Bluetooth headphones connected but no audio on Windows
The headphones are paired but Windows isn't sending sound to them. Open Sound settings and change the audio output device from your speakers to the headphones. If that doesn't work, unpair the headphones, forget the connection, and pair them again from scratch.
Bluetooth headphones sometimes connect but don't actually receive audio — it's a weird quirk of Windows that happens a lot. Windows is talking to the headphones fine, but it's still sending audio to your speakers. The fix is to manually switch the audio output in Sound settings. If that doesn't work, the pairing has gotten confused and needs to be reset by forgetting and re-pairing the headphones.
Fix-IT-Bot will walk you through each step — just tap, no typing needed.
Skip — I just want a technicianCommon mistakes to avoid
- Not checking that the audio output is actually set to headphones — Windows keeps speakers as default
- Assuming the headphones are broken when it's just a Windows connection issue
- Not putting headphones in pairing mode before trying to pair — the headphones need to be in discovery mode
Signs you need professional help
- Your headphones pair but Windows never shows them in the audio output list
- You get an error when trying to pair saying the headphones are not compatible
- Headphones work fine with your phone and tablet but Windows won't recognize them
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