How to troubleshoot Bluetooth sound and connection issues

Windows 10

The Action Centre in Windows 10 lets you access and modify settings in just a few clicks. Follow the steps below to turn Bluetooth mode OFF and ON.

1. On the taskbar, click the Action Centre icon .
   • Click Expand, if necessary.
     
2. Find the Bluetooth setting and turn it OFF (grey it out), then after a few seconds, click the Bluetooth setting again (change its colour to blue) to turn Bluetooth back ON, as shown in the screenshot below.
   
3. You can quickly access more Bluetooth settings from the Action Centre. Simply right-click the Bluetooth option, click Go to Settings, and open Bluetooth & Other devices.
   
4. Alternatively, search for 'Bluetooth' using the search tool located in the taskbar.
   

Windows 11

The Quick Settings menu in Windows 11 lets you access and modify settings in just a few clicks. Follow the steps below to turn Bluetooth mode OFF and ON.

1. On the taskbar, click the set of status icons in the Quick Settings menu, as shown in the screenshot below.
   
2. Find the Bluetooth setting and turn it OFF (grey it out), then after a few seconds, click the Bluetooth setting again (change its colour to blue) to turn Bluetooth back ON, as shown in the screenshots below. 
   Note: If your Bluetooth device and computer aren't paired, you will see 'Not connected' below the Bluetooth icon.
    
3. You can quickly access more Bluetooth settings from the Quick Settings. Simply right-click the Bluetooth option, select Go to Settings, and open Bluetooth & Other devices.
   
4. Alternatively, search for 'Bluetooth' using the search tool located in the taskbar.
   

Tip: You can easily access different settings from the taskbar, including Bluetooth & Other devices. Visit the Microsoft Support site for information on how to customise the Windows taskbar.

Check what Bluetooth devices are currently connected to your smartphone. If you’ve paired your smartphone with several Bluetooth devices, sound might be coming out of a different device.

Usually, your phone gives you several sound output options, including:

• Speaker
• Phone
• Other Bluetooth device (e.g. WH-1000XM4)

Make sure you have the right one selected (e.g. Phone).

1. Right-click the Speaker icon in the bottom right corner of your screen.  
2. Click on Open Sound settings (Windows 10) or Sound settings (Windows 11).  
3. Under Output, select the output device you want to use (e.g. Headphones or Speakers). 
   
4. Under Input, select the input device you want to use (e.g. Microphone or External microphone). 
   • Note: Certain apps may be set up to use different sound devices than the one selected here. Even if you’ve set Headphones as your output device here, you might have to do it again in the video conference app you’re using (e.g. Microsoft Teams or Zoom).
     

You can use the Quick Settings to quickly disconnect a Bluetooth device or delete its pairing information in your Xperia smartphone. Alternatively, go to Settings → Device connection (Bluetooth, TV/Speaker, NFC) to perform this action.

1. Swipe down from the top of your smartphone’s screen to access your main Quick Settings.
2. Swipe down again to open all Quick Settings.
3. Make sure the Bluetooth icon is enabled. 
4. Press and hold the Bluetooth icon in the Quick Settings. You'll then see a list of all your paired and connected devices.
5. If your Xperia is currently connected to a Bluetooth device, the connected device will appear under Available Media Devices.
   • Connected and paired devices are listed under Available media devices.
   • Disconnected but paired devices are listed under Previously connected devices.
6. Tap on the gear icon next to the device.
7. Tap Disconnect to disconnect your device but keep its pairing information, or Forget to delete its pairing information.
   • Note: If you Forget a device, it will no longer appear under Previously connected devices. You'll have to tap Pair new device to pair it again.  
     

Windows 10

1. Open the Start menu , then go to Settings → System → Devices.
2. Make sure Bluetooth & other devices is selected in the column on the left side.
3. Click on the Bluetooth device you want to Disconnect or Remove.
4. Click on either Disconnect to disconnect the device but keep its pairing information or Remove device to delete its pairing information.
   

Windows 11

1. Open the Start menu, then go to Settings → Bluetooth & devices.
2. Select Devices and find the device you want to remove.
3. Click the three-dot menu next to the device name.
4. Select Disconnect or Remove device.
5. Confirm the action if prompted.

