You Can Use Wired Headphones Without Losing Your Phone's Charging Port - Here's How

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One of the most divisive decisions Apple ever made when it comes to the iPhone was the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack. This is one of the features that iPhone users want back, but it's unlikely that it will ever return. Worst of all, it set a precedent that other phone manufacturers soon followed. Sony is still the holdout — its flagship Sony Xperia 1 VIII (released in June 2026) has a headphone jack.

Wired earbuds hold many advantages over their wireless counterparts, including price, reliability, and, obviously, not having to worry about battery life. Also, wired headphones are the preferred choice for audiophiles. But you don't need to sacrifice charging your phone just to get the best listening experience.

The good news is that there are plenty of USB-C-to-headphone jack adapters available, so you still have options to connect your wired earbuds and headphones to your smartphone. With some of these devices, though, there will come a time when you have to choose between draining your phone to continue listening or removing the adapter to let your phone charge, but the latter option can be disruptive. The solution is an adapter that has a pigtail for both a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB-C charging port.

Although bulkier than a built-in 3.5mm jack, these headphone and charger combination adapters budget friendly and easy to use. A good option is the Stouchi 2-in-1 USB-C to 3.5mm Headphone Charge Adapter, and it costs $15.99. The USB-C charging port supports USB Power Delivery (USB-PD), a fast-charging protocol that gives this particular adapter the ability to reach charging speeds of up to 30W safely. Just make sure you're using it with a charger that also supports USB-PD. It outputs a resolution of up to 24bit/96KHz, thanks to its digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a smart chip that converts the phone's digital audio into an analog signal that can be transmitted over the AUX cable to the headphones. It's a good adapter for someone who can't tell the difference between high-res and lossless audio, but there are adapters that better suited for audiophiles while being cheaper.

One of them is the Subynanal USB-C to 3.5mm Headphone and Charger Adapter, which costs $9.99. It supports ultra-high lossless audio of up to 32bits/384kHz. The best Bluetooth audio can do is high-resolution audio of up to 32bits/96kHz using the LDAC audio codec. Furthermore, it's capable of super-fast USB-PD charging of up to 60W. Both adapters are generally liked by users with ratings above four stars on Amazon and thousands of reviews, but one thing to look out for is that some users complain of static noise from both adapters.