Sony WH 1000XM3 - Won't Turn On | Charging and Pairing issues | No Sound | No Power || How To Fix

In this video I will be covering all the troubleshooting steps to fix your Sony Headphones WH 1000XM3. I will cover the steps that can help with:
- Charging issues
- Device not powering on
- Device is unresponsive
- Pairing issues (not visible by other devices)
- No sound coming from speakers
- Issues with sound quality
- Device not showing any lights
Basically all the steps covered by Sony. If you've done them all and the issue persists it might be best to send it of under warranty.

[@BillyMaysV2]

i can’t believe i’m even having these problems with $350 headphones, literally never buying a sony product again, what a joke lmao

[@cooldude8912]

All technology has issues.Audio Technica,AKG,Samsung,Bose,Beats,Sennheiser,etc...

[@LM-dd9db]

You can't blame sony, they are a really respectable brand and maybe your pair was bad but that doesn't mean everything is

[@nessski]

@@LM-dd9db mine also dont work did all the stuff that was recommended and NOTHING.....£350 ... quite steep for issues

[@LM-dd9db]

@@nessski yeah I actually ended up returning them and at least I got my money back

[@peaceonearth7142]

@@LM-dd9db how long is the warranty

[@Coco-gb5ju]

This video totally saved me!!! I thought my Sony's were trashed and was so upset. Soft reset didn't work but the hard reset totally fixed my issue!!! Now they are back to working as beautifully as they were before!!! I need my noise cancelling for my anxiety when I go out in public and when I study for school. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!! Definitely works!!!! Saved me money and made me happy!!!

[@muddabuwshi6510]

The anxiety part is i think why most people use this headphone 🤣🤣 very relatable

[@jeremysmith9263]

I was about to smash 💥 these phones! I literally have them on more often then I don’t. I sleep with em on, they help me get a peaceful night sleep. The light wouldn’t turn on all day, until I held both buttons down. My light came on right away:) thanks you so much ❤️🍀❤️🍀❤️

[@darkl0rd497]

I’m over here slamming my shit to try and get it to work

[@Overblack2]

The same for me !!!

[@aacgaming9898]

My headset lights when it charges but it wont turn on Bluetooth. I can only use it with wire

[@Bruh-fx1sy]

AAC GAMING same I don’t know how to fix it

[@facundoalejandrososa7608]

I see I'm not the only one. Mine worked for 2 weeks...

[@aacgaming9898]

I tried using a less power full charger, because i have a fast charger, so i tried to charge it in My Ps4 and it worked

[@itsmartina9458]

I have the same issue but I have guarantee but Sony won't accept it And I cared for this headphones so much they never fell, got wet or anything. I can use it with wire but it works horrible.

[@nandosangputra6642]

Got the same problem, plus the left ear cup of mine is getting warm. Anyone experience the same?

[@ahgose]

I was about to dump my Sony WH1000XM3, followed your instructions and working perfectly again. Thank you!

[@hellfishii]

I've been using this headphones for over 10 months and just today it gave me a bluetooth connectivity issue. The hard reset worked for me, thanks man!

[@B1A4fanclubBana502]

Thanks you so much for this guide 😭❤️❤️ Everywhere I looked even the official website it said that the reset is 7 seconds and that didn’t work, but when I tried it for 10 seconds it finally works

[@michaelinlatvia]

My headphones are great, but no matter how hard I tried, there was no illumination lights, red or blue, to suggest a charge was being received. Great tip! It appears to work. Very grateful. Thank you. Lesson learned.

[@angelxcamacho5867]

Mine are literally brand new and didn’t wanna turn in for some odd reason after I had just turned them off 10 mins prior. Tried this and worked Thankyou 👌

[@JiajiaWang-p6i]

Thank you so much for sharing this troubleshooting guide! My headphones were not responding and I fixed it after a soft reset! Saved me trying to find a repair store!!

