Headphone jack displaying red light

The headphone jack on my macbook is displaying a red light, and the built in speakers will not play. However, whenever I plug in speakers, the sound works. What is going on? Is something jammed, or can this be fixed with the push of a button?

It means your digital audio out has switched on. You can insert a plastic toothpick in the hole and try and switch it off. The switch should be at the 3 o'clock position and go towards the 6 o'clock position. Some people also have had luck inserting their headphone jack and pulling out a few times. Another recent report was that inserting the headphone jack and turning it in the hole helped.
If your not successful or uncomfortable doing this you need to contact Apple about service.

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Headphone jack has red light

The output (headphone) jack on my MacBook has a red light in it and I can't produce any sound from my built in speakers. Also, I cannot control the volume level; it shows the volume maxed out, but all the slider controls are greyed out and, using the volume buttons, shows a crossed out circle instead of the speaker icon. If I have headphones or speakers hooked up everything works fine, but if not then I can't use sound. Any ideas?

There is a micro switch that can get stuck....use your headphone plug and try plugging and unplugging it several times.....there have been numerous threads about the problem...you might also try using 'Search Discussions'...enter 'Red Light'
and Welcome to Apple Discussions

Headphone Jack Glowing Red, Internal Speakers Not Working...

Hey, I have a 2.0GHz White MacBook (almost a week old), and I just recently came across this problem (this morning, actually). I usually have my MacBook connected to some external speakers through the headphone jack, the internal speakers are pretty terrible. Anyway, last night I left the computer on playing music as I fell asleep, this morning I woke up and the computer must have some how come unplugged from the AC power, as it was dead. I plugged it back in and everything was fine (I mean, it had to charge up, and the battery 'health' in iStat Pro was down to 93%, also not sure what this means... But everything else was fine). Then, I unplugged my external speakers and the jack was glowing red, I believe there's an LED inside. The internal speakers would then not work.
I did a quick Google search and discovered that this problem had been experienced on MacBook Pros. Someone recommended plugging in a set of headphones, I did so and then unplugged them and the internal speakers worked for a moment. I plugged in the external speakers again, and they worked (and work) fine. The problem is with the internals, they don't work, and plugging in my headphones again has not solved the problem, and the light is still on when the jack is not occupied.
Any ideas?
[edit] As of this writing, they are currently working, after plugging in the headphones again and unplugging them, however, the light still blinks when I do this, and there is a bit of a hesitation between the headphone being unplugged and the internal speakers kicking in... (longer than normal, I know there was always a slight delay, but this is a few seconds of blinking light and no sound).

you can fix this by "cleaning" the audio jack. the computer thinks that a digital output is connected. if you go to sound under system preferences, and it says digital output rather than internal speakers, then this is the problem.
I used a tightly rolled up piece of toilet paper to clean the jack. I twisted it up, stuck it in the jack, and then moved it around for a while. the red light went off and my internal speakers started working. someone else used a toothpick.
also, before i fixed this, i couldn't turn the volume up or down (unless i was using headphones) and the volume level screen that shows up on the screen had a circle with a line thru it...like the no smoking signs, but small and just under the volume bars.
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=3700681&#3700681
good luck

Audio jack showing red light indicator

audio jack was showing red light when i was installing windows first time via boot camp ... !

Try System Preferences>Flash>Advanced tab>Delete All...
My wife's 2011 mbp had the same problem:
no sound from speakers,
sound okay in headphones,
red light on in jack,
slow computer.
She plays MANY different FLASH online games in Firefox. I searched everywhere and found the same advice as you all did ref toothpick in headphone jack, etc. Nothing worked.
Today, I googled "firefox" "problem" and "sound". I found "Troubleshoot issues with plugins like Flash or Java to fix common Firefox problems". I stopped reading at this point and decided to check out the status of her Flash settings. I opened System Preferences > Flash and explored the different tabs and options on my mbp compared to hers and noticed a LOT more "websites" in her Storage and Camera & Mic tabs. I went to her Advanced tab and selected Delete All... . It took over a minute to clear all her "websites". I did a reboot and was shocked, surprised, relieved that her mbp speakers were spewing sounds again! Problem solved! Her computer is now faster as well.
Short story:
System Preferences>Flash>Advanced tab>Delete All...
Hope it works for you, too.

Displays red light for 20 seconds then goes out. nothing else happens. have tried charging it on the computer and all night in power point. wont show up in itunes or my computer

i bought my daughters ipod shuffle 4th gen last week for xmas. set them all up easily etc and wrapped them for xmas. kids opened them up for xmas played them most of the day so i thought i would charge them both overnight on the computer. pc went into sleep mode which i didnt realise wouldnt charge them. so in the morning they were flat so i charged them on the pc but 1 didnt seem to take any charge while the other worked perfectly. treid to charge it all night long last night using a power point charger and still this morning it displays the red light and wont show up in itunes or my computer. apple support havent rang me yet

Make an appointment at an Apple store if there is one nearby.

