You can use wired headphones without losing your phone’s charging port

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

One of the most controversial decisions Apple ever made when it came 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 come back. Worse, it set a precedent that other phone makers quickly followed. Sony is still resisting: its flagship product, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII (released in June 2026), has a headphone jack.

Wired headphones have many advantages over their wireless counterparts, including price, reliability, and of course, not having to worry about battery life. Moreover, wired headphones are the preferred choice of 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 always have the option of connecting your wired headphones and earbuds to your smartphone. However, with some of these devices there will come a time when you have to choose between draining your phone to continue listening or removing the adapter to allow your phone to charge, but the latter option can be disruptive. The solution is an adapter that has a pigtail for a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB-C charging port.

Although bulkier than a built-in 3.5mm jack, these combo headphone and charger adapters are cost-effective and easy to use. A good option is the Stouchi 2-in-1 USB-C to 3.5mm Headphone Charging Adapter, which 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 safely reach charging speeds of up to 30W. Just make sure you use it with a charger that also supports USB-PD. It produces up to 24-bit/96kHz resolution, 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 via the AUX cable to the headphones. This is a good adapter for someone who doesn’t know the difference between high-resolution audio and lossless audio, but there are adapters better suited to audiophiles while being less expensive.

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 up to 32-bit/384kHz. The best Bluetooth sound can be high-resolution audio up to 32-bit/96kHz using the LDAC audio codec. Plus, it’s capable of super-fast USB-PD charging at up to 60W. Both adapters are generally well-liked by users with ratings above four stars on Amazon and thousands of reviews, but it’s worth keeping an eye out as some users complain about static noise from both adapters.