[@howtotechstuff]

Awesome to hear 👍 Thanks for sharing

[@uglyflower608]

holy cow, i had no light and no signs of life i followed the steps anyways, because i thought why not, and it actually worked

[@aerial_ace]

Bro.. I had lost all hope and I was about to search Amazon for a new headphones. Read a lot of comments anxiously about how soft didn't work but hard reset did or neither didn't Mine was charging. But wouldn't turn on. Did soft reset like you said and it is working. Thank you so much ❤

[@howtotechstuff]

Amazing. Great to hear it and enjoy your headphones 😁

[@ahmadamirinjamal6724]

Hi man, i just wanna says thanks for the tips on hard reset. been using my xm3 for 3 years now, never had a problem. then today, it sound different, like the microphone is always on, and the music sound quality dropped drastically. did the soft reset, nothing happened. but after a hard reset, everything went bak to normal. thanks a bunch.

[@ReVoLynx]

I get the red light when charging, but the headphones wont turn on... Neither the soft or hard reset do anything (I don't get the blinking blue light when trying the hard reset.) Audio works with the 3mm cable.

[@f14k0]

I have the same problem!

[@f14k0]

I cant find anything

[@f14k0]

Reply to me just in case if you find something or i find something

[@f14k0]

Hey found out the problem. Smack the left side hard. Mine turned out. Comes out its a problem with the wiring for the button but for temporary smack the left side

[@f14k0]

www.reddit.com/r/sony/comments/igdyxo/fixed_wh1000xm3_power_button_not_turning_it_on/

[@frankdecrom6317]

Thank you for this video! The hard reset worked for me after I couldn’t connect to Bluetooth. I hadn’t used the headphones for a long time so maybe that’s why.

[@clementeflores9154]

Not sure if you still reply to a video you posted a long time ago but my headphones work with an auxiliary cord, but when I try charging the red led turns on for about 3-5 minutes then turns off and doesn’t charge, tried all the methods in the video and none of them work, could this just be a battery problem?

[@metro.in4k]

Same here. Please have you gotten a solution for it?

[@fillans]

I’ve got the same issue, have you guys found anything that solved it?

[@mac6ixx]

i have mine charged and the red light shows but when i turn it on the blue light never blinks

[@LM-dd9db]

me too, have you find a solution?

[@mac6ixx]

@@LM-dd9db unfortunately i never found one, luckily my pair was still under warranty so i sent them back to sony and got a replacement pair

[@Lapp802]

Mac 6ixx I did the same but these are my second headphones... the ones the warranty sent me

[@alanbc6823]

Mine would not charge/light up and would also not turn on. The soft restart fixed my issue right away. Thank you!

[@kingdongo4388]

Did you do it while charging?

[@alanbc6823]

@@kingdongo4388 honestly cannot remember, sorry.

[@kunalbelamkar]

Damnnn, that worked, hahaha thanks. Also for everyone, OnePlus charger doesn't work with the headphones, that messed mine up but a soft reset made it work. Laptop charging is on point and working nicely

[@GameAssassinReviews]

ty for the help it's been only 2 days since I got my pair and for some reason when I held the power button they would show a small dim barely noticeable flicker of blue and orange before nothing would happen tried the soft rest nothing did the hard reset and it worked and now I know that it was also at low power so that might have been the reason so thank you you earned a like and subscriber and also want to tell you how I appreciate that you don't ask for a like and subs before the vid even starts I hate it when yters do that thanks again and keep only keeping on and stay safe out there.

[@howtotechstuff]

Glad to hear your headphones work fine and appreciate subbing 👍 All the best!

[@Lokeessh]

I had a problem with pairing it with my phone, did the hard reset and it works. Thank you so much :)

[@howtotechstuff]

Awesome.!

[@BRONCOS94]

@@howtotechstuff my headphones are making a buzzing sound when connecting to my tv how do i fix that?

[@darianarincon823]

The restarts shown about worked beautifully, thank you so much

[@hadif151]

It worked . You are the best mine was not charging nor it was turning on . The hard reset fixed it

[@saleh3jaj490]

When I decided to turn off the headset I holded the custom button instead of power button for to long and start to lagging then the headset torn off I tried to press the power button didn't work I tried every method it doesn't work, can I have a solution, i have t for one month its the sony WH-1000XM4

[@sarimiman7452]

Thanks a ton my friend! The soft reset didn't work, but your walkthrough on the hard reset saved me a trip to the damn service center in this sweltering heat.

