Windows 10: Bluetooth earbuds keep reverting back to Handsfree mode despite repeatedly switching to...

Ever since the Windows 11 Canary 25982 update, my earbuds keep reverting to Handsfree mode every time I reconnect them to my laptop! I have to switch them back to Headphones mode through Control Panel > Hardware & Sound > Sound > Playback menu. Sometimes they don't even switch back to Headphones mode, and I need to "Remove device" in Settings > Bluetooth & Devices, restart my laptop and connect them again for them to work! This is an issue with EVERY pair of Bluetooth headphones that I have tried! I keep having to close all my work and restart the laptop again and again for

:)

 

Connecting Bluetooth Earbuds to my Laptop

Here's how to connect your Bluetooth earbuds to your PC. It's mostly about Bluetooth, rather than Windows. And if you were hoping the process would be simple and obvious ... guess what? It's not.

Bluetooth is actually a wireless network technology, very similar to WiFi. What you have are actually
Bluetooth-enabled earbuds, because they have the ability to connect to a Bluetooth network.

The unique thing about a Bluetooth network is that the network exists only between your Bluetooth-enabled earbuds and the Bluetooth adapter in your computer. That makes a Bluetooth network more secure than a WiFi network, because anyone can join a WiFi network.

Get ready, here we go:

Step #1: Make your Bluetooth devices discoverable: Put your earbuds and your Bluetooth adapter into discovery mode. That's like joining a dating website - you've made yourself discoverable to other people. The instructions that came with your earbuds
should say how to put them into discovery mode. Putting your Bluetooth adapter into discovery mode is a two-part process:

• Go to Start > Settings > Devices > Bluetooth and other devices and add your computer's Bluetooth adapter as a 'device.'

• Once you done this you'll see the control to turn Bluetooth 'on.'

Step #2: Pair your earbuds to the Bluetooth adapter. This is like exchanging contact information with someone on that dating website. Your earbuds and the Bluetooth adapter exchange information, so they don't have to go through the whole setup process every
time you want to you use Bluetooth-enabled earbuds. Once your earbuds are paired, they show up in the list of devices on that same page in the Settings app.

Here's how my Bluetooth-enables earbuds look:





Step #3: The final step is to actually meet the person you found on the dating site. In Bluetooth, as in life, that's called 'connecting.'





Now your earbuds are ready to use.

Of course, there are many gotchas that you might encounter, but let's see how far you get with the above.

 

Bluetooth handsfree?

it works the same everytime:

- connect bluetooth to car as handsfree

- find contact and initiate call

- while 'connecting' checking menu confirms 'handsfree on'

- once connected, 'handsfree off' and call is routed to handset

- menu to turn 'handsfree on' works and call is transferred to car



initiating call from car works fine



so the Blackjack / Windows Mobile / or the Bluetooth protocol is incorrectly selecting 'handsfree off' at the moment the call is connected



everything else works fine, dialing from car, answering calls, switching lines, etc.



interestingly, I tested the Samsung A717 and it works correctly, suggesting the Samsung Bluetooth implementation is correct and it's a WM5 thing

 

Bluetooth TWS earbuds shown on Bluetooth list

On your Windows 10 PC, go to Start > Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices.

Next, you need to place the earbuds into pairing mode. See instructions for your earbuds on how to accomplish this. Your earbuds cannot be added until you first place them into pairing mode.

Go back to Windows and click on the "Add Bluetooth or other device". Select "Bluetooth".

It may take a few seconds, but the earbuds should show up as a device that can be added. Select the earbuds.

NOTE: You reference the message on the computer saying that your computer is now discoverable. Note that in this case that is irrelevant. It is the other way around that is needed. The earbuds need to be discoverable (accomplished by placing them into pairing mode) so that they can be added to the computer.