No sound from Bluetooth headphones on Galaxy phone or tablet

If your Bluetooth headphones are not producing sound while connected to your Galaxy phone or tablet, the volume level may be set too low, or there's something wrong with your wireless headphones. Whatever the case, don't fret! Out troubleshooting guide will walk you through identifying potential problems so you can quickly resolve them.

Woman outdoors wearing wireless earbuds, appearing frustrated while holding a Samsung Galaxy phone.

No sound from Bluetooth headphones on Galaxy phone or tablet

Checkpoint

Issues with Bluetooth headphones on your Galaxy phone or tablet

Check your Bluetooth range between the headphones and your phone.

Make sure to use your Bluetooth headphones and your phone or tablet within 30 feet of each other. The necessary distance may vary depending on the environment or your headphone model.

Avoid using the device near obstructions that can block the Bluetooth signal, such as walls, routers, electrical equipment, or electromagnetic waves.

Determine if the issue is with the Bluetooth headphones.

Try another set of Bluetooth headphones on your phone or tablet, or try your current Bluetooth headphones with another device.

Remove all accessories and restart your phone or tablet.

Make sure there isn't anything that may interfere with the Bluetooth headphones. Disconnect the headphones and connected accessories such as cases, charms, or skins. Once you have removed everything, restart your phone or tablet.

Inspect your Bluetooth headphones for dirt and damage.

Be sure to regularly clean your Bluetooth headphones. The build-up of dust, earwax, or other debris near the speaker or earpiece can cause a muffled sound or even complete loss of audio quality over time.
Inspect for cracked or lifted case, and broken, bent, or loose parts including the volume buttons.
If you see obvious damage, cracks, or small chips on the Bluetooth headphones, this means that the headphones have suffered from an external impact. this can impair the headphones and their functions.
Bluetooth headphones are not impervious to water damage in any situation. Exposure to water, liquid, or chemicals can cause damage or issues with the headphones.

If your Bluetooth headphones are damaged, you will need to replace them.

Check the Bluetooth output settings.

Make sure the outputs are turned on in the Bluetooth headphone's settings. Otherwise, calls and audio won't play through the connected device.

Samsung Galaxy phone screen showing Bluetooth settings for switching call and audio outputs, with connected earbuds visible.

Navigate to and open the Settings on your phone or tablet, tap Connections, and then tap Bluetooth. Tap the Settings icon next to the connected headphones, and make sure the output switches next to "Calls" and "Audio" are turned on.

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Perform a sound test for the headphones

Adjust the volume.

Make sure the media volume is not set to mute. When muted, the speaker icon will be gray and crossed out.

There are two ways to adjust the volume:

The volume buttons on the side of your device: Press the Volume up and Volume down buttons on the side of your phone or tablet to adjust the volume.
The media volume sliders on your screen: Press the Volume up and Volume down buttons on the side of your phone or tablet, and then tap the three dots at the top of the volume window. Then, touch and drag the sliders to adjust the volume levels.

If the volume buttons appear stuck or do not work, service is required. Please visit the Support Center to request service.

Play some audio.

Open your favorite music or video app and play some audio. Connect your headphones in and listen for sound.

If you have sound only from one earbud, this may indicate that the headphones need to be replaced. Try another audio clip and make sure it's in stereo, not mono. When mono audio is played, it's normal for only one earbud to work. Most music apps play their tracks in stereo.
If you don't have any sound, continue to the next section.

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Check the liquid damage indicator

Eject the card tray.

Power off your phone or tablet, and insert the ejector tool into the small hole next to the SIM/MicroSD tray. This will eject the tray.

Keep in mind that the location of the SIM/MicroSD tray will vary depending on the device.

Inspect the SIM/MicroSD slot.

Shine your flashlight into the SIM/MicroSD slot. If the device has been exposed to moisture, the LDI will be solid pink, purple, or red. Service is required.
If the device has not been exposed to moisture, the LDI will be solid white or solid white with pink or purple Xs.

Normal LDIs

Close up of LDI colored solid white with pink Xs

An LDI exposed to liquid

Close up of LDI colored solid pink

Request service.

If your phone or tablet has been exposed to liquid, it will need repairs. Physical damage is not covered under the Samsung Limited Warranty, but you can still set up a service appointment. For service options, check out the Support Center.

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Update your Galaxy phone or tablet

Note

The phone or tablet will show the last date that it checked for updates. To download an update, you must be connected to the internet.

Download updates manually.

