One earbud is quiet, muffled or not working
Good news: it's usually earwax, fit or a phone setting, not a broken earbud. Most people are sorted by step 3.
- Swap ears: put the left earbud in your right ear and the right one in your left. If the quiet side is still the same ear, it's the fit or earwax, so clean the tip and try a different size or a memory foam tip. If the problem moved with the earbud, keep going.
- Check your phone's balance setting. If the slider has been nudged to one side, it sounds exactly like a broken earbud. On iPhone, go to Settings → Accessibility → Audio & Visual. On Android, go to Settings → Accessibility → Audio adjustment. Make sure the slider is in the middle.
- Clean the tip and the nozzle (the small tube the tip sits on). Take the tip off and wipe it with a washcloth dampened with plain water, no soap, then let it air-dry. Gently brush the nozzle with a soft, dry toothbrush or cotton swab. Keep water away from the earbud itself.
- Charge both buds fully, for about 1.5 hours.
- Reset your earbuds using the steps in Reset your earbuds.
- Try them with a different phone, tablet or laptop. If one side is still quiet there too, that earbud needs our help, so contact us.
Hearing crackling or static? Try playing a song you've downloaded instead of streaming one. If it gets worse when you walk away from your phone, it's the Bluetooth connection, not the earbud. See "They keep cutting out" in Pairing & audio.
Both sides quieter than usual? Try each noise mode. Awareness mode lets outside sound in, which can make music seem quieter in a loud place. Then check your phone's volume limit (on iPhone, Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Headphone Safety).
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