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How to Use
Headphones on an
iPhone 8
Listen using your favorite
headphones
By Sam Costello Updated on June 18, 2021
Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr

What to Know

The iPhone 8 doesn't have a

built-in headphone jack, but
you can use the included
EarPods that plug into the
phone's Lightning port.
Use AirPods or other wireless
headphones. Pair the
headphones, then set the
audio to play to them via the
Control Center.
Use Apple's Lightning to 3.5
mm Headphone Jack Adapter
to connect any set of wired
headphones.

This article explains a few different ways

to connect headphones to the iPhone 8,
which doesn't have a built-in
headphone jack.

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Does the iPhone 8 Have

a Headphone Jack?
No, the iPhone 8-Series follows its
predecessor's lead, the iPhone 7-Series,
by not having a traditional headphone
jack. Neither the iPhone 8 and iPhone
8 Plus have a headphone jack. All
iPhone models since then also don't
have headphone jacks.

As with the iPhone 7, iPhone 8 owners

have three ways to connect
headphones: the Apple earbuds
included with the iPhone 8, wireless
headphones (AirPods or Bluetooth),
and an adapter for the standard
headphone jack.

How to Use the Included

Headphones on an
iPhone 8
The iPhone 8 ships with included Apple
earbuds. These earbuds, called
EarPods, connect to the Lightning port
on the bottom of the iPhone. If you like
these headphones, they're a great
option. The only drawback to them is
you can't do anything else with the
Lightning port, like charging or syncing
the phone, when you use them. But if
you like them, you don't need to buy an
adapter or wireless headphones.

How to Use Headphones

on an iPhone 8: Wireless
Headphones
Wireless headphones work with the
iPhone 8. You can choose from Apple's
AirPods, of course, but pretty much any
other set of Bluetooth-compatible
headphones will work with the iPhone
8, too. Here's what to do:

1. Place your AirPods or Bluetooth

headphones are physically close to
the iPhone 8. Make sure they're
charged.

2. Put your headphones into pairing

mode. For AirPods, press the button
on the case. For other Bluetooth
headphone models, check the
instructions.

3. To pair AirPods, follow the onscreen

instructions (we also have a detailed
AirPods set-up guide).

4. To pair third-party headphones, tap

Settings > Bluetooth. Set the
Bluetooth slider to on/green.

5. Tap the name of your headphones to

pair them to the iPhone.

6. After your wireless headphones are

paired, set the audio to play to them
via theControl Center. In Control
Center, tap the audio playback
controls, then tap the headphones.

How to Use Headphones

on an iPhone 8: Using
Adapter
If you don't like the included iPhone 8
earbuds and don't want wireless
headphones, you can use any set of
wired headphones you like as long as
you have an adapter. Apple's Lightning
to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter is
all you need. Plug the adapter into the
Lightning port on the bottom of the
iPhone 8, and then plug any
headphones with a standard headphone
jack into the other end. Like with
headphones connected to a standard
headphone jack, you don't need to
change any settings. Just press play.

Tip: If you've got headphones

connected, but do not hear music,
check out how to fix an iPhone
stuck in headphone mode.

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