It’s not a good feeling when your headphones that were working one day, suddenly give up the next day. You check the wires, headphone jack, Bluetooth settings and what not, but everything looks good. You also try to connect your headphones to your media player, and they are working fine. So, why are your headphones not working on Windows 10? Don’t worry; we have a solution for you right here.
Moreover, different users can face different issues, such as Bluetooth headphones that aren’t working well on Windows 10 or Windows 10 isn’t able to detect your headphones at all. Whatever the issue may be, we’ve got you covered. Continue reading to get your headphones working on Windows 10 in no time.
Windows 10 Not Recognizing Headphones
Even though you have inserted the headphone jack in the audio input correctly, your device still says that “your headphones are not connected.” Some users have also mentioned that “even when the speakers on their device were fully functional,” the device couldn’t recognize the headphones, when they were connected or paired. This is a common issue that arises when Windows 10 isn’t able to recognize headphones.
This can mean many things. Perhaps you don’t have the appropriate device drivers installed and enabled, or there’s another underlying issue that you’ll have to deal with first. First and foremost, ensure that the error isn’t a hardware error. There are only two possible reasons for the error: you have not inserted the headphone plug properly or the headphones are not working. You can troubleshoot the issue by connecting your headphones to a different computer or use different headphones to test the Windows 10 device that is not recognizing your headphones .
If despite all of this, your computer displays “Windows 10 can’t recognize headphones,” don’t lose hope, we have other options.
How to Fix Headphone Mic Not Working on Windows 10?
If you have identified that the issue is your microphone, then the following methods can help you fix the issue when your computer doesn’t recognize your headphones. If you have recently updated to Windows 10, it’s likely that your device is unable to detect your headphones.
Ensure that your apps have the permission to utilize the built-in microphone first. This can be done by selecting ‘Start’ and navigating to ‘Settings,’ followed by ‘Privacy’. Over here you will find the ‘Microphone’ tab. Click on ‘Change’ and allow apps to access your microphone. Once this is done, you can grant access to the Microsoft Store apps you like. For other apps, make sure that you have switched on the options: ‘Allow desktop apps to access your microphone’.
If your friends and colleagues are unable to hear you on a call, before you do anything else, check that the Mute button on your headphones is turned off.
Once you know that your headphones are connected to your computer, confirm whether your headphones'[ microphone is set as the system’s default recording device. Navigate to the ‘Sound’ tab under Settings and under ‘Input,’ check whether select the microphone. You will be able to see the ‘Test your microphone’ option. Feel free to speak into your mic and check if Windows can detect your microphone.
How to Fix Headphone Jack Not Working on Windows 10?
If Windows 10 isn’t detecting your headphones, and you know it’s because of your headphone jack not functioning correctly, the first thing you should do is disable the front panel jack detection. It’s one of the easiest methods you can leverage when the computer doesn’t recognize your headphones.
If the method doesn’t work for you, look at the audio jack. On the back of your computer or laptop, you will find a port with an icon that resembles headphones. Check that you’ve connected your headphones correctly, as it’s quite likely that at times, the headphones haven’t been plugged in all the way.
How to Connect Bluetooth Headphones to Windows 10 PC?
Nothing’s worse than being able to connect all kinds of Bluetooth devices (keyboard, mouse, speakers and so on) to your Windows 10 computer, but not being able to connect your Bluetooth headphones. However, if you are connecting a Bluetooth device to your computer for the first time, ensure that your computer supports Bluetooth connectivity. If it doesn’t, you can simply plug in a USB Bluetooth adapter in one of the USB ports on the computer and you will be good to go.
Next, once you are sure that your computer or laptop supports Bluetooth connectivity, check if the Bluetooth is on. In order to do this, select ‘Start,’ followed by ‘Settings’ and then ‘Devices’. Over here, you will be able to see ‘Bluetooth & other devices’. Turn Bluetooth on, now.
Before pairing a Bluetooth audio device to your computer or laptop, find out how to make it discoverable. You can find this information on the device or the brand’s website. This is a crucial step, else, no matter what you do, you will discover that your Bluetooth headphones are not recognizable on Windows 10.
Now, on your device, once again navigate to ‘Start’ and then ‘Settings’. You’ll find a tab that reads ‘Devices’. Over here, you’ll find ‘Bluetooth & other devices’, under which you will see ‘Add Bluetooth or other device’. Click on ‘Bluetooth’ and choose your headphones in the list that drops down. Follow the instructions that come with it, ensuring that you don’t miss out on a single one. Once you are ready, click on ‘Done’ and you can begin using your Bluetooth headphones!
From now onwards, whenever your headphones and your laptop or computer are nearby, within a particular range, they will automatically connect to each other, provided Bluetooth is toggled on for the both of them.
Final Words
Buy now, you must have found a solution to the troublesome and annoying problem of your headphones not working on Windows 10.
However, if no matter what you do, Windows 10 is not recognizing your headphones, it’s safe to assume that there is an issue with your audio driver. This could mean that you need to either update your driver to the latest version or the audio driver is corrupted. If you ignore this problem for too long, you may notice that as time progresses, you are unable to hear any noise at all.
Ensure that you always have the most current audio driver installed on your device. You can do this by navigating to the ‘Device Manager’ on Windows 10. By right-clicking on the device, a drop down will pop up on which ‘Enable device’ will show up. Click on it and you’re set.
We hope we have been able to help you out. If you have any suggestions for us, or any queries or requests, feel free to reach out. We’ll get back to you in no time!
