Samsung Galaxy J5/J5 Prime – Sound not Working – What to Do

Alphr Read more March 31, 2019

Audio glitches are a frequent occurrence with smartphones, and the Galaxy J5 and J5 have their fair share of issues. Although the fix can be as easy as turning up the volume or unmuting on your device, sometimes you have to dig a little deeper to be able to use your phone normally.

Samsung Galaxy J5/J5 Prime - Sound not Working - What to Do

Here are some quick and not so quick fixes.

Run the Phone in Safe Mode

If certain apps are corrupted and messing with the audio function, you can run your J5 and J5 Prime in safe mode.

Turn off your phone
Press and hold Volume Down and the Power Key
Wait for the Samsung logo to appear
Release only the Power key
Wait for the Safe Mode logo to appear
Release Volume Down button

Safe mode stops third-party apps from running in the background. You can now check the phone’s audio using the browser or a media player. If the problem persists, try a different method.

Is the Audio Gone or Just Muffled?

It’s very important to keep your smartphone and other gadgets clean. Check the audio port for dust particles or other debris that might be clogging it. Inspect the speaker for gunk or structural damage. These issues can contribute to the sound being distorted or inaudible even at the highest volume settings.

Test Speaker vs. Headset

If the sound only stops working when you plug in your headphones, you might be looking at structural damage. Try a different set of headphones and see what happens.

In case the software is glitching, do the following two things in succession:

Reset the device with your headphones or speakers plugged in
Reset the device with no headphones or speakers

Update the Phone’s OS

How to check the current OS version and update if needed:

Tap Apps icon
Tap Settings
Go to About Device
Check for software updates

It’s important to note that this is a double-edged sword. Updating the OS can solve your audio issues. On the other hand, some users reported that the sound stopped working after a routine update.

If that’s the case for you, perform a factory reset and then re-install all your apps manually. After each installation, check the sound. But how do you do a factory reset?

A Hard Fix

Going through with a factory reset or hard reset means wiping all the data and installed apps from your phone. But, when all else fails, it is an option worth considering, as it will let you know once and for all if the audio issues are software or hardware-related.

Turn off your phone
Press and hold in this order: Volume Up, Home, and Power buttons
Wait for the Samsung logo to appear
Release all the buttons
Wait for the Android recovery menu to appear (it may take up to 30 seconds)
Use Volume down to highlight “wipe data/factory reset” option
Use the Power button to select and confirm

A Final Thought

Using the above mentioned tricks may just save you a trip to the service center. Individually removing certain music apps, like newly installed players or games, may help sometimes. However, it’s hard to tell which app is the direct cause of your problems, so that solution might prove frustrating or fruitless.