Important: These instructions are only for Android phones, not iPhones. As well, this guide is based on Android Version 9, however, it should work on other Android versions as well.
// BEFORE YOU START //
When it comes to changing the Developer options, ensure that Bluetooth is turned on and that the problematic Bluetooth device is connected to your phone, or the Developer options will not save or will not stick when you exit Developer options.
1st Step – Try To Replicate The Issue On Another Device
The first thing to determine is whether your phone is causing issues, or if the Bluetooth device (Bluetooth headphones, earphones, headset) you are using is the issue.
The only way to do this is to pair the Bluetooth device with another phone (old phone or a friend or family member’s phone). If you do not have another phone, you can use a tablet or computer if they support Bluetooth. Btw, you can also pair to an iPhone to test the Bluetooth device.
If you were able to pair the Bluetooth device on another phone and you experience the same issue as on your phone, then you know that the issue is probably due to the Bluetooth earphone, headphone or headset. You should contact the manufacturer of the device for support at this point. Sometimes, there may be a firmware update that the manufacturer can supply to resolve some issues.
However, if you did not experience the same sound stuttering issues on the other test phone, then you know that the issue is due to your phone or a setting on your phone. If this is your case, try to duplicate the audio and Bluetooth settings on the phone without an issue to the phone with issue. You may have to unlock Developer Options on both phones to properly check all settings. Follow the steps below, which goes into how to unlock Developer Options.
2nd Step – Try To Unpair The Bluetooth Device & Reconnect
So, if you were able to use the Bluetooth device on another phone without any issue, the next thing we can try is to unpair the Bluetooth device, then reconnect it again to the phone. The goal here is to clear any potential connection issues or settings by unpairing and connecting again. This is a quick procedure since your phone will still remember your device.
Here are the steps to do this:
- Tap the settings icon / gear on your phone
- On the settings screen, scroll down to the Connected devices section (Bluetooth, NFC)
- Tap the gear icon near the currently corrected Bluetooth device
- On the next screen, tap on the DISCONNECT button
3rd Step – Completely FORGET The Bluetooth Device & Reconnect
If unpairing and reconnecting did not work, the next step is to completely forget the Bluetooth device from your phone, then pair it back like it is the first time it is meeting your phone. This step is different from unpairing, which still remembers the device. When you forget (delete) the Bluetooth device from your phone, you will have to go through the pairing process again like you are introducing it to your phone for the first time.
The steps to do this are similar to disconnecting your device, except in this case, you will press the “FORGET” button.
After you have forgotten the Bluetooth device, restart your phone, then go through the pairing process again as outlined in the instruction manual for your Bluetooth device, and see if that has solved your Bluetooth audio issues.
4th Step – Adjust Bluetooth Options In Developer Options
Ensure that Bluetooth is turned on and that the problematic Bluetooth device is connected to your phone, or the Developer options will not save or will not stick when you exit Developer options.
This step is a bit more advanced, as it requires that you unlock Developer Options in the Android system settings. Be careful not to change any other settings, except those outlined here, as it may cause system instability. Here we go.
First, Unlock Developer Options
Here are the steps to do this:
- Tap the settings icon / gear on your phone
- On the settings screen, scroll down to the System heading
- On the System screen, tap on the About Phone heading
- On the next screen, scroll down until you see the Build Number heading
- Tap the Build Number heading a few times, until you see the message “You are now 4 steps away from…”
- Keep tapping until you see “You are now a developer!” Congrats, Developer Options is unlocked
Next, Change Bluetooth Playback Quality In Developer Options
The next step is to change the Bluetooth playback settings to “Best EffortAdaptive Bit Rate”. Follow the steps below to do this:
- Tap the settings icon / gear on your phone
- On the settings screen, scroll down to the System heading
- On the System screen, scroll down until you see { } Developer Options
- On some phones, it may be housed under Advanced Settings or another heading after it is unlocked
- Scroll down until Bluetooth Audio LDAC Codec: Playback Quality
- Change the setting from whatever it is currently set as to Best Effort (Adaptive Bit Rate)
- Check to see if your issue has been resolved
If any changing these settings, you still encounter the same issues, try to change the setting to Optimized for Connection Quality instead. If your issue is still not resolved, try changing any of the other Playback Quality settings. You can also try changing the other Default System Selections for Bluetooth options to see if it helps.
5th Step – Change The Bluetooth AVRCP Version
You may also have some success by changing the Bluetooth AVRCP (Audio/Video Remote Control Profile) version. Most phones use a default Bluetooth AVRCP version of 1.4
- Tap the settings icon / gear on your phone
- On the settings screen, scroll down to the System heading
- On the System screen, scroll down until you see { } Developer Options
- Scroll down until you see Bluetooth AVRCP Version
- Tap this heading, then experiment with selecting different AVRCP versions.
- Check to see if your issue has been resolved
6th Step – Try Changing The Bluetooth Audio Codec
Ensure that Bluetooth is turned on and that the problematic Bluetooth device is connected to your phone, or the Developer options will not save or will not stick when you exit Developer options.
If changing the Playback Quality settings above did not help, try to change the Bluetooth Audio Codec to codecs such as AAC or SBC or LDAC to start. If those codecs do not help, try the other codecs in the list shown below.
- Tap the settings icon / gear on your phone
- On the settings screen, scroll down to the System heading
- On the System screen, scroll down until you see { } Developer Options
- On some phones, it may be housed under Advanced Settings or another heading after it is unlocked
- Scroll down until Bluetooth Audio Codec
- Cycle through trying different codecs such as SBC, AAC, LDAC, Qualcomm, etc.
- Check to see if your issue has been resolved
7th Step – Consider Disabling The Absolute Volume Setting
When the Absolute Volume setting is enabled, it syncs the Bluetooth device and your phone’s volume slider to adjust the audio levels. Sometimes, this setting causes issues in some Bluetooth devices, so you can try to disable the Absolute Volume setting to see if it helps. Here are the steps to do that.
- Tap the settings icon / gear on your phone
- On the settings screen, scroll down to the System heading
- On the System screen, scroll down until you see { } Developer Options
- Scroll down until you see Disable absolute volume
- Turn this setting on
- Check to see if your issue has been resolved
8th Step – Try Turning Off Hotspot
If you experience Bluetooth sound stuttering or glitching, and you have the hotspot feature turned on your phone, consider turning it off to see if that helps with Bluetooth issues.
9th Step – Turn Off or Turn On A2DP Hardware Offload
Another setting that has helped some users is to turn off A2DP Hardware Offload. If you see this setting on your phone, try to turn it off to see if it helps.
If you prefer to watch a video walk-through of changing some of these settings, check out the video below:
10th Step – Reset Network Settings Completely On Your Phone
As a last resort, you can search for Network Settings on your phone and select the option to reset network settings. Keep in mind that this will also reset WiFi passwords and hotspot settings, so use this option as a last resort and only if you your WiFi passwords handy to fill them back in : )
As you can see, there are a ton of options to change and play around with. If you change one setting, such as the Bluetooth Audio codec, it would be wise to go back through the top of the list and redo the steps again, as different combinations of settings may have different results. Perhaps the Bluetooth AVRCP version should be changed to something else when changing the Bluetooth Audio codec. Or maybe the Playback Quality settings should be changed to something else. There will be endless options to play around with, so it may be time-consuming to test all combinations.
Let us know in the comments below if these settings helped, or not. If you have figured out another fix for this issue, please share it in the comments below. Thanks, and good luck!