Bluetooth keeps disconnecting or audio stutters

The sound breaks up or crackles, or the connection drops every few minutes, even though your Bluetooth device pairs. The usual causes are distance, interference and power saving, so try the least effort first.

Before you start

Bluetooth is a short-range radio link. Anything that weakens the signal, or crowds the same radio band, can make audio break up. Walls, your own body, other wireless gear and low batteries all matter. Many devices work to around 33 feet (10 meters) in open space, and real range is often less.

Note when it happens: always, only in one room, or only while Wi-Fi is busy. That tells you which fix to focus on. The checks take about 12 minutes. Windows steps are included, and the general ideas apply to phones and Macs too.

Try these fixes in order

Fix 1: Distance, batteries and one device at a time

This takes about 3 minutes.

1. Move the phone or computer close to the headphones, ideally in the same room with no wall between them. A phone in a back pocket, with your body between it and the headphones, can weaken the link.
2. Charge the headphones and the phone or computer. A weak battery can cause dropouts.
3. If the headphones are connected to two devices at once, turn Bluetooth off on the one you are not using. Some headphones support two connections, but not all handle it well.
4. Turn the headphones off and on again, then play audio for a few minutes.

Fix 2: Reduce interference

Bluetooth shares the 2.4 GHz radio band with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, microwave ovens and many cordless gadgets. It hops between channels to avoid trouble, so it usually copes, but a crowded spot can cause stutter. USB 3 hubs, drives and ports can also add noise near the Bluetooth adapter. This takes about 5 minutes.

1. Move USB 3 hubs, drives and dongles away from the Bluetooth adapter. On a desktop PC with a USB Bluetooth adapter, plug it into a short USB extension cable so it sits away from the back of the PC.
2. Keep the headphones away from a running microwave oven.
3. If your router offers a 5 GHz network, connect your computer to that one. See Wi-Fi bands explained.

Fix 3: Turn off battery saving (Windows)

Power saving can reduce what Bluetooth does to save energy. This takes about 1 minute.

1. Look at the battery icon in the taskbar.
2. If a power-saving mode is on, turn it off. Microsoft calls it Energy Saver in Windows 11 and Battery Saver in Windows 10.
3. Play audio again and listen for dropouts.

Fix 4: Stop Windows turning the adapter off

This takes about 4 minutes. It changes only a power option.

1. Right-click Start and select Device Manager. On Windows 10 you can also search for Device Manager.
2. Select the arrow beside Bluetooth to expand it.
3. Right-click your Bluetooth adapter and select Properties.
4. Open the Power Management tab. If the tab is missing, skip to Fix 5.
5. Clear the box Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power, then select OK.

Next, restart the Bluetooth service.

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and select OK.
2. Scroll to Bluetooth Support Service, right-click it, and select Restart.

Fix 5: Update drivers, then re-pair

A driver is the software that lets Windows talk to the adapter. Get updates only from Windows Update or the PC maker. Never use a driver-updater program. This takes about 5 minutes.

1. In Device Manager, expand Bluetooth, right-click the adapter, and select Update driver.
2. Select Search automatically for drivers and follow the prompts. Restart if asked.
3. On Windows 11, check Settings then Windows Update then Advanced options then Optional updates and install any that are offered for your PC.
4. Remove the headphones and pair them again. See Bluetooth won't pair or connect.

For more on drivers, see fixing driver problems in Device Manager.

On a phone

• Turn Bluetooth off and on, and restart the phone. Google's Android help gives these as the first steps.
• On Android, forget devices you no longer use: open Settings then Connected devices then Saved devices, tap the gear icon, then Forget.
• If sound is thin or tinny only during calls or meetings, that is a different cause. See headphones: one side silent or low volume.

If it still does not work

• Test the headphones with a second device. If they stutter there too, the headphones may be the problem. Use the support page on the maker's website for your model.
• If only one computer has trouble, its Bluetooth adapter may be the weak point. Check the PC maker's support page for updates for your model.
• If a USB Bluetooth adapter keeps vanishing, see USB device not recognized.

Frequently asked questions