Uh oh.

It looks like JavaScript is disabled in your browser. To get the full experience on Sony.co.uk, please change your settings to allow JavaScript.

Article ID : 00299354 / Last Modified : 24/03/2026

The headphones do not turn on (WF-1000XM5)

Applicable Products and Categories of This Article

Select another model

Before you start

Clean the headphones.
Use dry cloth or cotton swab to clean the charging port. For details on how to clean the headphones, refer to the How to care for the headphones article.
Note: When cleaning, do not use compressed air to remove dust as this can cause dust to get into the microphone or sound outlet holes, leading to malfunction.

Solution

Follow these steps to troubleshoot the issue:

Make sure the battery is fully charged.

The indicator lights up in orange when charging starts, and after charging is complete, the indicator will turn off.
- If the headphones do not turn on after charging, go to step 2.
- If the headphones can't start charging, refer to the following depending on the situation:
The indicator flashes in orange

The abnormal temperature may prevent the charging. Leave the charging case in a place with an ambient temperature between 15 °C to 30 °C (59 °F to 86 °F) and try charging again. Efficient charging may not be possible beyond the range. If the issue persists, go to step 5.
The indicator does not light up

The remaining battery of the headphones is 1% or lower. Charge the headphones and check if the indicator lights up. If the indicator does not still turn on, go to step 4.
Wear the headphones and check if you can hear a sound effect during tap control.
I can hear the sound effect during tap control from the headphones.
Go to step 4.
I can't hear the sound effect during tap control from the headphones.
Go to step 3.
Check the Notification & Voice Guide setting.
1. Open the Sony | Sound Connect app.
2. Select Device settings → System, and check if the Notification & Voice Guide is set to On.
The Notification & Voice Guide is set to On.
Go to step 4.
The Notification & Voice Guide is set to Off.
After setting it to On, go back to step 2.
Reset (restart) the headphones.

Refer to the Help Guide or view the How to reset video:

Tip: Learn how to turn captions on or off when watching Internet videos from YouTube

If your headphones model does not appear in the device list of the playback device after the reset, turn off the Bluetooth setting in the device and turn it on again, or leave the Bluetooth setting once and return to try the connection again.

The issue is resolved.
The issue may have been caused by a temporary malfunction of the headphones.
The issue is not resolved.
Go to the next troubleshooting step.
Initialize the headphones.
Initialization returns the headphones to the factory settings and all Bluetooth pairing information is deleted.

Refer to the Help Guide or view the How to initialize video:

Tip: Learn how to turn captions on or off when watching Internet videos from YouTube

The issue is resolved.
The issue may have been caused by a temporary malfunction of the headphones.
The issue is not resolved.
The headphones may be malfunctioning, and service may be required.