In this video we're going to show you how to fix the problem
when your Android won't connect to Bluetooth.
And we'll help you determine whether it's your phone
or your Bluetooth device that's causing the problem.
Let's dive in.
We're going to start by checking media output
on your Android.
It's possible your devices are paired,
but the audio is playing somewhere else.
I'll swipe down from the top of the screen
and then tap media output.
I have Beats Studio Buds connected
to this Android right now,
but if I was to play audio,
it would play through the phone
because this phone is selected.
Tap on your Bluetooth device
to play the audio through your Bluetooth device.
This happens a lot with Bluetooth speakers
that might be in another room,
or sometimes your phone stays connected
to your car's Bluetooth,
especially if it's warming up on those cold winter days.
The next thing to do is turn Bluetooth off and back on.
Again, this can sometimes fix a minor connectivity issue.
Again, I'll swipe down from the top of the screen.
This time we'll tap the settings gear
in the upper right-hand corner of the screen,
tap connections, and turn the switch next to Bluetooth off.
Wait a few seconds.
Then turn it back on again.
The next thing is to make sure
that your devices are within range of each other,
because bear in mind,
Bluetooth devices do have limited range,
which can be affected by a lot of environmental factors,
their battery life,
and the version of Bluetooth that they're running.
For example, older Bluetooth devices
have a range of about 30 feet.
Newer devices like the Samsung Galaxy Smart Tag
has a range of about 300 feet.
But when you're pairing your devices
for the very first time,
make sure to hold them next to each other
and plug them both in just to be safe.
Next, you may need to put your Bluetooth device
into pairing mode.
While some devices these days just connect automatically,
others have buttons that put them into pairing mode
so they can be found by your phone.
For instance, the Sony XM4,
it's an excellent pair of headphones, by the way,
will automatically connect to a device like a computer.
But what if David then wanted to connect them
to another device like his phone?
On these headphones,
the pairing button is the power button,
so I'm just gonna press and hold that
until it says pairing mode.
It said Bluetooth pairing,
and on the phone it does say I can tap connect,
or you can come in here to Bluetooth
and then tap connect here as well.
Same pop-up.
That's pretty slick.
Pretty slick.
Well done, Sony.
The headphones said Bluetooth connected,
and then if I just tap skip here,
we'll see that the XM4s are highlighted
underneath Bluetooth.
But it's not always that simple
to put a device into pairing mode.
The Sony PS5 controller is kind of a pain.
If you're not sure how to put your device
into pairing mode, come over to Google.
I'll type in how to put Sony PS5 controller
in pairing mode.
Make sure your controller is turned off.
Press and hold the PS button
and the create button or share button
at the same time until the light bar begins to flash.
All right.
How about that?
And now it's flashing.
It's blinking blue.
Blinking blue.
Does it show up?
On your phone, I'll look for that PS5 controller
and wireless controller.
I think that's it.
If you don't see the device you're looking for,
you may need to tap scan at the top of the screen,
but I could just tap the controller, pairing,
tap pair at the bottom of the screen.
And that controller is now paired to this phone.
The next step is to restart your Android
and your Bluetooth device,
because restarting them can fix minor software issues.
On your Android, it'll vary from device to device.
On newer phones, it's the side button
and the volume down button.
Press and hold those simultaneously.
Then tap power off, wait 15 to 30 seconds,
let your phone completely shut down,
then press that side button again to turn it back on.
On your Bluetooth device, the process can vary as well.
Sometimes you just close a case.
Sometimes you press and hold the power button
for a long time.
And while your devices are rebooting,
give this video a thumbs up, helps us out a lot.
Next step, update your Android.
This will help you keep things running smoothly
and possibly fix a Bluetooth issue.
In the settings app on your Android,
tap back to the main page of settings.
And we're gonna scroll down to software update,
tap on that, then tap download and install.
It's always a good idea to keep your software up to date.
It fixes bugs and also protects you
from security vulnerabilities.
If you haven't updated your Android in a while,
you might need to come back here two or three times
to catch up on the updates that you missed.
Next, forget the Bluetooth device and set it up as new.
When you pair a Bluetooth device to your Android
for the first time, it saves information
about how to connect to that Bluetooth device.
If any part of that process has changed,
maybe there's new firmware, maybe there's new software,
this can help fix that problem.
Let's tap back to the main page of settings
in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
Scroll up, we're going back to connections,
tap on that, then tap Bluetooth.
So maybe I wanna forget those Beats Studio buds.
I'll tap that settings gear to its right,
and then I'll tap unpair at the bottom of the screen,
then tap unpair.
After you've forgotten the Bluetooth device
on your Android, set it up like new.
Just keep in mind that if your headphones, for example,
had an accompanying app,
you may need to go back into that app to set them up.
Next, we're going to reset the network settings
on your phone.
Let's head back to the main page of settings
by tapping back upper left-hand corner of the screen,
scroll down to general management,
tap on that, then scroll all the way down,
and tap on reset, then tap reset network settings,
and tap that big blue reset settings button.
This resets all of the wifi, Bluetooth,
and mobile data settings for your entire phone.
So make sure you know your wifi password before you do this,
cause you'll need to enter it after your phone reboots.
If reset network settings didn't work,
you may need to reset your Bluetooth device
to factory default.
This is gonna vary from device to device.
You may need to Google it.
You probably will need to Google it.
On the Sony XM4s, for example,
you simultaneously press and hold the power button
and the custom button.
Just like phones, Bluetooth devices have software
or firmware that controls how the Bluetooth connects
to the phone and runs the little operating system
on the headphones.
So that can get corrupted too.
And before we talk about what to do
if your Android still won't connect the Bluetooth,
we wanna tell you about some of our newest channel members.
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Custom badges and emojis, PDFs for some of our videos
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Click that join button down below to join in on all the fun.
If you're still watching,
we need to talk about repairing either your phone
or repairing that Bluetooth device.
If your Android can connect to other Bluetooth devices,
there's probably an issue with that one Bluetooth device.
If it won't connect to anything,
there's probably an issue with your Android.
Bluetooth antennas don't really get broken all that often
unless you smash your phone or drop it in the lake.
So if that's recently happened to you,
contact your Samsung or your Android manufacturer,
reach out to them,
or go to a local mom and pop shop for a repair.
Once your Android is connecting to Bluetooth again,
check out our next video about how your Android
may be spying on you.
Is it spying on you using Bluetooth?
Maybe.
Find out, watch this video next, we'll see you there.