[@serajmahdi8100]

I just have to say thank you. I thought mine were water damaged or something but doing the hard reset worked!

[@robotmechanicalwhizkid2521]

Alright I just fixed my headset what I did was I first went through these non hardware invasive steps none worked then (if this is the case for you its most likely a hardware problem and not a software problem as proposed in the video) i decided to open up the headphone with some screwdrivers first i did the right side where the battery was (thought it might be a dead battery) and disconnected it for 15 minutes then plugged back in but that did not work as has been recommended by a few to do and work it did not in my case however. What worked for me was i opened up the left side where the power button is and just messed around a little bit with the cable and applied a bit of pressure here and there and tested the power until I found the so called "sweet spot" and some reason that fixed it might be the same case for some other folks out there lose cable might need to resolder it if you have the tools and skills but for me just a simple reopen and pressing around fixed it might help you too if these simple steps didn't worked in this video. At the end of the day it just seems to be (at least in my case) a few cables out of place inside the case or pressure just over time from maybe dropping or just general daily use that made it kind stop powering on, but try it to these steps first before buying a brand new battery it might just save you a few bucks.

[@howtotechstuff]

Well done. Well mine are working fine so I didn't want to open it up however if I ever have that problem I will follow your steps. There's also some hardware steps on reedit.

[@MatsEliasson]

Amazing, I just did the same and it start working, nothing else worked... I think it was when I pressed down the two biggest (but small) black sqares on the circuit board (model WH-XB900N) it start working, many thanks!

[@svbEdu]

I had no light while charging and this video fixed it, thanks!

[@ryankbr]

excellent video! was really looking around to see what might be wrong with the headset when it wouldn't turn on despite being charged, seems like it needed a soft reset!

[@howtotechstuff]

Awesome. Thanks for sharing Ryan!

[@arthiarthi6377]

Lot's of thank you from INDIA 👍

[@howtotechstuff]

You're welcome 😁

[@Rokamk]

I've tried everything from the video, and i still cannot turn the headphones on. When i connect them for charging, the charging light is on for like 2 minutes and then turns off. They work when i connect the aux cable in them, but they won't turn on. Can anyone help me with that?

[@horrorhouseentertainment]

You win a subscriber the the hard reset really did my work..

[@bhartendradhote2829]

Wow.. it worked!! the soft reset thing, held the power key and ambient/google voice key together for 10 secs.

[@paodh_ke]

I was struggling with my computer trying to pair LE_WH-1000xm3 and a hard reset worked!!!! Thank you!!!

[@howtotechstuff]

Great to hear. Thanks for sharing!

[@kb8clp]

thank you so much!!!! I've been struggling for more than a month now getting my headphone detected but no go. I've been struggling with using it while on zoom hopefully it'll do the magic!!!!!! thanks a bunch!!

[@graemehutton4105]

Thanks so much for this! I held the soft reset for 10 secs (not 7 as advised in the manual) and this worked!

[@1davidpeter]

Very useful video thanks brand new set, red light taking forever, 7 second initial button press not doing anything. Not happy at all with them. Hang on - big long press and they are working great!!! How to trash the idea of plug and play. And what about the shortest possible power lead- crazy.

[@chatthew]

Thanks for the help! Hard reset did it for me!

[@EminemSlimMarshall3]

Thank you so much the hard reset instantly fixed my problem!!!

[@nedkiryakov4824]

Nice one! It worked! Thanks very much mate! 👍👍👍

[@rikkastafford1296]

My problem was connectivity issue with my imac, the hard reset did it for me! Thank you so much!

[@howtotechstuff]

Awesome. Thanks for leaving the comment!

[@OliverStraiton]

Thanks for this. I have the charging light showing but it then turns off and stops charging - any ideas?

[@fillans]

I have the same issue atm, noticed it today when I wanted to use them for the first time in two years (had a baby so no silence for me🫠). Have you found a solution? Can’t find any good advice on this specific matter anywhere.

[@SamDLee-vo3tr]

Thanks for your great video! When my WH 1000XM3 is being charged, the charging indicator light is NOT on, that is, my headset can not be charged at all. Therefore I can't reset to factory settings. I have no ideas of whether the charging port is broken down or the battery itself is out of order. Can you shed the light on how to diagnose where the problem could come from? Thanks a lot in advance!

