Stuck In Headset Mode? No Earpiece or Back Speaker Sound? [FIX]

[vza33]

Originally Posted by Freshyz

Happened to me yesterday.
My fix: Open the last app you were using when you had headphones plugged in and open it. Then plug in the headphones and pull out (may need to do a couple times). Worked for me.

Opening the last app I was using before the speaker issue occurred seemed to be the key for me. I was trying Pandora, Broadcast Radio and RadioTime just trying to fix it and nothing worked. Then I remembered I was listening to my MP3s with 'Music (Remix)" and now all is well.

A good thing to remember is to NOT pull out the headphones while the phone is asleep. Wake it up, maximize the app your listening to, stop/close the app, then remove the headphones. Just a good safety measure.. .

You've just about nailed it. After dealing with this problem a few times I've discoverd exactly whats going on.

When you pull out the headphone plug, the phone will occasionally go into a default headphone mode. To discover if this is the case. Go to the phone app. and the headphone icon will appear on the left...even if you change it to speaker it will automatically default to headphone mode once you close the app.

THE FIX

Open and play any Media app: Pandora, Net2Streams, RadioTime, Music Player etc.
Plug-in and unplug the headphone jack until the music pauses when you unplug. At that point the phone is reset to normal.

[saddo]

Thanks for the help. I realized awhile later,a quicker fix is simply plugging the headphones in and out a few times, and viola...Problem solved.

[seabear]

I use my headset all the time when making calls and have never had this problem.

I have experienced this problem only once......when I decided to listen to music with the exact same headset. I went about 3 months of never having the problem and has not happened again. I guess I should try listening to music again but I hate to risk having the problem again and not being able to resolve it.

[mauro1]

It happened to me today. Made a call with the Palm headset. Made another call without it and no sounds. Tried all the soft methods given here. Stood on one foot while rebooting the phone and on my head while I poked the socket with a cut-off Q-Tip and removed the battery. No dice. Took it into the Sprint store. After I told them what I'd done they looked at it and declared it that it can't be fixed and a new device must be gotten.

Was told that it'll be here on Wednesday (today is Monday) and I should prepare for the swap by doing all the backup stuff that I must do prior to bringing the phone in. I guess I have all day tomorrow to backup any/every-thing from the phone.

[chuckmeister_1]

just did the q-tip w alcohol tick and worked instantly! worried about this all day then read this thread and in the span of ten minutes got the fix! Great info guys!

[DiGiTY]

so no female 3.5mm/mini-jack bluetooth adapters out there?

[Griffinx]

Originally Posted by Airwolf79

People, don't come onto this thread asking for help without first READING the thread (not directed at everyone). This is not a software issue, and has nothing to do with updates. It is a HARDWARE issue. If it keeps happening after hard resets and especially if you doctor it, it cannot be a software issue. People have stated that this is a known issue even with previous model Palm's. Maybe there are a few isolated cases out there where it could be bad software, but to the majority its not.

If you're referring to my post I did read the full thread and I dont see how you can be so convinced that it is definitely a hardware issue. As I see it, there are two potential reasons that the problem exists.

(a) the software is cutting off the internal earpiece because there is a bug in the logic it implements when a headset is inserted or disconnected
(b) the headphone switch is simply faulty and tells the software that a headphone is always inserted.

From all the scenario descriptions here and my own experience of the problem, while there may be a hardware issue in some cases, I think there definitely are software bugs in the stock OS which is exacerbating the problem.

Gx

[jrstinkfish]

This problem usually only happens right after I unplug my headphones. Last night, it happened in the middle of a call with me having not used my headphones at any point during the call. I wouldn't be surprised if this phone grew a leg and kicked me in the nuts next.

[comwom]

Originally Posted by DiGiTY

so no female 3.5mm/mini-jack bluetooth adapters out there?

To all the trolls, yes, this is not a specific answer to the problem. I too had to get a refurb Pre because I tried everything in this thread, nothing worked, so it seemed to be a hardware issue.

To answer the question quoted above (at least I think I'm answering it if you're trying to play your Pre in the car)check out the Kensington LiquidAux Bluetooth. Yes, it's a $20 fix to a problem that shouldn't exist in the first place, but if you do a lot of plug/unplug (I was playing my Pre using Music Remix in the car at least twice a day) this solution should avoid any wear and tear on the headset jack since you don't have to plug/unplug. If you were asking about a Bluetooth external speaker, I think there is something called the Blackberry Gateway which is similar but doesn't use a cigarette lighter.

