The rumours were true: the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus don’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack. Apple includes Lightning headphones in the box, but how are you going to listen to your music and charge your phone at the same time with only one port to use? We’ve got the answer – take a look!
Updated February 2017
1. Pick up a 3.5mm / Lightning dual adapter
Right now, the simplest way is to get a dual adapter, transforming the single Lightning port of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus into two ports: 3.5mm for listening to music and Lightning for charging.
The adapter fits easily in a pocket, and includes an in-line remote for adjusting the volume, skipping songs or activating Siri — which is great if the headphones you’d like to use don’t have an iOS-compatible remote themselves.
The adapter supports up to 48Hz 24-bit lossless audio too, so you won’t be sacrificing any audio quality here. The adapter is made for iPhone certified as well, meaning it follows Apple’s strict guidelines and will work perfectly with your iPhone. Awesome!
2. Use a 3.5mm / Lightning case
The OX case from Incipio includes its own built-in adapter, allowing you to connect 3.5mm headphones and Lightning charging cables directly to the case itself. This is one of the simplest ways to add a 3.5mm port to your iPhone, without needing to carry around a separate adapter!
Shop Incipio Ox case for iPhone 7 > for iPhone 7 Plus >
3. Use an iPhone 7 dock
Apple’s official Lightning Dock is one of the easiest ways to listen to your music while charging your phone, e.g. at your desk. Plonk your iPhone on the Lightning connector, then plug in headphones and a Lightning charger on the back — simple. A side benefit is that you can pick up your iPhone to take a call, without unplugging and replugging your headphones.
Take a look at this in action in the video embedded below!
Shop for Official iPhone 7 docks >
4. Use a Lightning splitter
Here’s one answer from Belkin: the Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar. This simple adapter plugs into your iPhone’s remaining port, splitting it into two identical Lightning ports. That means you can plug in one set of headphones, and your existing iPhone 7 charger — and now you’ve got a simple solution for listening to music and charging your phone at the same time.
The adapter is nicely portable, so you can easily stash it in your bag or pocket for use at home, at work or while travelling. It’s more cumbersome than it was with the iPhone 6S, but such is the price of progress!
Shop for Belkin’s Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar >
5. Switch to Bluetooth headphones
This one almost goes without saying, but you can easily charge your iPhone and listen to music at the same time if your headphones connect over Bluetooth. This will also work for Bluetooth speakers. Of course, you’ll still need to charge your headphones / speakers at some point in the future, but it’s way more convenient than using a series of adapters.
Shop Bluetooth headphones > Shop Bluetooth speakers >
Wrapping up
That’s all the solutions we have for now. Thanks for checking out the page, and I hope you found it useful!