[@user10-8INSERVICE]

Hard Reset worked. Thank you!

[@howtotechstuff]

Awesome 👍

[@SoofiSpirit]

You saved my 300 usd!! Thanks Alot!!

[@howtotechstuff]

Glad I could help!

[@yemsothea8037]

thank you so much!! The second method work for me

[@b3nnefits]

I just realised half way through this video that this tutorial said Sony, I have a sonic b incognito that charges fine, works with the cord but doesn’t turn on. I only got it last month.

[@SNOW-CR]

Totally helped. The hard reset is a life saver😂😂

[@howtotechstuff]

💯

[@alexandergalo5839]

U just saved my life, i tried both ways nothing worked, the i charged it, it's just low battery, and the main problem for mine is the aux cord

[@howtotechstuff]

Glad you got it working man. All the best👍

[@elespectador5677]

Should the charging diode on the Sony WH -1000 XM 3 headphones indicate the end of charging process by changing the light colour from red to green ?

[@arunbalaji2651]

No. It will turn off when fully charged.

[@maxsmodels]

Had to do the hard reset but it worked. Thanks

[@howtotechstuff]

You're welcome!

[@RyanHives]

From my Googling, it doesn't appear my problem is very common. Battery is fully charged (red light was on and then went off after 2 hours of being plugged in). Headphones work when plugged into computer (i.e., sound comes out). Headphone will not soft restart (when holding buttons NC + Power when plugged in). Headphone will not hard restart (when holding buttons NC + Power when not plugged in). Headphone will not turn on. Seems like AAC Gaming below is having a similar problem.

[@howtotechstuff]

Hey Ryan, few things to possibly check: -Are you able to put your headphones into pairing mode? -When the headphones are turned on, can you test both NC and Power button individually to see if they work? Ie. When pressing power button it should tell you battery level and NC should switch to noise cancelling disabled/enabled.

[@amanbabani5489]

@@howtotechstuff i cant put my xm4's into pairing mode they just dont go in pairing after pressing power button for 7 secs also they wont hard reset too It works totally fine when headphone jack is plugged in but it doesnt go in pairing mode

[@mg3646]

My headphones change and play sound with the cable but the Bluetooth doesn't turn on anymore. Neither the soft nor hard reset worked 😭

[@peas3487]

Thank you! The soft reset fixed the issue.

[@venkatasubramanian9038]

bro thanks bro its very very use full to me😍

[@AngelHernandez-qy9rd]

Soft reset worked thank you so much ❤

[@howtotechstuff]

Awesome to hear 👍

[@VashishthaNeeraj0707]

Saved my life thanks bro.

[@betgovrin]

Perfect! Many thanks

[@OBENSquad_21]

I have a flashing red What should I do ?

[@leticiamorais2225]

I’ve tried both the soft and the hard reset and it is still not working. The red light comes on when I’m charging them and I can hear sound when I use the cable to connect them to my computer, but I can’t turn them on, the blue light just doesn’t appear

[@niiy1988]

Omg thank you so much the hard reset worked for me I love these headphones 💓💓

[@howtotechstuff]

Awesome to hear 🎊🎉

[@camarafode1187]

Mine is not turning on 😭😭

[@tallsz559]

Mine have been charging perfectly fine on a 30W chrome book charger for almost a year, but just recently they simply would not charge!

[@rajajessonsingh387]

Try your laptop

[@rajajessonsingh387]

So basically I factory resetted (pressing both with charging cable off) prayed and then connected with my laptop usb port. Prayers answered 😀🤣😈

[@tallsz559]

@@rajajessonsingh387 Yup this fixed it

[@princecole6511]

This really worked! Thank you loads man!

[@howtotechstuff]

You're welcome!

[@basvanharselaar]

my charging light work but my bleutooth light doesnt work, i tried soft reset and hard reset but both didnt work, what should i do, because i dont have warranty

[@jamesjustice298]

Thanks so much, hard reset worked for me.

