Sony Support

Article ID : 00265914 / Last Modified : 03/02/2022Print

How to take care of your WF-1000XM4 earbuds

    Follow the steps below to help you care for your headphones regularly.

    1. Remove the earbud tips
    2. Care for the headphones
    3. Replace the earbud tips
    4. Charging the headphones

    1. Remove the earbud tips

    Holding the headphones, gently pull the earbud tips while twisting and rotating.

    Note: Do not pull on the polyurethane foam portion of the earbud tip. Doing so may cause the earbud tip to be torn or damaged.

    Refer to the following on how to remove the earbud tips:

    • The correct method to remove the earbud tips
    • The incorrect method to remove the earbud tips

    2. Care for the headphones

    Clean the headphones

    • Using a soft dry cloth, wipe off any water or moisture on the headphones.
    • Do not leave the headphones in a cold environment, as any water or moisture left on the headphones may freeze.

    Clean the Noise Isolation Earbud Tips

    • When a Noise Isolation Earbud Tip is dirty, wipe it with a soft dry cloth. 
    • Do not wash the earbud tips in water or using a wet wipe. Doing so may quicken the deterioration.
    • Digging your nails into the earbud tip or scuffing them using a metal material may cause damage.

    Clean the charging ports

    Leaving foreign substances, sweat, or moisture on the headphones or charging case can cause corrosion and make charging more difficult, or not possible at all.
    Clean the headphones and charging ports of the charging case using a soft cloth or cotton swab.

    Note: If the battery charges slowly or cannot be charged at all, carefully cleaning the charging ports may improve the charging.

    Maintaining the Charging ports

    Charging case
    Charging ports on the charging case
    A: Charging ports

    Headphones
    Charging ports on the headphones
    A: Charging ports

    Examples for how to clean

    Cleaning the charging ports on the charging case with a soft cloth

    Cleaning the charging ports on the headphones with a soft cloth

    Note: Don’t use compressed air to remove dust as this can cause dust to get into the microphone or sound outlet holes, leading to malfunction.

    Clean the sound outlet holes

    With a cloth slightly damp with water and wrung tightly, clean the sound outlet holes to remove dirt, earwax, or any other foreign matter that may have accumulated. Be extra careful not to accidentally push dirt or debris into the earbud tips.

    Sound outlet holes on the headphones
    A: Sound outlet holes

    Drain the sound outlet holes

    If water or sweat remains in the sound output holes, the sound may become difficult to hear. To remove any remaining water or sweat, over a dry cloth, turn the headphone piece so that the sound hole is pointed downward and gently tap about 5 times to allow any water or sweat to drain out.

    Drain the microphone holes

    Make sure that no water or sweat are left in the microphone hole. Doing so can cause corrosion. To remove any remaining water or sweat, over a dry cloth, turn the microphone hole downward and gently tap it about 5 times to allow any water or sweat to drain out.

    Note: There are two microphones. Be sure to drain each one.

    Microphones on the headphones
    A: Microphones

    Dry the headphones

    After cleaning the headphones, leave them at room temperature and allow them to dry completely.

    Note: When drying the headphones, if the IR sensors touch the table, the headphones may think they are being used and may continue to consume battery power. To avoid this, lay the headphones with the IR sensor sideways or face up.

    IR Sensor on the headphones
    A: IR Sensor

    3. Replace the earbud tips

    Firmly insert the earbud tip all the way. If the earbud tips are not attached completely, they may come off the headphones and adversely affect the sound quality, noise canceling performance, and wearability.

    Check the followings:

    • Make sure the earbud tips are not attached in a skewed manner
    • Make sure the earbud tips are inserted firmly all the way

    For how to attach the earbud tips, refer to the following:

    Note: Look in the center of the earbud tip to confirm that the stem color (orange, green or light blue) cannot be seen.

    • The earbud tip is attached correctly (stem color cannot be seen):
    • The earbud tip is attached incorrectly (stem color (green) can be seen):

    After cleaning the headphones, set the headphones in the charging case and close the lid.

    4. Charging the headphones

    Note: The charging case is not water resistant. If you start charging with water or moisture left on the headphones, that water or moisture can enter the charging case which can cause a short circuit of the internal components, or cause corrosion of the headphones and/or charging case. Please be aware that malfunctions resulting from water in the charging case is considered misuse and is not covered by the warranty.