How to Fix Bluetooth Audio Not Working on Windows 11

September 11, 2022 Abraham Smith

Bluetooth audio devices have been a great alternative to their wired counterparts for quite some time. Wireless audio accessories with built-in Bluetooth are now more affordable than ever. However, some Windows 11 users often face audio not working while using their Bluetooth devices.

If you share the problem, this post will share the methods to fix Bluetooth audio not working Windows 11 issue in more detail. We’re going to list all the possible fixes you can try to get the audio working again on your Windows 11 PC.

How to fix Bluetooth audio not working issue on Windows 11

If your Bluetooth audio device isn’t working on Windows 11, try these tricks to get it working again.

1. Reboot your system

A restart can fix many unintended problems with your system. It’s the oldest trick in the book, which may sound unattractive but mostly works. It is common for a process or a service to encounter an error.

A reboot clears them from memory and restarts all services and processes. It will also reload all drivers including Bluetooth adapter drivers. Try to connect the Bluetooth device and play audio with it.

2. Restart Bluetooth on your system

If you are unable to play audio through your Bluetooth device, try turning off the Bluetooth connection on your system. Go to the system tray icons and click on the speaker icon. Then click the Bluetooth quick setting to disable the feature. Wait a few seconds and then click the quick setting again to turn on Bluetooth on your Windows PC. Check if your Bluetooth device can now play audio.

3. Inspect the Bluetooth device for damage

Bluetooth devices, especially earphones and wireless earbuds, are fragile devices. Accidental dropping, overvoltage, or unintentional contact with moisture can damage them. Therefore, properly inspect your Bluetooth device for signs of damage. Check if it turns on (usually indicated by an LED light).

Another way to check if it works is to connect it to another device. You can try pairing the device with your smartphone and see if it plays audio without problems.

4. Make sure the Bluetooth device is within range

Bluetooth has a certain connection range. If you position the device too far away from your laptop or PC, it will not be able to maintain connectivity. The default range is 10 meters, but newer version devices may have a longer range. So keep the Bluetooth device within range, reconnect and try playing audio again.

5. Remove the Bluetooth device and pair it again

If the Bluetooth device works fine on another system, try removing it and pairing it again with your Windows 11 system. Repeat the following steps:

Go to the tray icon area on the taskbar and click Wireless Internet access Symbol. Then click the arrow next to Bluetooth Quick Settings.
Click on that More Bluetooth settings Option at the bottom of the quick settings panel.
You will see all paired devices at the top of the page. Remember that you must enable Bluetooth on your system before you can remove the device through the Settings app.
Click three dots (…) in the upper-right corner of the Bluetooth device you want to remove.
Then select the Extinguish option and click the Yes button to remove the Bluetooth device.
Now click add device tile, and then select the Bluetooth Possibility. Once your Bluetooth device appears, add it, then click Finished button to exit the window.

6. Enable the Bluetooth adapter in Device Manager

Bluetooth devices will not work if the system’s embedded Bluetooth adapter is inactive. So you need to enable it through Device Manager.

Press Victory + X to launch the power menu. Find them device manager option and click on it.
Scroll down and find the Bluetooth Device. Click the arrow button to expand the device list.
You will see a down arrow icon on the device indicating that the adapter is in the disabled state.
right click on the device and select Activate device Possibility. Now the Bluetooth adapter is active on your system.

7. Restart Bluetooth services

You may consider restarting the Bluetooth services to fix the audio playback issue with your Bluetooth device. Sometimes services can stop automatically due to an error and need to be restarted. Your system cannot connect to other devices if the related services are not running.

To restart Bluetooth services, do the following:

Press victory + R to start the run command field. Type services.msc and press the Enter Key.
Scroll down and find all Bluetooth services in the “Services” section.
if they don’t run right click on the service and select the beginning option from the context menu.
Repeat the above step for all services that contain the word “Bluetooth” in them. Exit the Services panel.

8. Update your Bluetooth drivers

Drivers become obsolete over time. An outdated driver can cause problems and thus affect the nominal function of the device. Therefore, it is best to update your Bluetooth drivers to the latest version.

To update the Bluetooth drivers, do the following:

Press Victory + X to launch the Power menu and click on the Device Manager option from the list.
Scroll down and expand the Bluetooth devices section. right click on the Bluetooth adapter and select it update drivers Possibility.
Then click Search automatically find my drivers Possibility. Wait for the utility to find and install the latest driver on your system.
Restart your PC and try to connect to the Bluetooth device again.

If Windows doesn’t find any drivers, check your Bluetooth adapter manufacturer’s website for a new driver.

9. Reinstall the Bluetooth drivers

If updating the Bluetooth driver did not fix the problem, you will need to reinstall the drivers. The advantage of this method is that you can remove corrupted drivers from your system. Windows will then automatically download and install the appropriate drivers.

How to reinstall Bluetooth drivers using Device Manager.

Press Victory + X to launch the Power menu and click on the Device Manager option from the list.
Scroll down and right click on Bluetooth adapter. Choose Uninstall device Possibility.
Click on that Uninstall Button to remove the device and its drivers.
Now restart your system. Windows will automatically download the device drivers.
You can also visit the Bluetooth adapter manufacturer’s website and download and install the latest drivers from there.

10. Configure Bluetooth audio device services

Bluetooth devices offer a range of services ranging from simple playback controls to remote control functions and more. Audio sink is one such important service that is responsible for the audio playback on the device. When idle, your device will not play any audio even when connected to your system.

To enable the Audio Sink service, do the following:

Press the Win button and type “Control Panel”. Click on the first search result and launch the app.
Navigate to Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers.
right click on the Bluetooth device and click Characteristics.
Switch to Services tab and check if audio sink is active or not. If not, click the check box and then click the Apply Button.
Then click the OK button and exit the properties window.

11. Set the Bluetooth device as the default for audio playback

The Bluetooth device may not play audio because it is not set as the default audio playback device. So you need to make it the default choice for sound playback.

Press victory + I to launch the Settings app. Then navigate to System > Sound.
Scroll down and click the More sound settings Possibility. Then select the Bluetooth device from the list and click Set Default Button.
Click on that OK button and exit the window. Now try to play audio through the Bluetooth device.

Windows audio playback issue: Fixed

These were the methods that you can use to fix the audio playback problems on Windows 11. Restarting the system and the bluetooth usually fixes the trick. However, if it doesn’t, you can try to fix the drivers, change services and set it as the default audio device.

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