On your device, navigate to and open Settings.
Swipe to and tap Software update or System updates. It will vary between models.
Tap Download and install or Check for software updates. If an update is available it will begin downloading, though you may need to tap Download now on some devices.
When the download is complete, follow the on-screen instructions to install the update.

You can also check for updates using Smart Switch.

Make sure your device has enough space.

Make sure the phone or tablet is connected to the internet and charged to at least 50% before installing a software update.
Some carriers require a Wi-Fi network connection and will not allow you to update using mobile data.
If an error occurs during a software update and your phone or tablet keeps restarting, learn how to get out of a boot loop.
If your phone or tablet doesn't have enough storage space, you can clean up your storage with Device care. You can also back up extra files using Smart Switch or your Samsung or Google account.

Check your phone or tablet after the update.

If you were having issues before the software update, use the phone or tablet normally to check if the problem has been solved.

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Boot the device into Safe mode

Learn about Safe mode.

Certain downloaded apps can make your phone or tablet freeze, crash, or lag. Some apps can even affect camera functionality, cause audio issues, and affect network connectivity.

Using Safe mode disables all downloaded apps and loads only the original software that came with your phone or tablet, allowing you to determine if the issue is caused by an app or with the device itself.

If the issues do not appear while in Safe mode, the problem is caused by a downloaded app, and it should be uninstalled.

Important

If you have a security feature set up on the phone or tablet, you'll be required to enter your credentials once the phone or tablet reboots.

Reboot the phone or tablet in Safe mode.

First, open the Power menu:

On devices with a regular Power button, press and hold the Power button until the Power menu is displayed.
On devices without a dedicated Power button, swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to open the Quick settings panel. Tap the Power icon at the top of the screen.

Touch and hold Power off until the Safe mode icon is displayed. Tap Safe mode to start your device in Safe mode. If you've entered Safe mode successfully, you'll see “Safe mode” displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Check if the phone or tablet is still having the same problem.

Use the phone or tablet normally to see if the issue has been resolved. If the phone or tablet is operating normally, a recently installed app was most likely causing the issue.

If the issue is gone in Safe mode: One of your recently downloaded apps was likely the cause of the problem. Proceed to Step 4.
If the issue still exists: Downloaded apps may not be the cause of the problem. You may need to reset the phone or tablet to its factory setting.

Uninstall apps.

One by one, uninstall any apps you downloaded just before your phone or tablet began having the issue.

From your Home screen, swipe up to open the App drawer. Find the app you want to remove, and then touch and hold the app's icon until a popup menu appears. Tap Uninstall, and then tap OK to confirm.

After uninstalling each app, exit safe mode and check for normal operation.

After you uninstall the app that caused the issue, you can reinstall the other safe apps you just deleted.

Exit Safe mode.

First, open the Power menu:

On devices with a regular Power button, press and hold the Power button until the Power menu is displayed.
On devices without a dedicated Power button, swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to open the Quick settings panel. Tap the Power icon at the top of the screen.

Tap Power off to turn off the device. Wait until the phone or tablet completely turns off, and then press the Power button again to turn it on. Check if the issue has been resolved.

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Perform a factory data reset on your phone or tablet

Warning

You may need your Samsung account password or Lock screen password when resetting your phone or tablet. All your data will be erased. However, before resetting your device, you can use Smart Switch or a cloud account to back up your data onto an SD card or USB drive. If you have encrypted your SD card, it must be decrypted before resetting your device.

Prepare your phone or tablet for reset.

Make sure to back up your phone or tablet. All data and settings will be erased.
Write down the username and password for the account that you used to back up your data.
We recommend having your phone or tablet plugged into the wall charger during the reset process because it may take up to an hour.
If you have encrypted the SD Card inserted in to your phone or tablet, make sure to decrypt it before the reset. Navigate to Settings, search for and select SD, and then tap Decrypt SD card.

Perform the reset.

Navigate to Settings. Search for and select Factory data reset. Tap Factory data reset again, and then tap Reset. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the reset. You may need to enter your Samsung account password or Lock screen password. The phone or tablet will reboot.

Set up the device.

When the phone or tablet reboots, it will have its original factory settings. Now you will need to go through the initial setup to finish setting up the phone or tablet. The phone may require you to enter your Samsung or Google account information to complete the setup.

Test the device.

Before installing any apps, make sure that your phone or tablet is functioning normally.

If you are still encountering any issues, please visit a Samsung walk-in service center or you can schedule a repair service online.

Note

If you are still experiencing network service issues with calling, SMS or MMS messages, network signals, mobile data, or hotspots after resetting the device, you may need to contact your carrier.