[PreMaster]

Guys this is all hardware no software. There is an issue with the pre being cheaply made around the Jack. what happens is the plastic inside gets broken off cause its cheap and then your phone thinks that headphones are in all the time. I had the same problem. could only talk to people on speaker phone. drove me nuts. then on the way to the sprint store i plugged in my headphones again and removed. That fixed it. Try plugging in a more snug 3.5mm jack and rip it out while listening to an mp3.

[ryanfx]

Originally Posted by K4p741nkrunch

I've had this problem for quite some time and I find it rather crippling. On a majority of the calls I receive I can't hear them and they can't hear me. Not to mention almost every sound that's supposed to be coming out of my phone isn't.

The best fix I've tried is to wrap your lips around the headphone port and give that sucker the presidential treatment. Just play some audio and suck until that fat lady sings.

Just remember to call it the next morning.

LOLOLOL this is late, but I had to recognize this post for literally making me laugh out loud.

[neoncorey]

This is definitely not just hardware or just software, I think mostly hardware though. It has to be both. I thought it was just hardware for awhile but there has been quite a few times now where some sounds come through the speaker and some come through the ear piece. Back to back and repeatable.

Ex.
I was not hearing any music from the music player app, never even plugging anything into the jack and letting the phone play while sitting on the desk. I would then blow into the jack or use a q-tip and sometimes the sound would start again. But then the other day while having the music player still playing, then it randomly quit. Again it was just sitting on the desk, I proceeded to try to "clean" the jack, and my alarm went off blasting in my face.....proving that it was not coming through the jack. I stopped cleaning, set the phone down as gently as possible, alarm still sounding, barely touched the dismiss button, and watched as my music player continued to play....still with no sound. So while the alarm sounded thru the speaker with no problem, the music player could not. The same style of issue has happened with the phone app as well.

It is as if certain apps have precedent to look at what the headphone jack is signaling. I think ultimately Palm NEEDS to fix these jacks ASAP. So that the software can properly query the hardware. But perhaps there is some way we can force the way the software looks and queries the hardware bypassing the jack for at least some apps or something.

Either way it is both software and hardware, but again I think mostly hardware.

[RolandBrewer]

Thanks it worked the first time I tried it. Now I can tell Sprint tomorrow that they can send back the replacement phone.

[killersiafu]

Originally Posted by PreMaster

Try plugging in a more snug 3.5mm jack and rip it out while listening to an mp3.

This worked for me as well. I couldn't talk / listen to calls except over speaker (or headset/bluetooth) because the phone was convinced there was a headset plugged in. I turned on an mp3 and plugged in my headphones into my phone. Then repeatedly ripped (semi-violently) the headphone jack out of the slot and reinserted it until the phone finally realized nothing was plugged in. Try pulling slightly to the side when you do this...

[Doctor_rock]

Cleaning the jack with alcohol and a qtip worked for me!

[DiGiTY]

Originally Posted by comwom

...check out the Kensington LiquidAux Bluetooth. Yes, it's a $20 fix to a problem that shouldn't exist in the first place, but if you do a lot of plug/unplug this solution should avoid any wear and tear on the headset jack since you don't have to plug/unplug.

I think this is exactly what I need, given I just need a 3.5mm gender changer for my cassette adapter (I don't have a AUX jack, it's factory '96 stereo). I too use my Pre's headphone jack multiple times a day and I figure that's contributing to an already faulty part.

I did fix the problem by thrusting a headphone in and out like an escape convict on a hooker.

[lostsole1970]

Originally Posted by jrstinkfish

I wouldn't be surprised if this phone grew a leg and kicked me in the nuts next.

lmao! There's an app for that prbably on iphone.

[lostsole1970]

Originally Posted by DiGiTY

I did fix the problem by thrusting a headphone in and out like an escape convict on a hooker.

hehehe. As a total last resort, I did the same thing and believe it or not, it worked where every other fix has failed. I'm still letting Palm send another refurbished phone tho as I would think this would eventually screw up the jack for good.

Thanks for helping me replace all logic with some good old high school speed humping, that inexplicably works!

[Greyfox]

Got my pre on launc day in uk and have just started havign this problem. The first fix of opening player/stopping/ removing etc worked the first time but failed to fix the problem the second time. Only way i can fix it now is if i remove the headjack a few times, very annoying!

[FreudSlipped]

I went through this whole mess with my Treo 700P and it was a hardware issue. I hoped Palm would learn from that and build in a better jack. I've been hesitant to use corded headsets because of my Treo experience. It looks like that was a good decision.

Does anyone know if the micro usb port carries the audio or is strictly for power and raw data transfers?