replacement headphones.

These half-dozen methods should help you recollect the lost part.

six Means to Remove a Broken Headphone Jack

The end of a broken headphone jack becomes caught in your phone or tablet all too frequently. It turns out that these tiny cylinders of metal are weak where the (usually) black plastic rings beetle along the length. This is the aforementioned for all wired earbuds, whether they're in your ears, on your ears, or over your head.

Removal is a problem, but fortunately, several solutions take been discovered to remove the debris:

Inside of a Biro.
Supergluing the rest of the jack.
Thumbtack with a bent bespeak
A toothpick with hot glue.
A heated paperclip.
A dedicated tool chosen the GripStick.

When withdrawing the broken component, make sure you agree your device with the earphone socket pointing downwards. Gravity always helps!

Also, before looking at these methods in more detail, note that the following steps are performedentirely at your ain risk. While less invasive than repairing headphone speakers, a incorrect move could entirely result in a broken phone or tablet.

Apply the Inside of a Biro

Hither's a fun fact: the tube running up the within of your biro (such as a Bic or Paper Mate) is almost the same bore as an earphone jack. With a flake of force and aligning, this tin be used to remove the broken jack from your device.

To practise this, remove the inner tube. This is the piece with the ink in it and is almost always removed by pulling the bill of the pen. At the bottom of the tube, the opposite end to the bill, y'all should find there is no ink. You can use this portion of the tube to remove the broken jack. Simply push button it firmly into your earphone socket, and remove it. The tube should grip the jack and pull it out.

If this doesn't work the kickoff fourth dimension, you have various choices. The start is to gently expand the tube with a blast to guarantee a snug fit for the jack. Alternatively, you may apace heat the cease of the tube to soften information technology, then insert it into the socket. Leave it for a time, so withdraw.

Also, if you lot accept a very steady hand, try hot glue or superglue, in a very small quantity, on the end of the tube earlier insertion. The video above demonstrates a similar arroyo, using chewing gum.

Finally, you might exist missing some pressure. Cut a two-inch length of the tube (or find something of a similar size, such equally the tube from a can of lubricating oil), and so insert it into the earphone socket. Side by side, tap into place with something business firm (like a shoe or slipper) to ensure the lost jack office is gripped. When you're happy it is held by the tube, could you remove it from the phone?

Superglue the Other Terminate of the Jack

If the pen cartridge doesn't work, or you prefer a unlike approach, the answer could be superglue. You probably know that you never demark two surfaces immediately after application when using superglue. Instead, you lot await until they have stale slightly and get tacky. This tackiness is key to removing the broken piece of the jack in this scenario.

Using a cocktail stick or some other narrow applicator, place a tiny superglue hulk on the earphone jack's remaining end. That's the piece that didn't break off on the phone! Wait (equally per the packet instructions) for it to become tacky, and so slide it into the socket. After pushing down for xxx seconds or so, pull the jack out. If the broken component is attached, you've solved the trouble.

While small amounts of mucilage should be used to avoid leaving a residue inside the socket, this tin can be removed. Simply apply a petty rubbing alcohol to a Q-tip and swiftly make clean inside the socket.

Thumbtack or Rubber Pin

A thumbtack or drawing pin can exist used if you want a simpler approach. This requires that the point has a slight bend in information technology, and then you might need to grab a hammer and apply a few swift blows. You should stop up with a sort of "50" shape at the point of the thumbtack or safety pin.

With your device in 1 hand, take the thumbtack and button it into the earphone socket. Do this so that the indicate of the thumbtack touches the plastic part of the jack, then simultaneously push firmly and twist. The aptitude betoken should burrow slightly into the jack. When you're confident you take plenty purchase, pull the debris out of the phone.

Toothpick and Hot Glue

Looking for some other small object to fit into your phone's earphone socket?

Try a toothpick, plastic or wooden, either is fine. Merely make sure it is narrow and long enough to reach into the socket and connect with the lost chunk of your earphone jack. Then, tab a tiny amount of hot glue onto the end, and wait a moment for it to absurd slightly.

Carefully insert into the earphone socket, and make contact with the debris. Wait for the gum to absurd and dry, then remove. The missing slice will be removed if all has gone according to plan!

Heated Paperclip

No mucilage to manus? Heat is a good substitute, as the broken office of the jack is nigh e'er accompanied by a ring of plastic. To grab hold of this, have a paperclip, and unwind it slightly, perhaps past bending the main length out by 90 degrees.

Next, grip the paperclip with something heatproof, and heat the end of the bent slice. With your phone in your other paw, place the heated paper clip carefully into the socket, correct down the heart. Push hard, then expect a few minutes for the plastic to absurd. If all has gone well, you should soon be able to remove the damaged portion of the earphone jack.

Buy a GripStick

If DIY fixes aren't working for you, information technology might be fourth dimension to consider a pro-level solution. GripStick is the upshot of a successful Kickstarter campaign designed specifically to remove broken off earphone jacks.

GripStick is available to purchase online from the manufacturer's website, nightek.com, for $24.95. Although pricey, it's considerably less than paying a professional person to remove the lost earphone jack. Similarly, if your telephone is under warranty or smartphone insurance, information technology might exist inconvenient to transport information technology away for repairs (information technology usually is). Ownership a GripStick volition avoid this existence an issue.

The apply of the GripStick is simple. Slide the cylinder into the earphone socket, push button it into place, and pull information technology out again using the band. The GripStick will agree the lost piece, and your earphone jack is free to use again!

Can't Remove It? Test Your Volume

If you cannot get the broken earphone jack out of your device for some reason, don't panic. It's possible that your device volume still works, so find out. If the device speaker is withal working, you can consider another solution.

No audio? This is considering the broken jack is telling your device that information technology is plugged in. As far as your phone or tablet is concerned, it sends audio to your earphones. You'll accept a silent experience (frustrating for phone calls) until you tin dislodge the offending object.

Perchance It'southward Fourth dimension to Switch to Bluetooth

It might exist inconvenient, and it may require y'all to rethink your sound options, but switching to Bluetooth is the all-time way to avoid broken earphone jacks in the future.

I've noticed that cheaper earbuds tend to have poorly constructed jacks. This is a twofold risk: the jack may break, but it may also impairment the socket. This can happen with ordinary usage if the jack is poorly made, resulting in dissatisfaction and disappointment.