There is no sound, or sound is only heard from one side of the headphones. (WF-1000XM5)

Before you start

Turn up the volume on the connected device.

Solution

1. Select your issue:

   I cannot hear sound when playing music.

   
   Go to step 2.

   I cannot hear a voice while on a phone call.

   
   See the article While on a phone call I cannot hear the other party's voice or they cannot hear mine.

   I cannot hear any notification sound or voice guidance after removing the headphones from the charging case.

   
   See the article The headphones do not turn on.

2. Pause the music, wait for about 10 seconds, and play the music again.

   I can hear sound from the headphones.

   The Bluetooth connection may have been temporarily unstable.

   I cannot hear sound from the headphones.

   Go to the next troubleshooting step.

3. Turn off and on the headphones.

   Set the headphones in the charging case, close the lid, wait for a few seconds, and then wear the headphones again.

   
   

   I can hear sound from the headphones.

   The issue may be caused by a temporary malfunction of the headphones.

   I cannot hear sound from the headphones.

   Go to the next troubleshooting step.

4. Check if the headphones are worn properly.

   If the headphones are not worn properly, the headphones cannot detect the condition in which the earbuds are being worn and will cause the issue. For details, refer to the article How to wear the earbud headphones and select the right size earbud tips.

   I can hear sound from the headphones.

   The issue may be caused by the wearing conditions.

   I cannot hear sound from the headphones.

   Go to the next troubleshooting step.

5. Try the following procedure, and check if you can hear sound from the headphones:

   1. Charge the headphones.
      Note: Use the USB Type-C cable that is supplied with the product. Charging may not be possible with a commercially available cable.
   2. Reset (restart) the playback device.
      Since the playback device may be temporarily malfunctioning, turn off the device once, and turn it on again.
   3. Delete the Bluetooth device information of your playback device.
      For details on how to delete the Bluetooth device information, refer to the How to delete the Bluetooth device information of your playback device article.
   4. Perform pairing again.
      Refer to the appropriate article:
      • For Android: Pairing and connecting with an Android smartphone
      • For iPhones: Pairing and connecting with an iPhone
      • For other devices: How to pair Bluetooth headphones with a Bluetooth source device

   I can hear sound from the headphones.

   There seems to have been an issue connecting with the playback device, such as Bluetooth pairing being disconnected.

   I cannot hear sound from the headphones.

   Go to the next troubleshooting step.

6. If you connect a computer with the headphones, check the settings on the computer, check the computer settings:

   For Windows 11:

   1. Open the Start menu and select Settings.
   2. Select System.
   3. Select Sound.
   4. Scroll down to the Advanced menu and select More sound settings.
   5. In the Playback tab, select Headphones, and click Set as Default Device.

   For Windows 10:

   1. On the right side of the computer screen, right-click the Speaker icon.
   2. Select Open Sound settings, and then select Sound Control Panel.
   3. Select the Playback tab to show the device list.
   4. Select Headset labeled with Hands-free, and click Set as Default Device.
   5. Select OK to close the setting screen.

   The issue is resolved

   The issue may have been caused by the computer settings.

   The issue is not resolved

   Go to the next troubleshooting step.

7. Reset the headphones.

   Refer to 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.

8. Initialize the headphones.
   Initialization returns the headphones to the factory settings and all Bluetooth pairing information is deleted.

   Refer to 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.

Go to the Headphones Troubleshooting Guide