Mic button on headphones not working

[brussell]

I bought an iPhone on the 29th. On the 3rd, the button/mic stopped working. I couldn't use it to pause, play, etc and on a call, the mic didn't work.

I walked into an Apple store, they opened a new box of headphones and gave them to me.

Today, the same problem is back. The button suddenly stopped working while I was wearing them and then making a call, the mic doesn't work.

Has anyone else had this problem?

Could it be a problem with the iPhone to have two pair go bad in less than a month?

I set up an appointment to ask Apple this tomorrow, but wanted to see if anyone has had this happen.

 

[monkeysrock0622]

it seems to me that the problem is with the phone not the headset because the possibility of that happening to you twice in less than a month is very low if it was the headset. plus i haven't seen anyone else talk about this problem

 

[hexonxonx]

I had my button not work on Friday night while playing music. I simply turned off the iPhone and the when I went back to playing music, it was fine again.

 

[brussell]

I had my button not work on Friday night while playing music. I simply turned off the iPhone and the when I went back to playing music, it was fine again.

I tried doing that with both pairs. It didn't make a difference for me. The second pair worked immediately when I plugged it in, so I know the headphones have gone bad, I'm just curious if it is just a malfunction in the headphones or if the phone could be causing it. Both pairs, it stopped working while I was using them. Just sitting down.

 

[brussell]

it seems to me that the problem is with the phone not the headset because the possibility of that happening to you twice in less than a month is very low if it was the headset. plus i haven't seen anyone else talk about this problem

That's what I'm thinking since I've searched a lot and haven't seen anyone with this problem. Seems odd.

 

[Britna]

Haha, I didn't even know that the mic was a button!

Hope you get that fixed though, I think it might just be your iPhone. Keep us updated on what happens.

 

[brussell]

Haha, I didn't even know that the mic was a button!

Hope you get that fixed though, I think it might just be your iPhone. Keep us updated on what happens.

After a lot of searching and asking around, I can't find one person with this problem.

3 Apple employees said I was the first they heard of having an issue with their headphones.

They just grabbed a headphone box off the shelf and gave me the new pair out of it and they work fine.

I'd rather not have to replace my phone (I have a ScreenGuard protector on it), but maybe I'll have them replace the phone if another pair of headphones go bad.
Luckily, I work across the street from an Apple store, so it's about 15 minutes total to walk their, get a new pair, and walk back.

 

[mcmuffin]

After a lot of searching and asking around, I can't find one person with this problem.

I am having the same problem you describe. I got my iPhone on the 16th and tried out the headphones twice briefly and they were great. Today when I put them on the mic button is not working. It will not pause or skip songs- it's pretty much dead. I am at work now so I haven't done anything about it yet but I found this forum and wanted to let you know that you are not the only one to experience the mic button failure. I hope it doesn't happen to a lot of people.

 

[ColsTiger]

Make sure the plug is inserted in the phone all the way. Sometimes you get these glitches when it's not completely inserted.

 

[petalmom]

This has happened to me from time to time. Plugging and unplugging the headset a couple of times generally clears the problem.

 

[kevroc]

This just happened to me as well. Oddly enough it occurred after I had a different set of headphones plugged into my iPhone. I can hear music just fine, the button just doesn't work.

 

[YvilKittyInSpace]

This just happened to me as well. Oddly enough it occurred after I had a different set of headphones plugged into my iPhone. I can hear music just fine, the button just doesn't work.

I'm sure it was mentioned already in this old thread but you can get them replaced for free at the Apple store.

 

[kevroc]

Grrrr...just made a trip to the Apple store, after a minute with someone that thought they only came with a 14 day warranty (clueless) they called someone else that finally came up and swapped them out. They sounded like they had a stock of them in the back for just this case.

Unfortunately, when I plugged them in, they didn't work, so I spent the drive home really ticked off that I just wasted an hour and the problem was the phone. What a drag. It really kept eating at me because it's just a headphone jack after all, these connectors have been in existince forever, it just can't be that flaky. So I stuck a paperclip down there and started digging around and what do you know, a piece of lint came out. That's it, a piece of lint. Plugged the headphones in and bingo, they work perfectly.

What should have clued me in originally was the headphone connector wasn't plugging is flush to the phone. I never really noticed it before, but I will from now on.

 

[froeberg]

So I stuck a paperclip down there and started digging around and what do you know, a piece of lint came out. That's it, a piece of lint. Plugged the headphones in and bingo, they work perfectly.

I had the same problem. Original buds stopped working -- then picked up an aftermarket Sennheiser+Shure combination (very nice btw) -- and *that* button did not work either. Thought I would have to head to Apple Store for a phone repair -- but... low and behold the paperclip trick brought out a *huge* piece of lint and now it works great! Turn off your phone before the paperclip trick though!

My <Home> button has become sluggish though -- sometimes takes a few presses. And double-tap never works. Any remedy for that one?

 

[LeoB]

I had the same problem. Original buds stopped working -- then picked up an aftermarket Sennheiser+Shure combination (very nice btw) -- and *that* button did not work either. Thought I would have to head to Apple Store for a phone repair -- but... low and behold the paperclip trick brought out a *huge* piece of lint and now it works great! Turn off your phone before the paperclip trick though!

Same problem. Suddenly. With both my Airdrives and original, unused Apple headset. Turned it off. Cleaned with a paperclip, gently. Everything works. Thanks, Kevroc. And yes, the connector was not quite flush. I needed a large magnifying glass to see that tiny space, but there it was.

 

[adimangla]

Thanks!

hi guys,

I registered on these forums only to thank you guys for the unbelievable solution you guys suggested.

I was having the same problem for quite some time - had one set of stock earphones replaced - they worked for some time and then the same problem happened.

Today I got my Shure SE530 and Shure headphone controller both and though I'm loving the earphones, I was pissed off that the controller was again not working - i knew the iPhone was the problem for sure.

Came across this thread after a lot of searching and decided to try the paperclip solution even though I didn't understand how lint could be the problem or could be there in that place.

Anyway, it was and it finally came out and all's awesome back again

My trip back home is going to be a lot less painful now that I wont have to whip out the phone at every instance - and this means a lot.

So, thanks a lot guys! This is the only place on the entire frickin planet where anyone has come up with a proper and real solution !

Adios !

 

[andypandy]

I had the same problem.

I'd just like to reinforce the fact that indeed my socket was full of fluff as well - a lot of fluff too!

Things to look out for if the mic button has stopped working but the headhones still work1. the headphone socket is poking out a bit and not flush with the iPhone. 2. you keep your iPhone in your pocket of your jeans a lot ( jeans are particularly fluffy in the pocket)!

I found that the fluff was well compacted so you need to persevere. I actually used a bent safety pin to go digging.

Good Luck - this solution works!

 

[gabrriel]

Thank you so much! After a bunch of little bits of fluff, I got a big bit of lint out. Too bad it's after I bought an additional controller, but now at least I can use it with my nice headphones.

 

[Aliosha]

This just happened to me as well...
And it turned to be just a small piece of paper in the headset hole that I removed with a plastic clip...
Thanks guys for the clue!

 

[Velodog2]

Damn, I'd given up on my headphone button a long time ago, but I just pulled an entire dust bunny out of my headphone jack!

Right up there with the paperclip through the speaker hole trick on the V1.