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In Windows 10's "Playback" tab in the "Sound" window, I would get two devices listed for each pair of Bluetooth headphones I would have connected. For my ear buds, we first have the buds listed as headphones and then as headset. The headset device is intentionally disabled by me. We'll get to why in a moment. On a clean install of Windows 11 on the same machine with the same devices / drivers, I am only shown the headphones: enter image description here

How can I force Windows 11 to show me my buds as both headphones and headsets just like in Windows 10?

The reason I want this is because it gives me control over what Bluetooth profile is used with my ear buds because of the oligophrenic way Windows handles this.

Say I am listening in glorious A2DP stereo to a podcast while working. After some time, I have to join a Slack call. When I enter the call, the sane thing for Windows to do would be to switch to the headset profile but it more often then not does not do that. As a result, I could hear everyone on the call in stereo quality but they can't hear me.

On windows 10 the fix is simple: open the playback devices window (pictured above), disable the "Headphones" version of my buds and enable the "Headset" version. Lo and behold, I can now both hear and speak on my Slack call.

What happens after the call ends and I want to continue listening to the podcast? That's right, Windows refuses to switch back to stereo mode and I am stuck listening to my podcast in potato quality. Back in the playback devices window I go, disable the headset and enable the headphones.

In windows 11 I can no longer do that. Sometimes I can fix it by disabling and re-enabling Bluetooth in windows or turning the buds on or off. Other times, the only thing that works is going into services and restarting the "Windows Audio Endpoint Builder" service.

Bluetooth headphones/headsets have always been more of a handicap than a feature in Windows but with windows 11, instead of actually fixing it, they somehow made it worse. How hard can it be? Phones have been doing it for decades...

I already tried checking every combination of Bluetooth services inside the properties of my buds but doesn't seem to affect the problem: enter image description here

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  • What model are your computer, Bluetooth adapter *and" driver, headset?
    – harrymc
    May 20, 2022 at 10:37
  • Galaxy buds pro paired to either a Lenovo T480 with Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC (not sure what model since it is hidden as though it is a state secret) and the latest driver from lenovo website, or to an Asus G55VW with a broadcom bluetooth chip (again, not sure what model) and the latest drivers from Asus
    – user1969903
    May 20, 2022 at 11:31
  • Did you try the generic Windows driver? (By deleting the Lenovo driver)
    – harrymc
    May 20, 2022 at 11:33
  • No, but I'm not sure what difference it would make. The Lenovo driver is for Win 11, but I tried the Win 10 driver. Asus dropped support a long time ago so the only driver is for win 10. These same adapters / drivers worked on Win 10. I'll give it a try, though.
    – user1969903
    May 20, 2022 at 11:34
  • Wifi disconected and 3 restarts later, I finally stopped Windows from searching and reinstalling the Intel drivers each time I remove them so that I was using only the generic driver. Still, the problem remains.
    – user1969903
    May 20, 2022 at 12:34

2 Answers 2

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If you have tried the Windows 10 driver on Windows 11 and this has changed nothing, then the problem is with Windows 11 itself and not with the driver.

The solution to the problem must come from Microsoft. The most you can do is signal the problem in the Feedback Hub and wait for a fix (or rollback to Windows 10 before the limit of 10 days expires).

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A bit late to the party but if you have the same problem that I had, degrading audio quality when any program uses the headset input, open up Device Manager > Sound, video and game controllers, disable the headset or hands-free device that you don't want. Restart and enjoy the high quality content again!

This solved the issue for me in Windows 11 and I can game and meet again without a crappy connection. The input device disappears however so you need an external microphone if you still need any input device

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  • 1
    Better late than never. I found out about this as well, but as you also pointed out, it breaks the mic input of the headphones. In the meantime, I've found an ok-ish solution. I received a pair of ear buds when I bought a new phone some time ago. I used device manager to permanently disable the headset part of my regular headphones, and I disabled the stereo part of the buds. Basically, the headphones are full time stereo and no mic, whereas the buds are the opposite. When I have to jump in a call I just put on the buds.
    – user1969903
    Apr 12 at 16:08

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