In this guide, we will show you various methods to fix the issue of the headphone jack not working on your Mac. In most cases, this issue usually stems out from a software-side bug rather than a hardware failure, and that in itself is enough to give a certain degree of respite to the end users. However, the misery won’t end until and unless this issue is completely rectified. So in this guide, we will make you aware of numerous workarounds that should help you rectify this bug.
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Fix Headphone Jack not working on Mac
It is recommended that you try out each of the below-mentioned workarounds and then see which one spells out success. So with that in mind, let’s get started.
FIX 1: Replugin Headphone to Mac
- To begin with, unplug your headphones.
- Then put your Macbook to sleep by closing its lid.
- Now plug in your headphones again.
- Then wake up your MacBook by opening its lid.
- Check if the headphone jack is working on your Mac.
FIX 2: Restart Mac
- Click on the Apple logo at the top left.
- Then select Restart from the drop-down menu.
- Now plug in your headphone to your Mac and check if the jack is working or not.
FIX 3: Toggle Audio Output
- To begin with, unplug your headphones.
- Then go to System Settings > Sound > Output & Input.
- Now plug your headphones back in.
- You should see the Headphone Port next to the External Headphone.
- Once that happens, check if the headphone jack is working on your Mac.
FIX 4: Toggle Mute
- To begin with, unplug your headphones.
- Then go to System Settings > Sound > Output & Input.
- Now check Mute next to Output Volume.
- Wait for a few seconds, uncheck it, and verify the result.
FIX 5: Restart Coreaudio
- Head over to Launchpad > Others > Terminal.
- Then type in the below command to restart Coreaudio
sudo pkill coreaudiod
- Now check if the headphone jack is working on your Mac.
FIX 6: Create a New User Profile
- Head over to System Settings > Users & Groups > Add Account.
- Now select the new account type, give it a name and password, and hit Create User.
- Then log in via this account and check if the headphone jack is working.
FIX 7: Reset NVRAM
Both M1/M2 and Intel-based Macs come with NVRAM [Non-Volatile Random Access Memory) which holds information about the configuration of your Mac. They store information related to your desktop settings, mouse, keyboard, time zone, and display resolution, among others. So if this stored data gets corrupted, then its associated hardware or software component might not be able to perform as expected. Therefore, you will have to reset the NVRAM, using the steps given below:
- If you have an M1 or M2 Mac, then just a normal restart will reset the NVRAM.
- For an Intel-based Mac, you should first turn off your PC.
- Then before the gray screen appears, press the CMD, Option, P, and R keys together.
- Keep on pressing these keys until your Mac restarts and you hear the startup sound.
- Once that happens, you may release the keys and check out the results.
That’s it. These were the various methods to fix the issue of the headphone jack not working on your Mac. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.