Top most main phones that got rid of the headphone jack by 2022 and Bluetooth headphone more popular than ever. While it’s nice to have no wires to snap onto doorknobs when I’m out of the house, Bluetooth has its own quirks. Here are some of the most common problems you may encounter and how to fix them.
First: Narrow the problem
Before you start pressing buttons and tweaking settings, see if you can find the source of the problem: Sure it could be your headphones, but it could also be your phone or even the app you’re using to play the music. Pair your headphones with another device and see if they work better — I find my Android phone a bit tricky, so I often test my wife’s iPhone headphones to see if something on my phone is the culprit.
You can also try a pair of wired headphones, or plug in your Bluetooth headphones with a cable (if they support that). Finally, try another pair of Bluetooth buds if you have them lying around. If you can identify the source of the problem, you may have a better idea of where to focus your troubleshooting efforts.
If the headset is not paired
If you can’t connect your headphones to your phone at all, don’t despair—in my experience, this is usually the easiest fix (as long as the headphones aren’t completely dead).
- Check the user manual. Many headphones automatically go into pairing mode when you use them for the first time. As a result, most users can easily pair the headset on the first time, says Win Cramer, CEO of JLab Audio (manufacturer of WIRED’s Favorite Budget Wireless Buds) – but the second time left them scratching their heads. So if your headphones don’t come out with a new device, you may need to search that manual for instructions on how to put them in pairing mode. Most brands require you to hold down the power button for a few seconds, but some headphones – especially those with touch controls instead of buttons – have their own method.
- Disconnect other devices. If you’ve connected these headphones to a device — like an iPad — they might not connect to your phone. Some headphones can connect to multiple devices at once, while others cannot. “Turn off the Bluetooth settings of the original paired device,” says Cramer. “That disconnect will then automatically force the headset back into pairing mode.”
- Disconnect other headphones. Likewise, make sure your phone isn’t already connected to your spouse’s earbuds in the room — if you’ve used them before, they’ll automatically connect when turned on and in coverage range. You can even remove old Bluetooth devices from your phone memory — from Bluetooth settings on iOS, tap the “i” next to a certain device and tap Forget this device. On Android, tap Setting gear next to a paired device and select Unpairing (or Forgetas it is labeled on some phones).
- Recharge the battery. If your headset’s battery is low, it can have trouble pairing — and I’ve even seen some Bluetooth headphones stay on when in this situation, meaning they’ll drain 0% faster than the battery. with you expect. Try plugging in and fully charging them before pairing, even if they say they have some battery left.
- Make sure both devices are compatible. Like most other technologies, Bluetooth has undergone many revisions and improvements over the years. Most devices use Bluetooth 5.0 or later, and although Bluetooth 5.0 enabled phones can connect to most devices you own, certain modern Bluetooth headsets may not. with an old phone, tablet or laptop. Check the supported Bluetooth versions on both devices and make sure they are compatible with each other.
With any luck, you should be able to get your hands on the music in no time.
If the sound is distorted or stuttered
If you’re able to pair your headphones, but something doesn’t sound right — maybe the music is lower quality than it should be, or is choppy — it could be a problem with your wireless connection. .
- Check your source. Before you start troubleshooting Bluetooth, make sure that static isn’t present in your music source — maybe you’re listening to low bitrate MP3s from your Napster days, or maybe your streaming service has defaults to the very low-quality setting. Check out another pair of headphones — which you should have done before! —And see if it’s really Bluetooth’s fault. Similarly, says Cramer, make sure your Wi-Fi or cellular signal is good. If your Internet connection can’t keep up with Spotify, it will disconnect without your headset’s fault.
- Re-pair the headset. As with all troubleshooting, the “turn it off and on” mantra should be your first line of defense. Disconnect the headphones, turn them off, restart your phone, and re-pair from scratch before continuing.
