Apple Seemingly Discontinuing Lightning to Headphone Jack Adapter Introduced Alongside iPhone 7

It appears that Apple is discontinuing the Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter that it released alongside the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in 2016.

iPhone 7 Lightning to Headphone Jack Adapter
The adapter was recently listed as "sold out" on Apple's online store in the U.S. and most other countries, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The adapter remains available from Apple in only a handful of countries, such as France, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, but likely only until remaining inventory is depleted. The same situation played out with the SuperDrive earlier this year, with the USB-powered CD drive selling out on Apple's online store first in the U.S. and eventually worldwide.

Apple included the adapter in the box with all iPhone 7, iPhone 8, and iPhone X models at no additional cost, but all models since the iPhone XS have not come with one. Apple continued to sell the adapter on its online store, with U.S. pricing set at $9, but it appears that the accessory is on its way out after an eight-year run.

The adapter allows users to connect wired headphones with a 3.5mm plug to iPhone models without a headphone jack via the Lightning port. However, the only iPhone models with Lightning ports that Apple still sells new are the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone SE, and all three of those devices are expected to be discontinued next year. All of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models are equipped with USB-C ports, and Apple continues to sell a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter.

Alongside the wireless AirPods lineup, Apple continues to sell wired EarPods in USB-C, Lightning, and 3.5mm headphone plug variations.

Update: Various other Lightning adapters and cables are sold out on Apple's online store in some countries. In the U.S., this includes the Lightning to VGA adapter for home delivery.

Popular Stories

apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's Licenses: These 17 U.S. States Offer Them or Will Later

Thursday June 19, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states and Puerto...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Monday June 16, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
ios 26 call holding

iOS 26 Beta is Hiding a New Ringtone — Here's What It Sounds Like

Thursday June 19, 2025 7:25 pm PDT by
Apple is hiding a new ringtone within iOS 26. The new ringtone is an alternative version of the existing Reflection ringtone, which has been the default ringtone since the iPhone X was released in 2017. It was discovered within the code for the first developer beta of iOS 26, but it remains hidden, so you will not find it in the list of ringtones available in the Settings app for now. It...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Wednesday June 18, 2025 10:24 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a few days after Apple provided the betas to developers. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. When the...
new iphone lockscreen ios 26

iOS 26: Five Changes Coming to Your iPhone Lock Screen

Tuesday June 17, 2025 8:46 am PDT by
With iOS 26, Apple has made some additions to the iPhone Lock Screen that aim to make it more customizable than ever. Of course, things can always change before the software makes its way to the general iPhone-owning public, but here are five new things iOS 26 can do on the Lock Screen as of the current developer beta. Widgets Top or Bottom In iOS 18, the row of widgets on your Lock...
General Spotify Feature

Spotify Preparing to Launch Long-Awaited Lossless Audio Tier on iPhone

Thursday June 19, 2025 1:46 pm PDT by
Spotify appears to be gearing up to launch its long-awaited lossless music tier. Chris Messina (via TechCrunch) and Spicetify (via The Verge) spotted new lossless references within the code for Spotify's desktop app and web player. With assistance from Aaron Perris, MacRumors has confirmed that the latest beta of the Spotify app for the iPhone also contains new lossless-related code....
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Apple Says iOS 26 Won't Be Available on These iPhone Models

Tuesday June 10, 2025 6:58 am PDT by
Apple this week revealed that iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer. That means that iOS 18 is the end of the road for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, which were all released in 2018. However, those devices will continue to receive security updates for at least a few more years. iOS 26 is compatible with the following iPhone models: iPhone 16e iPhone...
Craig Federighi No

John Gruber Reacts to Apple Declining His Interview After His Criticism

Wednesday June 18, 2025 8:10 pm PDT by
Every year between 2015 and 2024, at least one Apple executive agreed to be interviewed by Daring Fireball's John Gruber for a special WWDC episode of his podcast, The Talk Show. Last year, for example, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi, marketing chief Greg Joswiak, and top AI researcher John Giannandrea joined Gruber on stage at the California Theatre in San Jose to discuss...

Top Rated Comments

zakarhino Avatar
8 months ago

Anyone still using wired earbuds/headphones via 3.5mm jack?
Yes, AirPods are about 100 miles away from matching the quality of really great IEMs or over ears
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Isentropic Avatar
8 months ago
But this is such a useful accessory, especially since many iPhones still have lightning.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
8 months ago

Anyone still using wired earbuds/headphones via 3.5mm jack?
Yes, in EVERY opportunity where I can because wired offers superior audio quality vs. "the future" option, even in 2024... and is far more ubiquitous (still) in 2024... and doesn't conk because of battery drain... and the wire tends to help salvage any accidental fall from ear/head... no latency/easy sharing/etc.

AirPods Pro bought only a couple of years ago is already battery dead. Free wired Apple buds included with Apple tech a decade+ ago still work fine. Wired headphones purchased 2 decades+ ago still work fine. One set of wired headphones owned for at least 4 decades still work fine.

Hopefully, "the future" gets there... someday... but I suspect we all learned a lesson that "forcing" change doesn't guarantee actual change... unless change is measured in how much MORE flows OUT of our wallets... instead of getting to use product already owned. ???
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yabeweb Avatar
8 months ago

Anyone still using wired earbuds/headphones via 3.5mm jack?
I do.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
timber Avatar
8 months ago

Anyone still using wired earbuds/headphones via 3.5mm jack?
I enjoy that really long battery life.
And the pairing never goes off.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rafark Avatar
8 months ago

But this is such a useful accessory, especially since many iPhones still have lightning.
Literally hundreds of millions in the whole world. Probably over a billion.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)