TECH No sound coming from earpiece?

[Morpheus647]

So I have an iPhone4 and since last night it has stopped outputting any sound from the earpiece. I have tried pretty much every kind of software fix. Took it to the apple store and they didn't know how to fix it. Offered me a refurb unit for $200 which I don't really want to pay.

Couple of questions for you guys:
1) Any ideas on possible ways to fix it?

2) Any way to make the ringer play through the speakers when headphones are plugged in? (The only way I can use my phone right now is with head phones or on speaker phone. I could leave my headphones plugged in all the time but would like to still hear the ringer)

I'm pretty much stuck with this phone until next March so I gotta figure something out.

 

[Pitt]

trying going back to the apple store at a different time and see if you can get a different genius. this sounds like the sort of thing they'd just give you a new phone for.

 

[TheWeasel]

Take a Q-Tip and clean out the headphone hole. Then take a headphone plug and slide it in and out of there a number of times. I had issues with dust getting in my original iPhone's headphone plug hole and it would make the phone think you had headphones plugged in. When you cleaned it out it worked again. You could use just a very small bit of rubbing alcohol on the Q-Tip but be careful as there are moisture sensors inside there and if you get them wet at all, Apple can and sometimes will refuse warranty on it so it may be better not to.

Also check to see that it works with the headphone with mic that came with the phone.

 

[Morpheus647]

I forgot to mention in the original post that I am 62 days out of my warranty. I did go to a different Apple store today, but had the same result.

The phone does still work with the microphone on the headphones. I'll try cleaning out the headphone port with a qtip. Don't want to pit any kind of liquids in there and risk messing it up since I really need the headphones to keep working.

 

[mulgorian]

Stupid question: Have you tried the other earbuds?

Because my Apple earbuds died month ago after a year+ of heavy use.