What Is Samsung Separate App Sound?

Play music from your phone without getting interrupted by notifications. Turn it on in the Sounds and Vibration settings

By
Eric Butow
Eric Butow
Eric Butow
Writer
  • California State University
Former Lifewire writer Eric Butow, is also a web designer and social media marketer and the author of 30+ computing books. Eric develops computer training courses.
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Updated on December 14, 2023
Reviewed by
Ryan Perian
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Reviewed by Ryan Perian
  • Western Governors University
Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
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What to Know

  • Separate App Sound can split sounds between your phone and Bluetooth devices.
  • To turn it on, make sure Bluetooth is enabled in Settings > Connections > Bluetooth and the device is paired.
  • Then, go to Settings > Sounds and vibration > Separate app sound > Turn it on.

This article explains what Samsung's Separate App Sound feature is and how to use it. It's available on most Android phones and tablets.

What Is Samsung Separate App Sound?

The Samsung Separate App Sound feature allows the apps of your choosing to play sounds through a Bluetooth device while other sounds continue to play through your phone.

For example, you may want to listen to music on your headphones, but you don't want the music interrupted by a call. When the feature is on, you'll still hear system sounds from your smartphone's speakers, such as alarms and the ringtone to alert you of an incoming call, so you can pause playback yourself or ignore the call or alarm.

Some apps that support this feature include Chrome, Samsung Internet, YouTube, and Samsung Music. It also works with SideSync and Samsung Push Service, which is the notification service for services like Samsung Pay.

How to Turn On Separate App Sound

Now you can turn on the Separate App Sound feature. Here’s how:

  1. Before turning on the feature, you need to connect your phone to a Bluetooth device.

    If you already have, skip to the next step; otherwise, bring the devices near each other and then go to Settings > Connections > Bluetooth. Tap the toggle switch to turn it On.

    Your phone searches for available devices. When it finds the device, connect by tapping its name in the list.

    Connections, Bluetooth, and Toggle Switch in Samsung Galaxy Settings

  2. Return to the main screen of the Settings app and tap Sounds and Vibration.

  3. Tap Separate app sound.

  4. Tap the toggle next to Turn on now (it might just say Off instead).

  5. Tap App to choose an app to play on your Bluetooth device, then tap Audio device and choose Bluetooth device.

    Separate app sound, Toggle Switch, and App and Audio device highlighted in Samsung Galaxy Settings

    You can see if your audio device is connected in Separate App Sound by tapping the Back icon. At the bottom of the screen, you see the selected app and your audio device.

  6. Now you can test how well your app works with Separate App Sound. Depending on the app you selected, you may have to do something to play sound, such as play a video in the Facebook app.

How to Turn Off Separate App Sound

When you want to turn off the Separate App Sound feature, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Settings app and tap Sounds and vibration.

  2. Tap Separate app sound.

  3. Tap the Turn on now or On toggle switch, depending on your device, to disable it.

    Sounds and vibration, Separate app sound, and toggle switch in Galaxy Samsung Settings
FAQ
  • How do you send one audio signal to two separate Bluetooth devices?

    You can connect multiple Bluetooth speakers to one Android device using a third-party app. For instance, you can download AmpMe and sync smartphones and Bluetooth speakers together.

  • How do I separate my phone and Bluetooth volume on Android?

    Many Android devices have absolute Bluetooth volume control enabled by default. To disable it, enable Developer Mode and disconnect from the Bluetooth device. Then, go to Settings > System > Developer Options, and under Networking, toggle Disable Absolute Volume to On.

  • Can you separate right and left audio on Bluetooth speakers?

    Stereo separation recreates a musical experience, letting you relish the enjoyment of surround sound. You can buy Bluetooth speakers that can be paired together and will allow you to enjoy the left and right channel sound.

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