How to fix an Android phone not connecting to Bluetooth earbuds

By
Valeriy Odintsov
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One of the most popular problems you can bump into when connecting earbuds to your Android smartphone is when your device can’t see your wireless earbuds, which are connected via Bluetooth. This problem is true for Android smartphones. Well, with the advent of separate TWS format Bluetooth earbuds, these problems have become even bigger. First, a lot more people started using wireless headphones and using them as a headset. Secondly, TWS earbuds are technically more complicated, and it’s not uncommon to have problems connecting them.

This can sometimes cause problems of a different nature. One of these problems is when your Android smartphone doesn’t see your wireless headphones. However, don’t despair. After all, you can easily solve this problem, and here’s how.

Why is an Android device not seeing Bluetooth earbuds?

First, it’s advisable to determine whether the problem is with the smartphone or with the earbuds. The best option is to try connecting the earbuds to another device. For example, you can try to connect your earbuds to your Roku TV or laptop, if it has Bluetooth. If everything works, the problem is in the smartphone’s settings. For a clean experiment, try connecting your Android to another Bluetooth device. And if the situation doesn’t change, the smartphone is definitely to blame.

If the earbuds don’t work with your laptop or another smartphone, check the manual. Maybe you didn’t activate pairing mode correctly or didn’t turn on Bluetooth. In the case where everything is done correctly, but the earbuds don’t work with any device, they’re likely defective.

Now let’s break down in detail why the Android phone doesn’t see the Bluetooth headset and how to fix it. The reasons for not being able to perform pairing are usually the following:

  • Bluetooth isn’t enabled.
  • The earbuds have run out of power.
  • Other devices are causing interference.
  • The earbuds and phone are incompatible.
  • The earbuds are connected to another device.
  • Hardware or software failure.

There are many reasons why the phone doesn’t see the headphones, divided into hardware and system reasons. Most of the problems can be fixed by yourself, the most difficult thing in this situation is to find the source of the problem.

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What is the fastest way to fix an Android device not seeing Bluetooth earbuds?

The earbuds normally connect to your Android smartphone automatically and it takes a few seconds. All you have to do is turn on Bluetooth on your Android device, press the button on the earbuds (or just take them out of the case), and wait for the pairing to complete.

If you have done everything according to the instructions, but the smartphone still doesn’t see the Bluetooth earbuds, try rebooting. You can also try to solve the Bluetooth issues on your Android device in the settings. Turn the earbuds off and on again. Do the same with the smartphone. Often this immediately helps solve the problem. Sometimes, updating the firmware on your Bluetooth earbuds can solve this problem, as you can do with AirPods.

Perhaps the smartphone is too far away from the wireless earbuds. Although modern technology allows the signal to be transmitted by Bluetooth for tens of meters, it’s better to place the devices close to each other to pair them. Reboot the smartphone and earbuds, put them on the table, and try to connect. If again it’s not possible to do this, then you have to figure out the reasons.

How to fix the Bluetooth earbuds not connecting to Android

Faced with such a problem, the first thought that comes to mind is to determine what steps to take in connection with the fact that the smartphone doesn’t see the earbuds. It’s necessary to understand which device caused the failure: the earbuds or the Android phone. It’s best to clarify this point before contacting the service center. Let’s take a closer look at how to act in different situations.

Bluetooth isn’t activated on your Android smartphone or earbuds

Check whether Bluetooth is enabled on the earbuds. Depending on the model and manufacturer, there may be an additional Bluetooth button on it. If they’re TWS earbuds, you need to turn each one on separately. Although there are models that activate as soon as you take them out of the case. There may also be an activation button on the case that needs to be pressed before you take the earbuds out.

After that, check the Bluetooth connection on the smartphone. If the Bluetooth earbuds still don’t connect to the Android phone, try to connect manually through the Bluetooth settings. Wait until your smartphone detects all available devices and then tap the one you want. Some manufacturers’ earbuds require you to enter a password. It’s usually listed in the user manual.

Earbuds aren’t turned on or are discharged

Maybe you just didn’t turn on the headset. The indicators on the earbuds should be lit. Press the power button again. You may need to hold it down for a few seconds for your model. Read the manual carefully, it should be described step by step.

Sometimes Bluetooth earbuds don’t connect due to low battery power. This can also be signaled by the indicator light – flashing or lit red (so it works on AirPods, for example). In this case, the pairing mode isn’t activated. If the earbuds were working fine and then suddenly stop connecting, you can try charging them. Put the device on charge for 2-3 hours, and then try to connect it to the phone again.

Interference from other devices

The trouble with wireless devices is their limited bandwidth and sensitivity to interference. Perhaps your phone can’t find your Bluetooth headset because you have too many devices operating on the same frequency in your apartment. Wired devices can also cause interference because they, too, create an electromagnetic field that affects radio transmission.

Try turning off all Bluetooth devices within range of your Android smartphone. Alternatively, move to another room where there are no electronics. If the pairing is successful, the earbuds should work normally in the future.

Device incompatibility

Manufacturers try to make their devices universal, but this doesn’t always succeed. Usually, the equipment of a new version can get along with old hardware. However, outdated devices don’t always work correctly with their more advanced counterparts. This is one of the reasons why wireless earbuds don’t connect to the Android phone.

There are several versions of the Bluetooth hardware module. Some are obsolete and out of production, but are still found on devices manufactured several years ago. If you have a smartphone with Bluetooth version 5, and the earbuds are one of the previous versions, there should be no problem.

However, if you have a headset with version 5.0 it won’t connect to an Android phone with Bluetooth 2.0. There’s nothing you can do. The only option is to use another, newer smartphone.

The earbuds are connected to another Android smartphone

This problem occurs if you have already connected the earbuds to another device. Your smartphone doesn’t see the headset because it’s already paired and working with another phone or tablet. Try turning the earbuds off and on again. This may fix the problem. However, the operation, in this case, will still be unstable because the headset will try to connect with one and the other device.

To solve it once and for all, cancel pairing with the earbuds on the other smartphone. Open the list of connected Bluetooth devices, find the earbuds, and tap “Unpair”. Now pair on the smartphone to which you want to connect the headset.

What you can do if the earbuds are faulty or malfunctioning?

If the diagnostics show that the problem is on the headset side, the wireless earbuds are probably malfunctioning. That is, a software failure has occurred. If turning off and on again doesn’t help, you should reset the earbuds to factory settings. There’s a special button for this. Alternatively, you need to press a combination of buttons. The keys can be located on the headset or on the case if it’s TWS. The reset procedure should be in the manual.

If the Android phone doesn’t find the earbuds after resetting, this indicates a breakdown. The headset antenna may have failed, for example. In this case, if the earbuds are under warranty, contact the store for a replacement. If the warranty period has expired, take the device to a service center for diagnosis and repair.

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What to do if there’s a software failure in the Android smartphone?

If the earbuds work, but your smartphone can’t see them, then there’s a problem with your Android phone. Try canceling the pairing, if it was set, and repeating the procedure again.

When your smartphone doesn’t detect your Bluetooth earbuds at all, it could be a software failure. Try to fix the errors by resetting the smartphone to the factory settings.

  • To do this, enter the Android settings.
  • Find the item “Factory reset”.
  • Here tap on “Erase all data”.
  • Finally, confirm your choice.

All your apps and files will be deleted. So make a backup of your data and remove the memory card from your smartphone before performing this procedure. After resetting you will have to restore the programs and settings manually or from a backup.

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