- Bring your headphones closer to your device. If you’re listening to music on an iPad in a room, you’re probably too far away — or have too many obstacles in its way. “While most Bluetooth headsets can be between 33 feet and 100 feet apart, it should be noted that this is within plain sight and not much Wi-Fi or Bluetooth signals,” explains Cramer. Others also interfere with the signal,” Cramer explains. Get closer to the device and keep away from other signal generating electronic devices to see if that helps.
- Match the individual buds properly. If you have “true wireless” or “wireless” headphones, many let you listen on just one at a time — but you need to do it a certain way. If you pair both headphones and only put one in your pocket, you will cause a bad connection between the two headphones and you may experience stuttering. Check the manual for the proper procedure for listening to a bud.
- Disconnect other devices. I’ve noticed, on some phones, that Bluetooth audio distorts if my phone is connected to other Bluetooth devices at the same time, like smart watch or another set of headphones does not work. Try disconnecting or turning off other devices to see if the problem goes away.
- Firmware Update. I know, I know, you hear this all the time – “Maybe you just need to update the software!” – but it’s really worth a try. When mine Bose SoundSport Wireless had a sound problem a few years ago, downloading the official app and updating the firmware fixed everything. See if your headset offers a companion app that can help.
- Turn off all audio processing. Speaking of companion apps, if you already have an app for your headset, try disabling its extras. Equalizers, noise cancellation, and other processing can cause distortion or other errors, so it’s better to remove them from the equation while you troubleshoot. If your phone has its own processing (like Samsung Adaptive Sound ), turn those features off.
- Adjust your Bluetooth audio codec. In the Bluetooth settings for your device, tap “i” or Setting next to your headset mentioned and see what options are available to you. Some headphones may offer HD Audio or other similar codecs that you can turn on and off to see if the sound improves.
- Deselect hands-free mode in Windows. Similarly, if you’re trying to connect to a PC, your headset might have two entries in Windows’ sound settings — one for stereo music, one for phone calls. Click the speaker icon in the bottom right corner, select the audio source at the top, and make sure to select your headphones from the list, not the headset or handsfree option. (You can turn off this behavior completely by going to Dashboard > Hardware and Sound > Devices and printersright click on your headset and select Characteristic. Under Service tab, uncheck Hands-free phone.)
If you only listen to music with one earphone
Finally, the rise of true wireless or wireless headphones has caused a new phenomenon: You can pair it properly, but you only hear music coming out of one earbud.
- Reconnect the headphones together. Usually, with true wireless headphones, one will pair with your phone, then the headphones will pair with each other, which can be confusing if they lose the second connection. “Reboot your headphones by placing them in the carrying case, closing the door (if applicable) and waiting 10 seconds before trying again,” says Cramer. “By powering and turning your headphones back on, it gives them a chance to ‘find’ each other again and restore the parent-child relationship between the left and right headphones.”
- Re-pair the headset. As I mentioned above, true wireless models often have specific pairing methods for listening to a bud, and it’s possible that you’ve accidentally paired its own bud. Try unpairing the headphones completely and re-pairing them. Some headphones can have a fail-safe factory reset if you still can’t pair them, says Cramer, so check the manual to see what it recommends. in this case.
With luck, one of the many troubleshooting steps above will cause your Bluetooth headphones to interfere again. However, if all else fails, go through your headset’s manual and see if there’s a way to completely reset them — or, if not, you can reset your device’s Bluetooth settings. from the beginning.
On iOS, visit Setting > Shared > Reset > Reset Network Settings, this will delete all your saved Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices. On Android, go to Setting and search for “Apps” or “Apps & Notifications”, tap Show all to see a list of all your apps, then tap the three dots in the corner to Show system appsS. Scroll down to Bluetooth, tap Warehouseand clear its data and/or cache. These are slightly more nuclear options that will require you to re-pair all your devices, but if nothing else works, they’re worth a try. Otherwise, the problem may be with your phone or headset, which only the manufacturer can fix — or by buy a phone with a goddamn headphone jack.
Reece Rogers contributed reporting.
