The headphones do not turn on. (LinkBuds)
Follow these steps to troubleshoot the issue:
- Select your model and/or issue:
- Check if the Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa is set to the headphones.
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Check the tap operation function or Voice Assistant function according to the way you use the headphones:
If you use the Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa features on the headphones, you can only use the side of the headphones that the Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa feature is assigned. If you want to use the other side of the headphones unit alone, in the Sony | Headphones Connect app, assign Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa to the side (L or R) you want to use.
Note: When the Service Link feature is turned on using the Sony | Headphones Connect app, only the Right side can be used alone.- If you want to use either side of the headphones: Set the tap operation function of the desired side to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa:
- Open the Sony | Headphones Connect app.
- In the System tab, select
(settings) at the right side of the Change the tap operation function menu.
- Select the side you want to use alone, either L (Left) or R (Right), and set the Function to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.
- If you want to use both units alone respectively: Set the tap operation function menu to other than Voice Assist Function, Google Assistant, or Amazon Alexa:
- Open the Sony | Headphones Connect app.
- In the System tab, select
- Select the tap operation function other than Voice Assist Function, Google Assistant, or Amazon Alexa.
- After changing the settings, the headphones turn on.
- The headphones settings were the cause of the issue.
- The headphones do not turn on.
- Go to step 4.
- If you want to use either side of the headphones: Set the tap operation function of the desired side to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa:
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Clean the charging ports of the headphones, and check the indicator of the charging case.
Clean the headphones and charging ports, set the headphones to the charging case, and check the status of indicator on the charging case. For details on how to clean the headphones, refer to the How to care for the headphones article.
- The indicator lights up in green for about 3 seconds
The headphones are fully charged. Go to step 5.- The indicator lights up in orange for about 3 seconds
The remaining battery is low. Charge the headphones for about 30 minutes using the supplied USB Type-C cable, and go to step 5.- The indicator flashes in orange
The abnormal temperature or some other issue prevented charging. Go to step 6.- The indicator does not light up
Go to step 8.
- Wear the headphones and check if you can hear the voice guidance.
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Play music on the connected device, and check if you can hear the sound.
Pair and connect the headphones and the device via Bluetooth, and check if you can hear the sound on the connected device.
- I can hear the sound on the connected device.
- The issue has been resolved by charging or changing the settings.
- I cannot hear the sound on the connected device.
- Pairing may have not completed. Refer to the appropriate article to connect with the device:
- For Android (LinkBuds): Pairing and connecting with an Android smartphone
- For iPhones (LinkBuds): Pairing and connecting with an iPhone
- For other devices (LinkBuds): How to pair Bluetooth headphones with a Bluetooth source device
- Check the Voice Guidance settings:
- Open the Sony | Headphones Connect app.
- In the System tab, check the Notification & Voice Guide setting.
- Try the following procedure, and check if the headphones turn on.
- Make sure that the ear fitting supporters are properly attached to the headphones.
Note: If the ear fitting supporters are not properly attached, the charging case and headphones cannot contact one another and the charging may fail. Align the protruding part of the headphones with the cutout on the fitting supporter (A). Make sure to insert the fitting supporter completely.
- Set the headphones into the charging case, and start charging.
Note: Make sure that the left and right headset units are inserted into the correct sides. - Remove the headphones from the charging case, and check if the indicator lights up in orange for about 3 seconds.
- The headphones turn on
- The issue may have been caused by the way the ear fitting supporters were attached or placed into the charging case.
- The headphones do not turn on
- Go to step 9.
- Make sure that the ear fitting supporters are properly attached to the headphones.
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Visit the Help Guide or view the How to reset video:
Tip: Learn how to turn captions on or off when watching Internet videos from YouTube
- The issue is resolved
- The issue may have been caused by a temporary malfunction of the headphones.
- The issue is not resolved
- Go to the next troubleshooting step.
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Initialize the headphones.
Note: Initialization returns the headphones to the factory settings and all Bluetooth pairing information is deleted.Visit the Help Guide or view the How to initialize video:
Tip: Learn how to turn captions on or off when watching Internet videos from YouTube
- The issue is resolved
- The issue may have been caused by a temporary malfunction of the headphones.
- The issue is not resolved
- The headphones may be malfunctioning and service may be required.
Warranty Information
For information on Sony warranties
Contact support
Contact your Sony Support team
Support by Sony (Mobile App)
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