Chosen Solution
Has anyone else had this issue where the headphone jack gets stuck in digital out mode? My speakers are disabled (except for the chime sound when booting), the sound pref panel only allows me to select ‘Digital Out’ for sound output, and a red light shines out of the jack. Headphones work when I plug ’em in. I’ve found other discussions out there about this (such as: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa...), but so far I haven’t had much luck with suggestions found there. Any ideas? Thanks! Jeff
I’ve had success on several laptops taking the cotton off the end of a q-tip, and sticking the bare q-tip end in the jack, applying slight pressure and twisting it around a few times. Make sure to do this kind of thing while the power is off, especially if you’re putting metal objects in there. Many laptops have long lives after this issue has been fixed, and with no recurrence of the issue, so I don’t agree with the assessment above that the motherboard needs to be replaced.
This is not a fix, but if it comes down to logic board or bust, i’d get something like a griffin imic, it’s small enough that it shouldnt be a huge burden and will you give you in and out via usb.
I had this happen with my MacBook Pro. My electronic technician neighbor squirted a little alcohol into the red eyed headphone jack and inserted a headphone jack a few times. Instant fix.
this actually worked, it is a silly simple fix, but worked :) https://josephhall.org/nqb2/index.php/st…
As much as I would like for there to be an easy fix, there isn’t. The same thing happened to my MacBookPro. The toggle switch inside of the port is defective. The only true fix is to replace the Logic Board which Apple will do for free, it’s a known issue. If that is not an option for you, the “toothpick fix” listed in the forums at apple may work.
Ok so I used a tiny metal screw driver. The switch at 3 o’clock toggles between headphone on/off. Switch at 9 o’clock toggles between digital out on/off. So you need to determine in preferences which switch is stuck, then put your toothpick massaging at that switch.
I fixed it using a digital optical cable. A couple of times inserting and removing did the trick :)
If it’s any consolation, I, too, have this problem and am going to attempt the solutions offered above. My “workaround” right now is some Logitech USB speakers which clip on to the top of my screen.
As a last resort before a whole logic board replacement it looks as though you can remove the metal housing as shown in this blurry low res video http://youtu.be/yIVYacOKzOs
The bent paperclip trick does work–but only as long as I hold the paperclip in place. Help!
Hello Tony Tone, Same problem here with a MacBook Pro 13 (2010) mini jack is stuck on digital out. The jack was totally damaged by a stupid guy, so I had to remove the jack. I’m searching for replacement, but could not find anything. So my question is, Can you help me which pins need to be connected so that the internal speakers will work again? I couldn’t find the information anywhere any help or pictures to solve this problem. I’m from Germany so no way to come by. Thanks very much. Adrian
Nothing works and the red light disappeared but its still stuck in digital out mode. I have a 2013 MacBook Pro Isn’t there some sort of a software loophole? I’ve searched and searched came up with no results. This Sucks! As far as paper clips and tooth picks and Q-Tip tricks, None of that $@$* worked, if anything it made the red light disappear and god knows what the f that means. lol I’m new to Mac’s, excuse my french!
Switch off your Mac, unplug the power adapter. With pressure blow into the mac head phones port(mouth to port). Plug in any working head phones jack into the port and move the jack in different directions(gently)
A few days ago my digital output stopped working altogether. I had no problem switching from built in output to digital, i just had no audio at all via digital. I ended up fixing it by using the cotton bud fix given in this page (above). I removed the cotton from one side of the cotton bud, leaving just the plastic bit remaining, and very gently put it into the headphone jack, then twisted it around slowly. I also blew into the headphone jack which might have dislodged a tiny bit of dust. I’m assuming that the optical red light in my macbook jack port, had been partially blocked by dust. Thankfully its now working fine now, no problem with audio either digital or built-in. Thanks for the useful advice!
Tried wiggling the headphone jack, and then ear bud (without cotton). I was able to toggle to ‘Internal Speaker’, but still didn’t behave consistently when I inserted/removed jack. I then used a can of Air Brush (compressed gas) which seemed to do the trick.
For me I had forgotten that I had connected to a Bluetooth Airplay speaker from my MacBook Pro. When I turned it on next, the Digital Out interface was active, plugging in headphones would allow sound through the headphones but once unplugged would return to Digital Out. The solution to this case was to simply turn off bluetooth. and the Internal Speakers showed up immediately.
Very helpful!!! Just some qtip of the cotton buds and patience!!!
I tried most of these things but it worked when I didn’t fully insert the headphones in (very loose) and it picked up on the comp that headphones were there and I pulled it out. The it reset itself to internal speakers. (I did this a few times for it to work.)
Been without sound for months and I tried almost everything on the internet!!! I tried this with a toothpick with no success, but I cut a Q-Tip and put a little bit of alcohol on the tip and ran it through the port several times and finally success!! Thanks a million!!
i done this my light is out in the head phone jack but still know sound coming through the speakers
As for me, i found out that my hardware part is broken. every time i sock in the headphone jack, it will have sound in and out intermittently… that’s how i know my jack phone socket have problem.Azry Al-Yahya
Now I plug my headphone port with the tapered end of a wooden chopstick. Just enough to be snug. Blocking the port from all light seems to work (it is not necessary to scrape around inside). Simple and effective. No more fiddling around with bent paper clips.
