Headphones plugged in but no sound on your Mac

Why it happens

Your Mac only switches to the headphone jack when it detects a plug that's fully in. A plug that sits halfway, a phone case lip or a bit of lint can stop that. Sometimes the Mac also keeps sending sound to a Bluetooth device or monitor instead.

How to fix it

1. Pull the plug out and push it back in firmly until it's fully in. If your headphones have a case or extension cable, try without it.

2. Open System Settings, click Sound, and in the Output list click Headphones. On some Macs it's called External Headphones.

   Sound›Output

3. While you're there, drag Output volume to the right and make sure Mute is unticked.

   Sound›Output

4. Plug in another pair of headphones. If those work, the first pair or its cable is the problem.

Still not fixed?

1. Turn off Bluetooth headphones or speakers that are nearby, as they can grab the sound when they connect. You'll find them in System Settings > Bluetooth.

   Bluetooth

2. Check the volume inside the app you're using, such as a video player or a website's own player.

3. Shine a light into the jack. If you see lint, blow it out gently rather than poking it with anything metal.

4. Restart your Mac with the headphones plugged in, from the Apple menu.

   Apple menu›Restart…

5. If no headphones work in the jack even after a restart, the jack itself may be faulty. That's a hardware repair, so contact Apple Support or a repair shop.