Bluetooth devices have made life a lot simpler, ever since they made their entry into the technological world. They give you a lot more freedom in terms of movement, and you don’t need to be worried about the wires tangling up. Phew! Nothing worse than trying to untangle your wired headphones, minutes before an important Zoom meeting.
But there’s another issue that can take a toll on your time and effort when using Bluetooth headphones when Windows 11 says Bluetooth headphones aren’t plugged in.
But, as great as this technological creation is, it can get just as annoying when it comes to connectivity. You will often hear about people having issues with connecting their Bluetooth headphones and earphones to their phones or computers. If you are facing issues with your Windows 11 system not being able to detect Bluetooth headphones, then you have come to the right place.
While this problem is a common one, faced by many users, its causes aren’t all that limited. Our experts have put together an elaborate guide on how to fix the headphones undetected issue on Windows 11. Let’s take a look into the causes and the fixes for this pesky problem. Keep reading to find out more.
Why Does My Computer Say My Bluetooth Headphones Are Not Connected on Windows 11?
There are times when you know how to connect Bluetooth headphones to PC but still you get an error. However, there isn’t one definite cause as to why your Bluetooth headphones are not getting detected by your Windows 11 computer, despite being plugged in. There can be multiple reasons such as:
- Hardware issues
- Glitch in the settings
- Issues with the software update
- Damages faced by the computer or headphones’ Bluetooth connectivity
If you are using a device for the first time, our experts recommend checking the product specifications to ensure that it has the ability to connect to other devices via Bluetooth. At times, the problem can be as simple as the headphones being out of battery, or having another Bluetooth device, other than the one you would like to connect to, getting detected by your Windows 11 system. Sometimes, all you need is a quick restart or a software update.
Let’s take a look at how to get your Bluetooth headphones to work on Windows 11.
How Do I Get My Bluetooth Headphones to Work on Windows 11?
We know how annoying it is to have Windows 11 not detect that your Bluetooth Headphones are around. So, here are a few different methods you can try in order to resolve the pesky issue. Keep in mind that you may have to try a few different approaches in order to get rid of this problem, so do be patient!
1. Check If Your Bluetooth Headphones Are On
Before we look into some bizarre and time consuming fixes, let’s take a step back. Are your Bluetooth headphones even on? Sometimes, what happens is that we just forget to switch on our Bluetooth headphones. Other times, if you are using Bluetooth earphones, although the earphones have been turned on, only one out of the two earphones is able to get connected.
A quick fix is to just simply restart your Bluetooth headphones and bring them closer to your Windows 11 machine. They should get detected in no time.
2. Turn the Volume Up
Ensure you have turned the volume to a reasonable loudness on your Windows 11 device. Sometimes, when you connect your Bluetooth headphones, or even normal headphones for that matter, the volume on your Windows 11 system may become lower.
Who knows, maybe you even pressed the mute button by accident? There are two ways in which you can turn the volume louder on your Windows 11 machine, by using the volume keys on the keyboard or the controls present in the task bar.
3. Check if Your Windows 11 System Is Connected to Any Other Device
At times, your Windows 11 system may be connected to another device via Bluetooth, such as speakers or another pair of headphones or earphones. Ensure that you have disconnected from any other devices your Windows 11 computer may be connected to. Once you have done this, try connecting to your Bluetooth headphones again.
4. Power Off Any Other Bluetooth Devices
We recommend powering off any other Bluetooth devices such as Bluetooth headphones, Bluetooth speakers and Bluetooth earphones. Sometimes, your Bluetooth earphones or headphones are unable to connect to your Windows 11 computer because there are other Bluetooth devices which are ‘competing’ to get connected.
At times, other Bluetooth devices may get connected to your Windows 11 system, instead of the Bluetooth device you want. Because of this, you may face the issue of Windows 11 saying that your Bluetooth headphones aren’t plugged in.
5. Restart the Settings App on your Windows 11 Computer
The good old ‘turn it off and then turn it on again’ method always seems to do the job. Try closing the Settings App and reopening it again. After you have done this, try reconnecting to your Bluetooth headphones once again.
6. Use the Mixer
This is an approach not many people know of. If you find yourself facing the rather pesky problem of Windows 11 saying that your Bluetooth headphones aren’t plugged in, try using the Windows 11 mixer. To open up the Windows 11 mixer, all you have to do is navigate to the Settings app and open ‘System.’
After this, tap on ‘Sound’, followed by ‘Volume mixer’. Here, you will find a dropdown menu, titled ‘Output device’. Here, look for the name of the Bluetooth headphones that you would like to connect to and select it.
7. Charge Your Bluetooth Headphones
Maybe, just maybe, Windows 11 isn’t able to detect your Bluetooth headphones because maybe, just maybe, you forgot to charge your Bluetooth headphones. There is a high possibility that the reason your Bluetooth headphones aren’t getting connected is because they have run out of charge. Time to recharge them!
8. Restart Your Windows 11 Machine
Once again, the simple ‘turn it on and off again’ technique works wonders. If no matter what you do, your Bluetooth headphones are just not getting connected to your computer, it is time for a restart. Restart your computer and try connecting to your Bluetooth headphones once again.
9. Update Windows 11, Along With Its Apps
At times, there are chances that Windows 11 hasn’t been correctly downloaded and installed on your Windows machine. There are also chances that your Windows machine is awaiting a software update.
Updating the operating system will not only get rid of the problems you may be facing in which your Bluetooth headphones are not getting detected, but also many other technical as well as performance related issues.
10. Forget Your Bluetooth Headphones and Connect Them Again
On your Windows 11 system’s Settings app, navigate to ‘Bluetooth & Devices’. Here, you will be able to see the list of Bluetooth devices your Windows 11 machine has been connected to in the past. Find the name of your Bluetooth devices and tap on the three dots towards the right of the name.
Here, select ‘Remove device’. This will forget the Bluetooth device from your machine. Once you have done this, after a few minutes try reconnecting your Bluetooth device to your Windows 11 computer.
Final Words
We know it is highly annoying to face issues with Windows 11 not being able to detect your Bluetooth headphones, especially when you have an important meeting to attend within the next minute! We hope our guide has been of help to you. We are sure that by now you must have found a quick fix on how to get rid of this pesky connectivity issue. The next time you come across such a problem, you will be able to solve it in a jiffy!
If you have any questions, doubts or queries, feel free to drop a comment in our comments section below, and our experts will get back to you with an answer in no time!