[@MatthewHerron-sr1bh]

This video worked for me!!! Thank you so much! I almost threw these $300 headphones in the trash. So glad I found this tutorial. The "Soft Reset" is what brought back my Bluetooth connectivity issue. Thank you so much!!!!

[@zi_5087]

Thank you so much for helping me!! You're amazing!

[@arsenalinmyblood5039]

My headphones work when I connect the use the cord. However I connect get my Bluetooth to work/turn on the headphones. Issues: 1. When I plug in the charger the device begins to charge but only for 1-2 minutes. After this the light goes away. 2. Next when I try charge the headphones and do the reset (both soft and hard) it disconnects the headphones from charging (red light goes away) Any thoughts on what I can do?

[@RemusStoian]

I have dropped my headphones in the water. I tried to clean all the moisture, but it stll has the issues after a week: the headphones are working only on wire, the red light from charging is on when plugged, the on/off is not working... any ideas what to do? Model is xm2

[@andreas1642]

any updates on this man? Mine got wet whilst walking in the rain and now they’re not charging or turning on and i’m so concerned

[@bluu4902]

@@andreas1642 me too, I got them wet and have the same problem what worked for u, pls answer???

[@andreas1642]

@@bluu4902 sadly nothing, i think the battery was killed by the water damage so now the bluetooth doesn’t work :(

[@bluu4902]

@@andreas1642 oh well, I just told my dad they stopped working randomly so now I'm just leaving them to dry and I'll see if they work after that

[@horrorhouseentertainment]

Hello sir my right Penel of wh1000xm4 in not working what is the reason you will got a subscriber...

[@Herestheprocess]

The sound on my Sony’s worked when it was plugged in, it was charging, but it still doesn’t turn on even after I tried to do both resets. Any advice?

[@edfx]

Finally fixed! Simply didnt connect, i started to go crazy

[@MicroAngelo1]

Mines fail to charge on the 4th time I used them, I just passed the warranty period, perfect for the trash now, thank you Sony!

[@finnleywalker5172]

@MicroAngelo1 mine had the same issue so I tied a different box that plugs into the outlet and now mine are charging perfectly, so I suggest that you try a different box if you haven’t already tried that yet.

[@ferdinandtom4950]

@@finnleywalker5172 what do you mean a different box...because mine isn’t charging after the 4th charge

[@finnleywalker5172]

@@ferdinandtom4950 sorry I meant usb wall charger brick. My wall charger was broken, so I had to replace it and now my Sony’s work and charge fine.

[@leenachatlani]

@@finnleywalker5172 Tried everything in the vide, but plugging directly into a power outlet instead of through my monitor/laptop fixed it for me. Thanks so much!

[@rajajessonsingh387]

I’m having the same issue 🥶

[@ElderT6677]

U good sir are a Godsend ❤❤❤💋🥰 it worked . Almost trashed mines

[@errolingram2669]

Thanks mate worked well!

[@howtotechstuff]

👍

[@skinnymonkey7773]

Hi.. i just change the earpad and now it keeps on and off on its own. Can you help?

[@yoyo15362]

IT ACTUALLY WORKED OMG I WHAT

[@rickycalleja-delgado9838]

My left ear speaker for my XM3 Headphones stopped working and I'll edit to see if it worked or not

[@Bitz00.]

so, did it work

[@SG.Plagiarist]

Thank You So much got mine up and beating again

[@NareshPasalkar]

Thanks for your video. For my headphones the hard reset seems not to work at times. Every time I disconnect my phone my device by putting Bluetooth off from my device, the headphones needs hard reset....which does not happen in one go... it's quite frustrating. Any idea, what's going wrong with my headphones? Any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[@howtotechstuff]

Hey Naresh. Not sure but it doesn't happen for me. What happens if you first turn off your headphones and then turn off BT on your phone? Same thing?

[@xRaddiiez]

hey, mine will only charge when its on? works fine as long as its turned on and theres light on charge but when turned off it cant be charged nor is there a light when trying to charge? tried both soft and hard reset, still only charging when on.. maybe battery issue at this point :/

[@howtotechstuff]

Hey there. Yes, it sounds like battery issue or some connection issue. I assume the product is out of warranty but may be worth contacting their support and see if oow repairs are possible. Also, you should be able to use them with a cable.

