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How to fix no sound through speakers and no volume bar on iPhone

We’ve noticed that a number of people who use older Apple gadgets have come across a strange problem that prevents sound from coming out of the external speaker. This problem also tends to make the volume bar in apps unusable for some reason – we have a fix.

The problem

The problem is almost always caused by foreign objects in the dock connection. The 30 pin connection on the bottom of older devices like the iPhone 4S and iPod Touch 3rd Gen  is a magnet for dust, fluff, dirt and anything else that’s in your pockets. As such, a build-up of gunk over time can block a proper connection or in some cases, make the phone think it’s connected when it isn’t.

That’s precisely what causes this problem – an iPhone won’t give you the option to change volume or play through its external speaker when it’s docked. These devices can think they’re docked when they’re not because of dirt and other foreign objects touching the connection, and so cleaning it out is often the solution.

The fix

The good news is that you can often solve this problem by cleaning out the dock connection on your device. You can’t go sticking any odd thing in there, and you’ll need to be careful when doing it.

We would recommend, if possible, using a can of compressed air. Usually a quick blast of this around the dock connector will clear everything right out. You can get these from PC and electrical stores or online.

If this doesn’t do the trick, some very careful work with a very thin object can often help. Use good, bright light to help you spot any big bits of fluff or dirt that could be causing the problem and remove with caution. You may find that the problem won’t be rectified straight away but will be once you’ve restarted your device after cleaning.

If you don’t fancy prodding around with your iPhone, you can take it in to an Apple store and the staff there will often take it ‘out back’ and clean up your dock connection and return within minutes.

1 thought on “How to fix no sound through speakers and no volume bar on iPhone”

  1. Perfect 🙂 Had this problem with my iPhone 4s after read this article the problem gone just like that ;D Thanks 🙂

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