My internal speaker on mac book pro works through external devices (e.g headphones) and a red light appears on my audio line port what should i do?

i used macbook pro 2009 OS X 10.9.5 yosemite and i got troubled on my internal speaker and it only works through external devices what should i do pls help?

This is the Mac Pro desktop forum. I requested your post be moved to the MacBook Pro laptop forum.
Please move the MacBook Pro forum. Thanks
Also if you mean by external is via the headphone jack then try cleaning out/blowing out the headphone jack. Try inserting/removing the plug a dozen times or so. There is a little switch in the headphone jack that disconnects the speaker when the headphone jack is inserted.

LED in Headphone Jack glowing red!?

I recently had my headphones plugged in and when I pulled the plug out of it an LED turned on right inside the actual jack itself.
Since then I cannot control the volume level of my mac via the keyboard/volume meter on the actual bar. I am able to mute the sound but when the little volume level window shows up in the middle of the screen there is a little "( \ )" picture underneath it.
I've never seen this happen before, if you know how to fix this issue please post ASAP, thanks.

Hello and Welcome to Apple Discussions.
Unlike the older iMac G4 (Flat Panel) the iMac G5s and iMac Intels have Optical Digital Audio ports inside their standard 3.5mm Audio ports. Unfortunately many of us hear (pun intended) aren't familar with the iMac you have so you'll need to post elsewhere.
G4 (Flat Panel; 700MHz - 1.25GHz): G5 (1.6 - 2.1GHz):
The only thing I could suggest is to go Apple Menu > System Preferences... > Sound > ... and check that you aren't set to digital output or something similar....
kind regards
mrtotes

There is a red light...

There is a red light coming from my headphone port and sound will only come when they are plugged in and not through the speakers in the Mac. Any suggestions? Thanks.

headphone jack displaying red light
Red light in headphone jack
there is a red light in my audio jack
Macbook Audio Fix-- No Speakers; Red Light in the Headphone ...

Headphone jack light

occaisionaly a red light comes from my headphone jack and no sound will come from the speakers. the longer i stay on my computer the less the red light comes on and stops whatever it is i'm listening to at the time. i assume it's a setting problem, but i'm computer illiterate and i don't know what to change. i've talked to a few friends with macs about it and they've all never had a problem like this. what should i do to fix it?

Your Macbook has the ability to do optical audio out, so that is what the red light you are seeing is. Normally, an adapter is used for optical audio, but something must have happened to the headphone jack on your Macbook is it is showing without that adapter. Whenever that light is showing, you won't be able to use the headphone jack when that light is showing because it is not sending out that type of audio signal. I would suggest getting it fixed by either calling AppleCare, or making an appointment at the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store.

Macbook white, backlight trouble + red light still on in speaker output (13-inch, Early 2009).

hi, please can anybody help me with my macbook white (13-inch, Early 2009). My backlight turn on/off in wrong angles, sometimes is backlight automatically turn off. Next problem - the headphone output still red light, so my speaker doesn't play :(. Here is the video. Know anybody how fix it these problems. Thanks for helping me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk1C7brbUls

Thank you, red light solved -but I have new problem if I plug 3,5 jack (e.g. headphones it doesn't work because it is turn on spdif - red light (because volume on macbook is not possible...) Do you have any idea how can I fix my new problem? :-/
Connection issue is not problem of backlight (I had opened my macbook, and cables looks good, I think there is a problem with sensor which turn on/off backlight)

Red Light To Dead iPod

My friend's iPod shffle turned red when it was turned on. It was shut off and turned back on and then the light was green and worked fine. 20 min. later while playing a song it completely died and refused to turn on. They have tried a restore and they have the current software. It was purchased 3 months ago. This happened with their last shuffle (same symptoms same ipod)(a 2nd gen 1gb) after a year. Is there a way to fix this? Or do they need a new shuffle?

Based on what you described I would first say a battery charging issue (from status lights in the manual). A problem charging could be related to a number of issues such as bad battery pack, bad dock connection, bad cable, etc.
I just fixed a 2nd gen Shuffle for a friend. At power on it displayed red light then wouldn't power up. When attempting to connect to the computer it would not show up in iTunes. When I tested the unit and dock I found the jack on the dock was damaged.

The sound on my laptop is locked, cant plug in my headphone jack and there is no red light, The laptop is retina display and I am on panic mode?

The sound on my laptop is locked, cant plug in my headphone jack and there is no red light, The laptop is retina display and I am on panic mode.
I have researched the whole subject and the closest thing to my case is one with a red light. I tried the toothpic manoevre suggested by pany with no results. Please help me.

System Preference > Sound > Output > Internal Speakers
Make sure Mute is not enabled.
Reset PRAM. http://support.apple.com/kb/PH4405
Reset SMC. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
Choose the method for:
"Resetting SMC on portables with a battery you should not remove on your own".
Best.

No sound on Boot Camp (Windows 8) red light in the headphone jack ?

