Question Bluetooth Headphones do not auto-connect ?

[Navinder]

PC specs:
Windows 10, 21H2 running on an i5-7500 desktop PC.
Recently added a TPlink UB500 for Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.

ISSUE: I have already paired my Bluetooth earbuds with my PC, but it does not reconnect automatically after a disconnection in cases such as
-----------1. I go somewhere distant and come back
-----------2. I turn the headphones off and on again

I have to manually open the Bluetooth settings page and make a few clicks: Add a Device-> Allow -> Done.
However, once connected, it reconnects if I Disable/Enable Bluetooth in Windows Settings, but that same trick does not work for events 1 & 2 above.

The issue is repeatable on a few other PCs and other Windows versions, and other Tplink Bluetooth adapters.
In the case of a laptop featuring an Intel Bluetooth 5.1 module, the headphone auto-connects seamlessly with no issues.

TRIED BUT FAILED:
I already tried with no luck:
1. Enabling: 'Allow Bluetooth Devices to find this PC' under Bluetooth settings->Options.
2. Changing the Bluetooth Trigger to Automatic in the 'Services' app of Windows.

EXPECTED SOLUTION:
I believe it could be related to the Windows drivers/settings for Tplink UB500 adapters. It may be power management or something else.
I wish there were a workaround to avoid the additional clicks required every time.

 

[Colif]

Does it happen with other headsets?

Perhaps the problem is the headset and not the adapter, I only say that as it happens on other PC.

 

[Navinder]

You may be partially right. It's not only the adapter or Windows drivers, but the headphone also could be an issue.
I tried with a different headphone featuring BT 5.0. For this, only one click was required: "Connect" on the Windows settings page. The previous headphone featured BT 5.3, and for this in addition to "Connect", other clicks required were: "Allow"-> "Done".
I am not sure why it is required, as it was already paired.
I still don't get though how it gets auto-connected with the laptop (Intel BT 5.1) and not to other PCs with TP link adapter.

In any case, if we could not get to root out the problem, a basic solution in my mind was to have an automated script in Windows background that could periodically check for the hardware (headphone) id and connect/allow it without manual intervention.
I heard a batch script could be placed in Task Scheduler to automate. I am not a professional cmd expert but I could follow the instructions.
Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Colif]

i wonder if its a difference between BT 5 & 5.1


it appears it could be the locating is the difference. 5.0 needs to check a lot, whereas 5.1 has a backup method and doesn't d/c if it can't find device.

5.1 devices start trying to connect as soon as they turned on, so that probably explains the auto connect

Bluetooth 5.1 vs 5.0: Difference Between Bluetooth 5.0 and 5.1 - BlueX Micro

Bluetooth 5.1 vs 5.0: Which is better? The most detailed analysis of the pros and cons of Bluetooth updates, and what difference between bluetooth 5.0 and 5.1.

www.bluexmicro.com

No idea why 5.3 needs extra steps, it should just add more features.

Bluetooth 5.3 vs. 5.2: An In-Depth Comparison

The latest version of Bluetooth, 5.3, was recently released, offering new features and improvements over the previous version, Bluetooth 5.2.

techreviewadvisor.com

could try updating the adapters to 5.1, the cost isn't that high. May not be as cheap as 5.0 but those are older.

 

[Navinder]

Thanks for sharing.

I have been using the headphone and the aforementioned PC+TP Link setup now for a while, and I have mixed results.

Most of the time I follow the process:
notification panel -> connect -> headphone -> (Windows BT settings opens with a popup window in the foreground) -> Allow -> Close.

On rare occasions, it gets auto-connected without this hassle and sometimes the process is limited to notification panel -> connect -> headphone only. But these happen only like 1/10 times. I haven't paid much attention to when and under what conditions.

As you pointed out, it is likely that the timing of the pair requests is managed differently in these devices. I will try to get a 5.1 or better adapter, but for now, I am stuck with this one. If you think its worth getting some workarounds (like one I mentioned) then it would be great, else I suppose we could conclude this thread.

Thanks for your help.