Windows 10: Bluetooth headset is connected but is not recognized as Audio device in Windows 11

Hi, I've connected my Bluetooth headset to my windows 11 but it only shows that it's connected there is no sign of audio no matter what I tried to do. Some other bluetooth devices are connected without any type of problem but some of them are troubling. I already ran troubleshooter, tried to install the old driver and also tried uninstalling and installing the driver manually. Nothing seems to work. In the advanced sound setting it is not recognizing my bluetooth device as a sound device also that's the device I want to connect is not there.

:)

 

How to get a paired, connected Bluetooth headset to be recognized as an audio device?

This happens on an Asus ROG G551JW computer. I got a Samsung Level U headset. I can get it paired via Bluetooth, but it's not recognized as a sound device: it doesn't appear in sound device lists, I can't control its volume nor make the system output the sound via the headset.

Relevant System Information:

• Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
  
• Intel Bluetooth Driver version 19: Intel(R) Wireless Bluetooth(R) driver version 19.x.x.x
  
• Notification center -> Connect displays Samsung Level U as Paired, but when attempting to Connect to it, it displays "Couldn't Connect".
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Power-cycling the headset changes its state to (presumably) connected, and the "Disconnect" button appears. But still: there are no audio devices available.
  
  
  
  
  
• The device doesn't appear as an audio device:
  
  
  
  
  

 

Bluetooth audio headset not recognized by Windows - won't pair/connect

Hi,

I've run into a problem recently with pairing my wireless Bose Soundsport headphones to my PC. Up until recently, the headphones paired and worked fine with my PC and iPhone simultaneously. I have 2 pairs of these exact headphones, and neither of them connect to this PC. However, they still connect to any other device.

The problem I am experiencing has persisted ever since I installed a graphics driver update via the GeForce Experience application (version 397.64, released on 05/09/2018). I updated this driver as a result of a few Memory_Management BSOD's and crashes while playing Fortnite.

Before anyone says, "Have you tried a troubleshooter / reinstall bluetooth drivers / make device discoverable / etc..." , please know that I've gone through the basic steps to solve problems like these. The only thing I haven't done is revert to a previous graphics driver - as I'd rather not do that. From a few hours of research, I haven't seen a problem similar to this.

What I Am Experiencing:
- I've paired and un-paired this device many times in the past. So I know the procedure.
- When I set the headphones to "Ready to Pair", the device name is expected to appear in the device list after clicking "Add Bluetooth or other device" in Windows Bluetooth settings.
- Instead, I only see an audio device called "Headphone" that, when clicked, will just say "Connecting..." indefinitely (see attached image).

In the past, the "Add Bluetooth or other device" would display the name of the device (Bose Soundsport), whereas now it only displays "Headphone". Why can my PC only see the headphones?

 

How to get a paired, connected Bluetooth headset to be recognized as an audio device?

TL;DR

Make sure your Intel Wireless Bluetooth driver is at least of version 20.90, and enable all Bluetooth services for your headset device.

Enable the needed Bluetooth Services on the Device

The device doesn't appear as an audio device in spite of being connected, because its audio-related services are not enabled. Navigate in Explorer to Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Devices and Printers, right-click on the headset device, and select "Properties":





In the device properties, the Bluetooth services related to audio are likely to be unchecked:





Check all the services, and click "OK".





There are two possible outcomes now:

1. The services will be enabled and the device will be recognized as a sound device.
   
2. "The Supplied User Buffer is Invalid" error dialog box will appear, once per each device.
   

Fixing the Supplied User Buffer is Invalid error: Bluetooth Radio (host) Driver Update

If you get the error, the typical cause is an outdated Bluetooth radio hardware driver. As of 12/2018, the Intel driver version 19 is seemingly too old to reliably operate with the newest Windows Bluetooth stack.

The newest drivers for Intel(R) Wireless Bluetooth(R) must be downloaded and installed from [Intel's site]. I chose the newest driver at this time: version 20.90.





After installing the driver, power cycle the headset, ensure that it shows connected in the notification center's "Connect" pane, and re-enable the services as described above. After clicking "OK" to re-enable the services, the headset will become available for use as an audio output.