So for a long time I have been looking for a way to use my computer as a Bluetooth headset for my phone. This way I can use my headset to take calls without picking the phone up.
I used to do this just fine on my old computer with an Intel bluetooth chip and Windows 7. With the Windows 8 update, however, this functionality was lost and I thought nothing of it.
On my current computer, which came with Windows 8 and upgraded to Windows 10, I have an Intel 7260. I suddenly found the need for that Bluetooth call audio functionality again, so I started digging. What I learned was that back in Windows 8, Microsoft implemented a native Bluetooth stack that excluded many important functions, including this one. When I pair my phone, the only option I get is to transfer files. Microsoft's official stance is that it is up to hardware manufacturers to implement any additional Bluetooth functions in their drivers. Intel relies exclusively on this native stack, so their Bluetooth chip is neutered. They blame Microsoft for it and redirect you to them.
So after some research, I found that Broadcom still implements a custom Bluetooth stack in their WIDCOMM software. I bought a Broadcom-based Bluetooth dongle and just installed it. While it has much greater functionality, it is still missing the call audio feature.
Here are the options that are now available to me:
Looking online, others have been able to get call audio working with WIDCOMM:
Is there something that I am missing?