Your Chromebook can be a source of joy and freedom when browsing the Internet and completing projects for school or work, but it can also be the source of frustration if something on it isn’t working properly. This is especially true when you are experiencing an audio issue with your Chromebook headphones. What could be causing your headphones not to work? Is it the headphones themselves, or is it a more serious underlying issue with your Chromebook? Don’t panic- audio issues arise from time to time on every type of computer. Try to remain calm and follow these simple troubleshooting steps to determine the cause and get your Chromebook headphones back in perfect working order.
Are the headphones plugged in?
This may sound silly, but it happens all the time. Check to make sure that your headphones jack is securely plugged into your Chromebook. There’s always a chance that it’s only in halfway, or has somehow jiggled loose and disconnected- there’s even a possibility that you forgot to plug them in in the first place! At any rate, checking for a secure connection should always be your first step in troubleshooting problems with your Chromebook headphones.
Is it the headphones themselves?
Once you have established that your Chromebook headphones are securely connected to your computer, and there is still no sound coming out of them, your next step should be to try a second pair of headphones. If they work right away with no problem, you can determine that the first set of headphones was faulty or damaged and that your Chromebook is fine. However, if there is no audio coming out of this set of Chromebook headphones, you may have a more serious issue at hand.
Have you tried closing the lid of your Chromebook?
If both sets of headphones you tried do not produce sound through your Chromebook, try unplugging the headphones, shutting the lid of your computer, and waiting for approximately ten seconds. Plug the headphones back into the jack before re-opening the lid. This will cause your Chromebook to rescan all audio devices, recognizing and connecting with your headphones. If this doesn’t work, shut down your Chromebook and repeat all steps before restarting it.
Still not getting any sound out of your Chromebook headphones? There are a number of other steps to try, including checking your sound settings to ensure that the volume is at the correct level, clearing your cache, and, perhaps most drastically, resetting your Chromebook, wiping all existing data from its memory. Be sure to try the simple steps detailed above before resorting to more serious measures. If in doubt, check with a Chromebook expert via their Help Center.