Bluetooth Headphones get Paired but don't Autoconnect on Windows 11

Question

The Problem

My Bluetooth headset is enabled and shows as “Paired”, but it does not autoconnect. The device is Sony WH-CH510 headset and my machine runs Windows 11. Headphones autoconnect just fine with Bluetooth capable smartphone and laptop with Ubuntu. They work kind of fine when connected manually.

They stutter impossibly, but I've solved it using external Bluetooth receiver, so it's fine I guess. It does not impact the problem at hand though, and may deserve another question.

Solutions I've tried

Method 1:

Set the Bluetooth service startup type to Automatic. Sign in to your computer as an administrator user and then follow the steps given below to change the startup type of Bluetooth Support Service.

1. Press Windows Key + R Key.
2. Type services.msc and scroll down to Bluetooth Support Service in the list.
3. Right click on it and select Properties.
4. Set up Start up type to Automatic from the dropdown list.

Method 2:

Run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter.

1. Type troubleshooting in the search bar.
2. Select Troubleshooting.
3. Select View all on the top left corner.
4. Click on Hardware and Devices*.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to run the troubleshooter.
6. Check if issue persists.

*or Bluetooth directly, depending on Your OS

Method 3:

Uninstall and reinstall Bluetooth drivers.

1. Press Windows Key + R on your desktop screen to go to run command box.
2. Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
3. Look for Bluetooth driver, right-click and then click Uninstall/Remove Device.
4. When you are prompted to confirm that you want to remove the device, click OK.
5. Restart the computer.
6. Windows will automatically install the driver.

As suggested here: Bluetooth headphones are paired but don't autoconnect anymore

Method 4:

Make sure Discovery is enabled for your Bluetooth devices.

Go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth > More Bluetooth options. Then make sure “Allow Bluetooth devices to find this PC” is enabled. Then try removing and then re-pairing the Bluetooth device.

As suggested here: My Bluetooth device is enabled and shows as “Paired”, but isn’t working

Method 5:

Set the Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service to Automatic

Sign in to your computer as an administrator user and then follow the steps given below to change the startup type of Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service.

1. Press Windows Key + R Key.
2. Type services.msc and scroll down to Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service in the list.
3. Right click on it and select Properties.
4. Set up Start up type to Automatic from the dropdown list.

As suggested here: Bluetooth Headset/SoundBar paired but in Sound Devices it shows as Disconnected

Method 6a:

Disable Absolute Volume With the Command Prompt

Absolute Volume was part of the April 2018 Windows update, and it allows you to better control the volume of Bluetooth headphones. However, if your Bluetooth device is incompatible with Absolute Volume, it’s better to turn off this feature.

The first method includes using a command line to disable Absolute Volume. Here is how you can do it:

1. Press Win + R to bring up a Run dialog.
2. Type cmd and press Enter.
3. In the Command Prompt window, copy the following command: reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Bluetooth\Audio\AVRCP\CT /v DisableAbsoluteVolume /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f.
4. Press Enter to run the command.
5. Restart your computer to bring the change into the system.

Method 6b:

More of the above but done differently

Enable or Disable Absolute Volume With the Registry Editor

If running command lines doesn’t suit your preferences, there is another method you can use to turn on or off Absolute Volume on your computer.

Before editing the Registry, make sure you’ve created a restore point. This way, you can easily recover any data in case something goes wrong.

1. In the Start menu search bar, type registry editor and select Run as administrator.
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > ControlSet001 > Control > Bluetooth > Audio > AVRCP > CT.
3. From the right side of the window, open DisableAbsoluteVolume.
4. Edit the Value data to 1 and click OK.
5. Restart your computer.

As suggested here: Bluetooth Headset/SoundBar paired but in Sound Devices it shows as Disconnected

here: What Is Absolute Volume? How To Enable or Disable It in Windows 10

and here: Windows 10 Bluetooth to LG Soundbar not working

Method 7:

Enable Bluetooth Services in Control Panel

1. Go to Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Devices and Printers
2. Now right click on your Bluetooth headset
3. Go down to Properties
4. Go over to Services
5. Tick these boxes:

• Audio Sink
• Handsfree telephony
• Headset
• Remote control
• Remotely controllable device

6. After highlighting or checking these boxes click Apply and more drivers will install after drivers finish
7. Reboot

Results

Did it work?

TLDR No.

Long answer. It semi-worked for a short period of time. For the first time the method #1 worked for a while, until it didn't. And then the method #6 was working before the reboot.

At this point I'm basically part-time troubleshooting this annoyance, I'll welcome any reasonable suggestions.

Answer 1

I would help if you would tell us what kind of laptop do you have and what drivers you are using. This is most likely a driver issue, as you probably already know.

One thing that you did not try yet to update is BIOS on the laptop itself. Even thou it sounds funny it could actually help.

I don't know if your headset Sony WH-CH510 has an upgradable firmware. That could help too, if possible.