How to Fix Headphone Speaker Jack Not Working on Windows 10 Dell Laptop

Tips to get the headphone / speaker jack to work on a Dell Laptop with Windows 10
by Updated May 24, 2021

If you recently bought a new Dell Laptop with Windows 10, you may be wondering why the headphone input jack is not working correctly when you plug in speakers or headphones (or possibly a mic).  Well, unlike older Dell laptops that may have had two input jacks, one for the speaker/headphone jack and another separate mic/line-in jack, newer Dell laptops typically only come with one input jack that can do multiple things. So if you plug in headphones to the jack, and still hear sound coming out of the laptop speakers, it's probably due to the jack input set to Line In or Mic In, instead of Headphones or Speaker out.

Using the "Dell Audio" program that hopefully came with your Dell laptop, you can change the audio input to the appropriate device that you want to use the input jack for. For instance, you can change it to the following: Line In, Mic In, Headphones, Headset (with microphone), Speaker Out, Skullcandy Headphone, Dell Speaker Out, Skullcandy Headset

If you have "Dell Audio" software on your laptop, you may get a box pop-up come up (if auto popup box is enabled), when you plug-in headphones (or speakers) into the laptop, that says "Which device did you plug in?".  This will give you the opportunity to change the device to: Line In, Mic In, Headphones, Speaker Out or set the Default Device.

If you don't see the "Which device did you plug in?" pop-up box come up when you plug into the input jack, then do a search on your laptop for "Dell Audio", and hopefully your Windows 10 Dell Laptop came with Dell Audio installed.  If so, click on Dell Audio found in Control panel.

In the Dell Audio program, click on the Advanced tab, then in the sidebar click on Jack Information.  Now click on the "black dot" that looks like a Headphone jack, to bring up the "Which device did you plug in?" pop-up box. 

Now you can change the type of device you want your jack to recognize when it is plugged in. For instance, if you want to use speakers, click on "Speaker Out" -> then click OK.

Also ensure that you check the box, "Enable auto popup dialog, when device has been plugged in", so that you get the pop-up box coming up when you plug in a device. You may also want to change the Default Device to "Speaker Out" or "Headphones" if it was set to "Line In" or "Mic In".

 

------------------

Hopefully, that helps solve your Dell Laptop headphone jack not working in Windows 10.

Alternatively, if the solution above did not help, you should find a number of other different solutions to your speaker input jack not working problem in Windows 10 here.

I'd also recommend running a Windows Update, to make sure your laptop computer has all the latest updates for Windows 10, and any audio driver updates. Restart your laptop after any updates, and retest the headphone/speaker jack to make sure it's working correctly.

You can also download drivers and software for your Dell Laptop / Computer using your Dell Service Tag here.

 


0
4

4 Comments

anonymous by Oisín on 1/20/2020

Note that for newer Dell laptops the 'Dell Audio' software no longer exists. The equivalent is:
Waves MaxxAudio Pro Application
Click on the 'Playback' icon/tab (upper left)
Click on the 'Advanced' link in the lower centre
Put at tick in the 'Show pop-up dialog when device is connected' box

anonymous by Matt Lenco on 6/7/2020

I just received a new Dell XPS, monitor and headset. My daughter says her friends playing Fortnite with her hear static when she speaks. The same issue is heard with a pair of ear buds plugged into the machine. All Dell and Windows driver updates have been done. Should I take the machine back to Microcenter?

Matt, it's possible it the has to do with her microphone / headset. If she hears static playing music, it could be the Audio card. Make sure the drivers for the Audio card is updated, and proper levels are adjusted. Go to Settings -> Sound to test your microphone, troubleshoot and change Output and Input devices.

Also make sure Bluetooth is working correctly.
anonymous by Hari on 8/16/2020

i m using the audio jack in my del insperion system, if i remove the audio headphone from the jack and put it back not able to here the audio on the headphone

Add your comment

by Anonymous - Already have an account? Login now!
Your Name:  

Comment:  
Enter the text you see in the image below
What do you see?
Can't read the image? View a new one.
Your comment will appear after being approved.

Related Posts


Today I got a new laptop battery for my Dell Inspiron laptop. The old battery that came with the laptop was completely dead, so I wanted to find out if there was an easy way to recycle the old battery instead of throwing it way. Ever since watching...  more »

Use a Laptop Cooler Cooling Pad to keep Laptop from Overheating in Hot Summer Temperatures  more »

Not sure what to do with your old Dell computer equipment? If you have Dell computer equipment lying around that no longer works or you don't use, why not recycle it for free at Staples. Here's the details on how to recycle Dell computer equipment at...  more »

Taking the cover off of a Dell XPS 8000 computer can be a bit of a mystery if you have never removed it before. Here's how to open the case of a Dell XPS 8000 for the first time: At the back of the Dell XPS 8000 case, remove the screw just below the hand...  more »

So if you're like me, you may be happy with Windows 7 (or 8.1) on your current computer or laptop, and have no interest in upgrading to Windows 10. But you may also be getting bombarded by Microsoft to upgrade to Windows 10, with the Windows 10 upgrade...  more »

If you recently bought a new Dell computer, and then opened up Internet Explorer you may have been automatically redirected to (Dell's) dell.msn.com web page in Internet Explorer, instead of being directed to www.msn.com. This hijacked dell.msn.com URL...  more »

I recently upgraded to Windows 7 Home Premium on my Dell Inspiron laptop. After using the laptop for a few days, I noticed that the screen display brightness was much dimmer than what it had been when Windows Vista was installed on the laptop. To solve my...  more »