I have a MacBook Pro 9.2 (i7 3rd gen, HD4000, 750GB, 8GB) and i install Windows 8 Pro 64 bit. I have a issue with my headphone jack only when i use BootCamp i have the latest driver for it (download from bootcamp application OSX). I see that inside of the headphone jack there is a red light i think that it is the optical out of it. I try to reinstall the driver no succes. Now i need help to fix it

The red light means you have jammed the digital audio jack by inserting an analog plug too far. It is not a BootCamp issie--can happen to people without BootCamp. Here is the reason for the problem I posted in another thread:
Background, or "why this happens": the audio-out port on a modern Mac is digital and is held to high dimensional standards. Most headphones have an analog plug not made to such standards. The specific issue is the the "tip-to-stop shoulder" distance on many analog plugs is just a bit longer than on a digital one and jams the "mute" contact inside the port in the muted position. <deleted>'s advice to insert a plug and gently wiggle it in the horizontal plane is exactly on target unless you are under warranty, which would still necessitate a trip to an Apple store for service.
The best action is prevention. When connecting headphones (or external speakers), put on the headphones and have an audio track running BEFORE you insert the plug. Insert the plug slowly, listening for sound on both channels and, when you hear it, STOP INSERTING.
Bottom line is you do NOT want to insert any random plug "to the hilt" until you know it is dimensioned to fit a digital port.
My MacBook Pro has the same jack. I have a pair of decent-quality, name-brand headphones and their plug is not to spec. This picture shows their plug in the port at a position that delivers proper sound and does not let the plug fall out:
Note that the shoulder is about 1/16-inch from contacting the computer case. It is secure in this position.
Every plug is different. I have a pair of El Cheapo external speakers I picked up for US$2 at a yard sale and their plug fits perfectly on my Macs with a digital audio port. Go figure!

Is it dangerous to look at the red light in the headphone jack?

I recently purchased an early 2009 model white MacBook. Today I was installing Windows on it and I noticed a red light coming out of the headphone jack. I thought there must be an LED in there to help you locate it in the dark. I was curious about it so I crouched down next to the computer and looked inside the jack to see what the deal was.
At the time I didn't know that there is such a thing as an optical audio jack. Obviously I now know that's what the red light was all about. Now I'm wondering if looking at that light could have injured my eyes. Is it a laser, an LED, or something else? Does anyone know how dangerous it is to look at that light? I looked directly at it from close range for perhaps 3-10 seconds, with eyeglasses on. I don't remember it seeming uncomfortable to look at.

Thank you both for your replies.
GfulDedFan wrote:
To the best of my knowledge, that light shouldn't be on when the port is empty.
Yes, my understanding is that that light should only ever come on when there is a Toslink mini-plug adapter inserted into it (or at least a regular 3.5mm analog plug). However, like you said, I've seen a number of posts on the internet about that switch that turns on the digital output (red light) getting stuck in the on position (even without having plugged in a Toslink adapter). My understanding is that in my case the light came on because I was in the process of installing Windows and the driver for the audio hardware hadn't been installed yet.
GfulDedFan wrote:
As far as harmful rays, I doubt that it would be harmful because I've read about this audio problem before but never with a cornea damage attached to it.
I did look inside the jack directly at the light. I think it might be the retina that would be at risk if anything, but in any case, I sure hope nothing was damaged.
JoeyR wrote:
The power for the lasers used for digital audio is very low.
Is it a laser?
JoeyR wrote:
Especially if you didn't find it uncomfortably bright.
I don't recall having a reaction that it was uncomfortably bright and then having to force myself to look at it. If it had seemed uncomfortable I don't think I would have continued to look at it.
I don't think I actually became concerned about it until I found out that the light is for digital audio output and wondered if it is a laser. Not that I recommend looking right at a bright LED either. But I wasn't expecting a bright LED either (let alone a laser) -- like I said, my first thought was that there must be an LED inside to make the jack easy to locate in the dark (I was in a darkened room at the time.
JoeyR wrote:
If you've ever, even very briefly, had a low power laser pointer hit your eye, you'd realize it is super bright.
Fortunately I haven't, but someone who did have a laser pointer aimed at their eye told me they noticed it when they felt a burning sensation on their eye.
JoeyR wrote:
Any damage would almost always be nearly immediate. If you haven't had a problem, you're fine.
Do you think any damage would be readily apparent right away, in the form of pronounced discomfort or noticeable vision problem?

Internal speakers suddenly will not unmute. My headphones work, and there is a red light coming from the headphone jack

I put my volume on mute a few weeks ago, and I don't know if I have used it again since then or not, but now the volume will not unmute. There is a red light glowing out of the headphone jack. Sound through headphones works. I've tried updating and restarting my computer. Help?

No, not forceful - gentle.
A PRAM-reset might also help:
Shut down the computer.
Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
Turn on the computer.
Immediately press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.Continue holding the keys down until the computer restarts, and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
Try this a few times.
Stefan

Headphone jack displaying red light

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