Earphone problem on Galaxy s4

[AC Question]

For a few weeks I've been unable to hear people speaking and they can't hear me when I use the phone except when I put it on speaker, a little message appears on the screen saying my earphones are connected but they are not. In the top left hand corner of the screen is a headphone icon and a bar with 'recommended apps' across the screen. When i tap the bar I get application info, I can force stop and the icon and bar goes and my phone works properly but the icon etc comes back and the problem comes back. any advice please

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! There could be some debris lodged in the headphone jack, or the jack might be faulty. Use a can of compressed air to blow out the jack, or a damp toothpick to root around in there.