[@godson8823]

I tried. Really it's working sony ch500

[@sajeshpv9615]

I hear some cracking sounds when my new sony WI-C200 bluetooth headset is connected with huwai smart phone which is already connected with huwai smart watch. The problem occures only when both the devices are connected. Is there any solutions for that?

[@Bitz00.]

that seems super specific, it might be the bluetooth on the phone

[@walterezequiel6394]

The USB cable provided Is really short and uncomfortable to charge it It's safe to charge the headphones with a iPhone charger and iPhone cable 5v or what charger should be properly to charge it? I tried to charge it with a fast charger 18v from apple, and the headphones get a little warm, i unplugged right away.

[@vincenzokaposo]

Very helpful video, i had an issue with the pairing, after a hard reset, the pairing worked again perfectly

[@arunlalk.u1800]

Thank u very much dear 🥰 not pairing issue

[@nandosangputra6642]

Hi, got a problem on the left side of my headphone. It keep getting warm and the headphone can't be turned on. I've tried to disconnect the battery (on the right side) then it's not warm anymore. But once I reconnect the battery, it's getting warm again. Do you know whats possibly the issue here? Is it short circuit or something?

[@jayzzz1232]

Okay so the hard reset works but I went to try them again the next day while out and the same problem, so literally every time I wanna use em I gotta hard reset that's frustrating anyone else have this problem?

[@ritika2955]

So....my headphone was out of charge,... I charged it,... Tried different cables,....soft reset,...hard reset.... tried all....nothing worked! They wouldn't switch on Then finally I found out,.....my OnePlus phone charger box was too powerful for it,....I changed the charging box and now it's working 👍🏻 (It does show a red light when u plug it to that,...but it actually doesn't charge)

[@howtotechstuff]

Thanks for sharing!

[@patfanrj]

My heaphones fell off my bed and they haven't been able to turn on since. The charging light comes on, and hitting the NC does create a blue light response. All of my button inputs give responses, but nothing is working. Warranty is out. If I open them up, is there anything I should be looking for?

[@howtotechstuff]

Hey man. Sorry to hear about your headphones. Unfortunately I haven't opened mine so not sure what to look for. I assume you've done resets and issue persists. Might need to look for videos opening them up and figuring it out.

[@patfanrj]

@@howtotechstuff Right on. Thank you for the response!

[@edgarolazaba7099]

@@patfanrj Same issue on mine, were you able to fix them?

[@dylaneagles3938]

@@edgarolazaba7099 ive had this issue recently, not sure how to go about fixing it. Have you had any luck?

[@LizzieowoNya]

i had the same problem, lightly smacking the left cup a couple of times did the trick for me.

[@Guibg543]

It worked with the reset 🎉 thanks

[@howtotechstuff]

You're welcome!

[@NomanJohan]

What is the faster charger that can be used with Sony XM4? I am using 5V == 3A (15W) and it's getting heated up Any suggestions?

[@mihailwarsavski8849]

Yeah

[@gassimshowbestgassim8953]

I have a problem with the mic 🎤 when i speak with they told me was very bad can u help me

[@buhchar]

hello friend, please help, I have wh1000xm headphones when charging, they glow red and at the same time flash a blue indicator (every 5 seconds ±) what can this indicate? my friend has the same headphones and when turned on, they just glow red until fully charged

[@jeskow19]

Worked. Thanks.

[@howtotechstuff]

Welcome.

[@Rddts66]

It works, Thankyouuuu !!!

[@WallyOne]

I have been searching for hours trying to figure out whats wrong with my xm4s. its paired and the control panel for audio devices shows the headphones are picking up sound but i am not hearing anything on my end when i go to test sound in control panel for devices i get no playback sound. when i direct connect with the wire it works but not for bluetooth....

[@syahsyah7477]

Soft and hard reset don't work for mine but it can play audio (wire) and no issue with charging

[@capofigo]

I found them on the ground while coming back home: they play with jack but they don't turn on, they do charge and the resets didn't work, any idea??

[@capofigo]

They were like abandoned, very dirty and without earpads

[@Rizal_77]

Thanks🙏…solved my peoblem