My phone doesn't have a headphone jack, so I made a case to bring it back

Published Sep 5, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT Joe Fedewa has been writing about technology for over a decade. Android and the rest of the Google ecosystem have been a focus for years, as well as reviewing devices, hosting podcasts, filming videos, and writing tutorials. Joe loves all things technology and is also an avid DIYer and food blogger. He has written thousands of articles, hundreds of tutorials, and dozens of reviews. Before joining How-To Geek, Joe worked at XDA-Developers as Managing Editor and covered news from the Google ecosystem. He got his start in the industry covering Windows Phone on a small blog, and later moved to Phandroid where he covered Android news, reviewed devices, wrote tutorials, created YouTube videos, and hosted a podcast. From smartphones to Bluetooth earbuds to Z-Wave switches, Joe is interested in all kinds of technology. After several years of jailbreaking and heavily modifying an iPod Touch, he moved on to his first smartphone, the HTC DROID Eris. He's been hooked ever since. I’m becoming the guy who builds weird phone accessories. This time, the idea was simple: bring back the headphone jack while retaining the ability to use the phone’s charging port. That’s exactly what I did, and it all fits in a custom case. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since the iPhone 7 kicked off the smartphone industry’s crusade against the headphone jack. That decision forced the advancement of Bluetooth headphones and earbuds, but wired audio still has its advantages. Unfortunately, if you still want a headphone jack, your phone options are extremely limited. That’s where my phone case comes in. Phone cases should do more than protect your phone Wasted, undeveloped real estate Credit: Joe Fedewa / How-To Geek The headphone jack case is my fifth project in a series of custom phone accessories. It all started with the idea of adding expandable storage to a phone without permanently occupying the USB port. The result was an admittedly strange-looking “enclosure” of sorts. Since then, I’ve created a case with a built-in measuring wheel and a Samsung Galaxy “de-wobbler.” However, my favorite was based on suggestions from readers. People liked the storage enclosure, but thought it would work better as a case. So, I designed a case with a built-in microSD card slot and charging port. That project inspired even more ideas from readers, including — you guessed it — a headphone jack. Let’s make it a reality. Adding a headphone jack to a modern Android phone Music while charging is still possible Now, if you’ve followed my previous projects, you can probably guess how this one went. I used my microSD card case as the starting point, but adding the headphone jack wasn’t as simple as I had hoped — though that was my own fault. I’m a big proponent of working with what you have, and that ended up making this more complicated than it needed to be. For the previous project, I bought a flat, 2.5-inch USB-C extension cable and a USB-C splitter cable with data and charging capabilities. I already had a USB-C to 3.5mm audio adapter dongle, and I thought it would be easy enough to add that. In the end, I was able to figure it out, but the extra length of the adapter was tricky to work with. It would be much cleaner with a splitter that has USB-C charging and a 3.5mm port, like this one for $10. That particular product has a built-in DAC, which is important because many Android phones no longer have a DAC — wired headphones won’t work without it. On the topic of USB headphone adapter dongles, the common complaint for the last 10 years has been that you can’t listen to music and charge the phone at the same time. Wireless charging is an option, of course, but not everyone uses it. As with the microSD projects, the solution is adding a second charging port. Anyway, it was just a matter of carving out some space in my previous design for the dongle. It may not be a perfectly elegant solution, but it does accomplish what I set out to do. With this case on my phone, I can plug in a pair of wired earbuds or headphones and still have access to a USB-C port for charging. Accessory cases could be the best of both worlds Writing about these phone accessory projects has invited many opinions on modern phone designs and the reduction of hardware features. Smartphones are thinner than ever, but we’ve lost expandable storage slots, headphone jacks, and bigger batteries along the way. The reality is the average person doesn’t care a great deal about any of this. Expandable storage was always a power user favorite; everyone seems to have wireless earbuds now, and silicon-carbon technology is improving battery capacities. That’s why an “accessory case” could be the perfect solution — it’s an optional add-on for those who care. There’s only so much I can do with parts from Amazon and a 3D printer. A real manufacturer could produce a case with expandable storage, a headphone jack, and a charging port in a slim, streamlined package. But we’ll know who came up with the idea.