Headphone adapter works on iPhone 8, not on XS or 11

[clivechafer]

I bought a headphone adapter on Ebay (not an Apple original). It works on the iPhone 8 that my son uses, but won't work on either my XS or my partner's 11. It shows the pane on the lower half of the screen which says Connecting and has a spinning image of earbuds on it, but after about 15 seconds it says Connection Failed. Any idea why it works on the 8 ok but not on the more recent ones? Thanks.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

What headphone adapter is this? Provide more details.

 

[clivechafer]

Not sure how to describe it. It's a standard piece of kit. Put
Adapter for iPhone to 3.5mm Jack into Ebay and you'll see it.

 

[GordWebster]

I know that there are two types of similar-looking adapters for USB-C; Analogue or digital. And, a user needs to get the correct type, based on their device.
I'm wondering if there is a similar protocol for Lightning connectors and the older iPhone 8 uses analogue, whereas the newer iPhones require digital...?

 

[clivechafer]

Interesting idea. The ones for sale on Ebay don't mention any difference between the ones that work on the older phones (the first ones not to have a 3.5mm jack socket) and the newer ones. I'm wondering if it might simply be that some of the non-Apple adapters don't work on the newer phones. But again, their Ebay ads suggest they should.

 

[Rod]

There have been "issues" with these adaptors since my old iPhone 7. It's simply Apple trying to protect their devices and users from cheap knock off products that might break the device. Sometimes they do go a bit overboard with these precautions. I have learned that these adaptors are not just devices that change the shape of the plug, they have tiny chips in them that control and adapt the way the data is transferred, like resistance (ohms) and channel seperation. I have one myself that does work.

I did have another, an Apple product which worked on my SE 2 but returned a "Unrecognised accessory" message when plugged into my wife's iPhone 10. So it's hit or miss but at least if you buy it in a store you can try it before you buy it.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Not sure how to describe it. It's a standard piece of kit. Put
Adapter for iPhone to 3.5mm Jack into Ebay and you'll see it.

Don't describe it, just point us to the eBay link you used to purchase it.

The image that Rod posted is a standard Lightning to 3.5mm jack. I have one of these from a generic company and when plugged into my iPhones it doesn't require any special setup to get the audio flowing.

Also, these dongles/adapters shouldn't trigger any sort of pairing with earbuds/earphones or anything. So we have no clue what you specifically purchased to be able to help.

 

[clivechafer]

Ashwin:
I gave you the Ebay descriptor. Put it into Ebay search and you'll see it. It looks identical to the one Rod helpfully posted. Mine is also a generic, and I never suggested it needed any kind of set-up. It works perfectly on the iPhone 8 but not on the XS or the 11. If you don't know what the problem is, fine. Neither do I.

 

[clivechafer]

Thanks, Rod. Very helpful to know you have the same issue, even with an Apple original. It sounds like a crap shoot whether I will get one that works on the later phones or not. I guess I'll just try buying another from somewhere that accepts returns and hope for the best. I don't have a shop within easy reach to try before I buy! Thanks for your help!