Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL headphone adapter not working for some folks

The Google Pixel 2 series has already seen one significant audio problem, that being related to how it was recorded through the microphone. Though that was fixed in a recent software update, there appears to be another, more persistent, sound issue affecting devices.

Some people Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL owners are reporting that the supplied USB Type-C to 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter isn’t working. This was pointed out by users over at the Google Product Forums (via Android Police), and the issue seems to be that the headphone adapter isn’t being recognized: when connected, music still plays through the device speakers.

One person said that a software update had resolved the issue, while the process below was also offered as a fix:

Insert dongle/adapter into phone
Restart phone
Plug headphones into dongle/adapter
Start Google Play Music [and, presumably, play something]
Given that there are a variety of possible solutions, here, it looks like it’s not specifically tied to a faulty adapter (one user says they’ve owned three different dongles and the problem has persisted); there may be more than one problem at play.

Google must be aware of this by now — there are lots of comments and replacement requests have been made — though an employee is yet to step into the thread to discuss the problem directly.

If you’ve experienced this issue, perhaps try using Bluetooth headphones (should you own some) while you wait for this to get sorted out.