

But companies don’t want buyers returning their headphones because they can’t call up Alexa on their desktop the same way they can through the Amazon app installed on their phone. Or perhaps you can adjust the intensity of the noise cancellation via the app when listening to your mobile device, but with a computer you can only turn noise cancellation on and off.įor many people (myself included), such limitations are not a big deal. The control buttons might let you skip tracks in the Spotify app on your phone, for example, but not when you listen to Spotify on your laptop. In other words, the headphones you set up on your Google Pixel phone, say, will also connect to your Chromebook, but the controls or features may be limited on the computer. If the app isn’t available for a computer, you can’t access all the bells and whistles on those headphones without a tablet or phone. Many new Bluetooth headphones include features that require the company’s app to set up and use-features like adjustable noise cancellation, sound-quality equalization, control customization, firmware updates, and location tracking. The reason that headphone companies include this caveat is twofold: the rise of app-only features and the complications of tech support. Read the fine print for many Bluetooth headphones and earbuds, and you may see the words “optimized for mobile devices” or “computer/laptop use is unsupported.” Despite what the box might say, most Bluetooth headphones will connect with newer Bluetooth-enabled computers, and they should work perfectly well for video chats and music listening. The truth about Bluetooth compatibility (it’s complicated)

Before you exchange yours for a new pair, check out the following tips and tricks, which may help you find-and solve-your Bluetooth issue. When your new pair of headphones doesn’t play well with your laptop, it’s easy to assume that the problem lies with the headphones, but that’s often not the case. We hear from a lot of readers who are perplexed by apparent compatibility issues between computers and Bluetooth headphones, or who need help troubleshooting Bluetooth connectivity glitches. When you consider all that they can do, it becomes even more confusing and frustrating when some Bluetooth headphones seem unable to perform a simple task: connect reliably to a computer. They can reduce background noise, track movement, survive underwater, measure heart rate, and even enhance hearing. Bluetooth headphones have transcended their original purpose of merely delivering sound to the ears.
