Headphone jack might be fading away from smartphones. But it is still alive in PCs and they give the best audio quality ever. You can have an immersive listening experience with headphones connecting through a 3.5mm jack.
But sometimes these headphone jacks can get stuck inside the port and can ruin your audio output. You need to remove the jack to use the port again. Since the jack is stuck inside the port, you cannot use any other headphones. Sometimes the PC can detect a connected device and you have to change the output settings.
To resolve this issue, our experts have provided some easy fixes to remove broken headphone jack from the PC port without any damage.
How to Remove Broken Headphone Jack from PC?
You can remove the headphone jack from the PC port with a safety pin and super glue. Just by sticking the safety pin to the broken jack using super glue, you can simply pull off the jack without damaging the port. Let us look into the procedure in detail.
Steps to Remove Broken Headphone Jack
- Once the headphone jack is broken, turn off your PC and remove all the power cables.
- Take the PC to a clean workstation. Place a towel or mat on the workstation to avoid slippage. Keep the PC on top of the mat.
- Now, take a safety pin and unwind it to make it straight. You can also use a paper clip.
- Take some super glue like Fevi Quick and stick one end of the pin to the broken headphone jack. Let it dry for some time. It is better to use a good amount of glue and let it dry overnight.
- After it has stuck to the jack, pull the safety pin. You can also use a nose plier for easy pulling.
- Since the pin is stuck to the jack, when you pull it, the jack will be removed from the port.
This is an easy way to remove the jack without damaging the port. Let us now look at some dos and don’ts with this procedure.
Dos
- Instead of using a safety pin or paper clip, you can use a refill of a ballpoint pen (ink tube). This can fit the broken jack better than a pin and you can use pulling force better with it. So, if you have access to a ballpoint pen tube, you can make use of it easily. If the tube is small, then you can use heat to slightly soften the tube and broaden the tip size.
- Apart from these, there are distinct tools that resemble a plier which can be used to pull out the broken jack. You can buy it and use the tool to remove the jack.
- Another way to remove the jack is by opening the PC case and removing the port entirely. Then you can replace it with a new one. This requires soldering and technical skills.
Don’ts
- Don’t use a toothpick to remove the jack. Because they easily break when trying to pull and it can take several trials to successfully remove it.
- Never pull the broken jack with too much force. It can easily damage the port and you have to replace it entirely.
- Be very careful when applying super glue. It can damage the port if some of it gets dropped onto it.
Read: Why is my USB C port not working on my PC?
Tips to prevent the headphone jack from breaking
Always prevention is better than cure. Therefore, go through these prevention tips and guide to avoid such mishaps in the future.
- Buy good quality headphones – Cheap headphones and earphones will have poor material and they can easily break. Try to buy branded or better-reviewed products. It will be manufactured with high-quality materials.
- Proper Insertion and Removal – Whenever you insert the jack, try to align it properly with the center of the port. Also, when removing, align your force in the orientation of the port and remove it gently. When you use your force at an angle to remove it, there are chances for it to break.
- Don’t plug it out frequently – If you aren’t using the headphone, don’t remove the jack. Frequent plugging in and out will damage the integrity of the jack.
- Don’t move around with headphones – Simply remove the headphone from your head if you aren’t using them. Because you may accidentally get up or move around with the headphone while it is connected to the PC. This will damage the jack easily.
- Store it safely – Whenever you aren’t using the headphone, wind the wire neatly and store it properly. You can even hang the headphone in a hook if there is one on your computer desk.
If you follow these steps, you can easily prevent your headphone jack from breaking and getting stuck inside the PC.
Read: How do you fix broken audio headphones?
Is a broken headphone jack harmful to your computer?
A broken headphone jack will not harm your computer. The only issue is that you cannot use another headphone with a jack until the stuck part is removed from it. Only a slight chance of the port getting damaged with this kind of issue.
Usually, it is easier to remove the broken part and the port is never damaged. But if you aren’t using the proper means to remove it, you cannot guarantee the integrity of the port. A broken jack will never harm the port or the motherboard by itself in any manner.
So, use the recommended guide to remove the jack and resolve the issue in a proper way. If you aren’t sure of the procedure, then you can always go to a professional technician to handle the problem. They will have the necessary tools to remove it safely.
Read: How many hours of headphone use is safe?
Alternative ways to connect headphones without a jack
This kind of accident may happen at an unexpected time and you might have to use a headphone right away. But with a broken jack stuck inside, you cannot use another headphone with the same connectivity. Therefore, here are some alternative measures to get audio output from your PC using another pair of headphones.
- Use secondary headphone ports – Usually, desktops will have another pair of headphones and mic ports at the rear side. These ports belong to the motherboard and you can use them for your headphones. If they are damaged, you can always find a port in your PC cabinet and use it. When both are damaged, go to the other alternatives and fix the issue.
- Use Bluetooth Headphones – Bluetooth headphones connect wirelessly with your PC via Bluetooth. But if your PC is not equipped with an adapter, then you will need an external adapter.
- Using a USB adapter – If you have another headphone with a 3.5mm jack, you can get a USB adapter that has a 3.5mm port. You can connect the USB A to the 3.5 mm jack adapter into a USB port and connect the headphones to it.
Conclusion
Any can happen by accident with a headphone jack. Usually, they aren’t very fragile and cannot easily break. But if they tend to break, you need not worry. Simply remove the broken part with our recommended guidelines. Next time be careful when you are using the jack and follow our guidelines to prevent such mishaps.
