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Magstrip not reading

Android, magstrip was reading fine for 1 year+, then stopped reading cards.  Tried all the troubleshooting tips.  Have 2 different readers, one fairly new, neither work.  Can enter cards manually.  Get connect/disconnect message when reader installed and removed so it is recognizing the reader.  Jack works ok with ear buds.  What to try next?  

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Super Seller Alumni

Test the jack to see if it will record audio. If you have headphones with a mic that will work. The reader has to send audio tones in order to work. If your phone is not accepting audio then that is the issue. 

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I'm having it sounds like the same issue.  Square thinks it's an issue with my iphone.  Apple thinks it's an issue with Square.  My Magstripe reader works fine with my Ipad.  However, it stopped working with my Iphone a little more than a month ago.

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Super Seller Alumni

Plug the reader into the phone and open the voice memo app.  Click record.  Do you get anything?  If not your jack is not working.  If you do the jack is working.  

 

 

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My jack is working.  After spending an ungodly amount of time on the phone today with both Apple and Square and uncovering nothing...I'm going to get my friend who also has a 6S with the same versions of both the Square App and IOS to use her phone to log into Square and see whether she can get a credit card to scan.  If it works, then I'm guessing it's pretty clear the problem is with my phone.  If it doesn't work, then something having to do with my Square account is at issue.  Yes?

 

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Admin

Sorry to hear about the trouble you've been encountering, @Wellbred, and thanks for helping out @RHatch. I was able to double check on this and successfully swipe a payment on an iPhone 6S (running the latest version of Point of Sale). Please keep us in the loop on how things go.

 

If you have any account-specific questions, please let our Support Team know — they'll be able to take a look behind the scenes and offer more clarity.

️ Tom | he/him
Seller Community Manager | Square, Inc.
Find step-by-step help in our Support Center
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So I finally figured it out.  I read up on headphone ports for the Apple and decided to take a stripped down qtip which I soaked in gin and blotted before shoving up my port and rotating it.  Square now works.

 

Note:  I did not have any rubbing alcohol, and gin seemed like a decent substitute.

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Alumni

Nice use of the gin, @Wellbred! 😉 Thanks for sharing your solution with the rest of the Community as well. I'm sure it will come in handy if other Sellers happen to run into the same issue.

Puka - She/They
Seller Community UX Designer
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