Bluetooth connection drops or stutters on wireless earbuds or headphones

6 min read

Bluetooth earbuds stutter and keep disconnecting

Are your Bluetooth earbuds or headphones cutting out? Why does the sound keep dropping? It's frustrating when Bluetooth doesn't work properly, whether you're using an Android phone, an iPhone, or a laptop. Don't worry: we've helped our customers fix this problem many times. This guide draws on that experience to help you fix it too. 

In this article

Why does Bluetooth keep cutting out?

Your Bluetooth earbuds or wireless headphones keep cutting out. Why? There are several possible causes. We'll walk you through the solution for each one.

🚀 Want to get straight to the fix? Skip to the 4 solutions you can try.

Possible causes*:

  1. The source device (such as your phone) is sending an interrupted signal.
    This is the problem in 10% of cases.
  2. Something is interfering with the Bluetooth signal, even though the source device (such as your phone) is transmitting it correctly.
    This is the problem in 60% of cases.
  3. Your earbuds or headphones can't process the Bluetooth signal properly (usually because of conflicting Bluetooth connections).
    This is the problem in 30% of cases.
  4. Your earbuds or headphones can't turn the signal into sound properly (a hardware fault)
    This is the problem in <1% of cases.

*Sometimes your phone's notification volume is off while its media volume is on. Music then pauses briefly when certain apps send a notification (for example, when you receive a message). That sounds like an audio dropout, but it isn't. The solution: close all the apps on your phone and try again.   

Earbuds cutting out: 4 causes and 4 solutions

You might be thinking: "How do I know what's causing it?" You can't know yet. But by working through all 4 solutions, you'll know exactly what the problem was once your headphones or earbuds work again. 

In short: try all 4 solutions in order, starting with 1, then 2, 3, and 4. If none of them work, your earbuds or headphones are faulty. But don't worry: that really is only the case about 1% of the time. Let's get to the solutions. 

Bluetooth not working

Try the solutions below if your Bluetooth earbuds or headphones keep cutting out:

Solutions

Now for the part you've been waiting for: fixing a connection that keeps cutting out. How can you improve your Bluetooth connection? Each of the 4 problems has a different solution. You just don't know yet which problem you have.

So try the 4 solutions one by one. We bet you'll soon be back to enjoying your favorite tracks without interruptions. 

1. Connect to another device

First, and this is important, connect to another device.

  1. Turn Bluetooth off on the device you last connected to (such as your phone). Otherwise, your earbuds or headphones will connect to the wrong device in step 2. 
  2. Put your earbuds or headphones in pairing mode. For earbuds, put them in the case > close the lid > open the lid, then connect to the other device (such as your laptop). For headphones, turn them off and back on (they'll now try to connect). 
  3. Connect to the other phone, laptop, or tablet.
  4. Play some music.

Is the audio still cutting out? Go to solution 2.  

Has the audio stopped cutting out? Then you know something is going wrong with the phone you were using when the problem occurred.

Why your phone might be sending an interrupted signal:

The song you're playing on your phone, in Spotify for example, might not be loading, streaming, or uploading fast enough. Make sure you download the latest updates for Spotify. Check that your phone is up to date too. 

Another app could also be sending notifications. Pay attention to when the audio cuts out. Does it always happen when a particular app is open in the background? Close that app. Sometimes an app sends a notification while your notification volume is turned down. The notification still plays, but at 0% volume. Your music is automatically muted for a moment. Close every app except your music or audiobook app, then listen to see if the audio still cuts out.

2. Improve your Bluetooth connection

If the audio only cuts out in certain locations, you may have conflicting Bluetooth connections. That sounds technical, but what does it mean?

Your earbuds or headphones receive the Bluetooth signal from your device, but other signals nearby can interfere with that connection. These might come from another Bluetooth device, a tram, a large high-tech building, a train station, a Bluetooth receiver in your home, a Wi-Fi receiver, and so on. 

Your earbuds or headphones aren't really to blame. They struggle to filter out the unwanted signal, and the chipset can only do so much processing per second. 

It's like trying to eat while swatting away flies. A pretty good comparison, right?

The solution: move to a different location. Does it only happen in a particular place, such as a train station? There's nothing you can change there. For example, every pair of earbuds I wear, even €300 earbuds, always cuts out a few times at Den Haag Centraal.

Earbuds cutting out at Den Haag Centraal station

Is that what's happening to you? Then your earbuds or headphones aren't faulty. It's caused by the surroundings, and it's normal.

Does it happen only at home? Turn off Bluetooth on as many of your other devices as possible. Also remove all saved Bluetooth connections from your phone.

3. Reset your Bluetooth earbuds or headphones

Resetting your earbuds or headphones can often be a good solution, especially if 2 different connections are confusing the receiving device, your earbuds or headphones. In that case, a reset almost always helps. 

Not sure how to reset your earbuds? Check the user manual, or see our guide to resetting your earbuds. You'll usually find clear instructions quickly.   

4. Replace them: they're faulty (rarely the case)

If you've followed all the steps above correctly and nothing works, your earbuds may be faulty. That means they're receiving the signal but can't play the sound smoothly in your ears. That's a hardware fault.

But, and I know you may be skeptical, we've rarely, if ever, had earbuds that still cut out after going through the steps above. Solution 1, solution 2, and solution 3 almost always fix the problem.

If you do decide to buy new earbuds, take a look on our site for a good pair.

Bluetooth keeps cutting out on Samsung or Android

If your Bluetooth connection keeps cutting out on a Samsung or Android device, try connecting to another phone or device first. Check whether the problem happens there too.

If not, the problem is with your phone. Remove all saved Bluetooth connections from your phone, then reconnect. Didn't help? Reset your earbuds or headphones. Check the user manual or look online for reset instructions.

That usually stops the audio from cutting out. Still happening? Could it be the location, or does it happen everywhere? Check whether it also happens when you're somewhere else. If not, turn off Bluetooth on the other devices at the problem location. That usually fixes it.

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