For other Bluetooth devices, such as headphones, wireless speakers, etc., the steps to disconnect a device or delete the pairing information will vary depending on the model. For some, you'll need to reset the device to the original factory settings. For others, you'll need to perform a series of steps on the device itself.

Keep in mind that these are general steps. For model-specific instructions, refer to the product manual of your Bluetooth device.

1. Turn the earbuds or headphones off:

   • For Truly Wireless earbuds: Place them in the charging case and close the lid to turn them off.
   • For headphones: Press and hold the Power button (sometimes labelled “POWER” or “NC/AMB”) until the indicator light turns off and you hear “Power off.”

2. Wait a few seconds.

3. Turn the earbuds or headphones back on:

   • For Truly Wireless earbuds: Open the lid or remove them from the charging case to power them back on automatically.
   • For headphones: Press and hold the Power button again until the indicator light comes on and you hear “Power on.”

1. Click the Start icon.
2. Click the Power icon.
3. Select Restart.
   Your computer will restart.

• Press and hold the (Power) button for about 10 seconds to restart the speaker.
  The speaker is turned off during the restart process and then turned back on when the process is complete.

1. The steps depend on your menu options:
   • Long-press the Power key.
   • Press the Volume up button and Power button at the same time.
2. In the menu that opens, tap Restart.
   The device restarts automatically.

Choose your model in this step-by-step guide: How to reset or initialise your Sony headphones.

For details on how to reset your TV, visit this article: Experiencing TV issues? Reset your TV with a soft restart, power cycle, or factory data reset.

Below are a few examples of the reset procedure. For model-specific instructions, check the product manual of your soundbar.

To reset the soundbar:

1. The steps will depend on the model:
   • Touch the  (Power) and – (Volume) buttons on the bar speaker simultaneously for more than 5 seconds. The settings return to their initial status.
   • Press and hold the  (Power) button on the bar speaker for more than 10 seconds.
     The main status indicator on the bar speaker flashes in white or blue alternately, then the reset starts. When the flashing finishes, the reset is completed.
2. After the reset is completed, disconnect the AC power cord (mains lead) from the AC outlet (mains), then reconnect the AC power cord (mains lead) after the main status indicator on the bar speaker turns off.

To initialise the soundbar:

• Use the Sony | BRAVIA Connect app to perform the initial settings.

Below are a few examples of the reset procedure. For model-specific instructions, check the product manual of your wireless speaker.

• To reset the speaker:

  • Press and hold the (Power) button for about 10 seconds to restart the speaker.
    If the speaker cannot be turned on, or if it cannot be operated even when it is turned on, push the RESET button with a pointed object such as a pin. The speaker is reset and turns off. After pushing the RESET button, turn on the speaker.

• To initialise the speaker:
  The steps depend on the model:

  • While the speaker is turned on, press and hold the – (Volume) button and the(BLUETOOTH) button until the speaker turns off (5 seconds or more).
  • While the speaker is turned on, press and hold (Play) button and ULT button until the speaker turns off (5 seconds or more).
  • With the speaker turned on, press and hold both Volume buttons and the  (Power)  PAIRING button at the same time for more than 5 seconds until the speaker turns off. To turn on the speaker after initialising it, connect the speaker to a computer or AC outlet. If the speaker is being powered by the built-in battery, it cannot be turned on.
  • With the speaker turned on, press and hold the – (Volume) button and the  (Power)  PAIRING button at the same time for more than 5 seconds until the speaker turns off.

1. The steps will depend on the model:
   • Find and tap Settings → System → Advanced → Reset options.
   • Find and tap Settings → System → Reset options.
2. Tap Erase all data (factory reset) → Reset phone or Erase all data.
3. If required, draw your screen unlock pattern or enter your screen unlock password or PIN to continue.
4. To confirm, tap Erase everything or Erase all data.
   Note: Back up any important data that is saved on the internal memory of your device to a memory card or other non-internal memory. If you have any encrypted files stored on an SD card, you should also remove the encryption to ensure you can still access them after the reset. Your device doesn't revert to an earlier software version of Android when you perform a factory data reset. To avoid permanent damage to your device, do not interrupt a factory data reset procedure.