Can I play music on Bluetooth while on call Android?
Many Android users enjoy the convenience of playing music or audio over Bluetooth while on a call. Bluetooth allows you to wirelessly stream audio from your phone to speakers, headphones, car systems and more. This enables easy multitasking so you can listen to music or podcasts in the background during calls.
However, running simultaneous audio streams can negatively impact sound quality. Bluetooth connections may become distorted or choppy, degrading both the music and call clarity. There are also potential issues with notifications or ringtones interrupting your playback.
In this article, we’ll cover how Android handles Bluetooth audio and some tips to optimize music playback during calls. We’ll also troubleshoot any connection or audio quality issues you may experience.
How Android Handles Bluetooth Audio
Android gives priority to phone calls over music when using Bluetooth audio devices. When a call comes in, the music playback will automatically pause and the Bluetooth connection will switch to handle the call audio. This is to ensure clear call quality without interference from background music.
Android does not natively allow for music playback to continue during a call over Bluetooth. The operating system handles the switching between music and calls itself, and there is no setting to change this behavior. This is an intentional design decision by Google to simplify the Bluetooth audio experience and avoid unintended consequences from mixing music and call audio.
Some newer versions of Android do support audio mixing to a limited extent. For example, Pixel phones since Android 9 Pie can play subtle background music tones during calls. However, streaming music at normal volume will still be paused throughout the call. The call audio takes over the Bluetooth connection to ensure call quality.
Overall, Android does not support simultaneously playing music and routing call audio over the same Bluetooth device. The system handles the prioritization automatically to optimize call clarity. Some third-party apps claim to enable continuing music playback during calls, but quality may suffer.
Continuing Music Playback During a Call
By default, when you receive or make a phone call on Android, any music or media playback that was occurring in the background will pause. However, there are options to allow the music to continue playing while you’re on a call.
In the Android settings under Sound & vibration, there is a setting called “Pause during calls” that is enabled by default. Disabling this will allow media playback to continue in the background while on a call. You can also configure this on a per-app basis. For example, in Spotify and YouTube Music you can find a setting to disable pausing during calls.
According to Quora, using speakerphone is another way to continue music playback during a call, as this keeps the music routing through your phone’s speaker alongside the call audio (source).
So in summary, disabling “Pause during call” in your Android settings, adjusting per-app settings, and using speakerphone mode can all allow you to continue listening to music while on a phone call.
Potential Issues with Music Quality
One common problem users report is choppy or distorted Bluetooth audio quality when simultaneously on a call and streaming music. The music playback may cut in and out, fade unexpectedly, or sound “tinny.” This occurs because the phone prioritizes the call audio over the music audio. When diverting resources to the call, it reduces bandwidth available for music streaming over Bluetooth.
Certain Bluetooth profiles like A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) handle high quality music streaming while HFP (Hands-Free Profile) focuses just on call audio. If your device only supports HFP and not A2DP, it will lack the ability to transmit music cleanly during a call 1. Newer phones with Bluetooth 5.0+ generally support both profiles simultaneously.
Additionally, lower end phone models may have weaker Bluetooth antennas, transmitters, or audio processors that struggle to handle music playback under the load of a simultaneous call. High end phones with aptX HD, LDAC and other advanced codecs will see less of a quality drop. But degradation can still occur due to the way Android allocates bandwidth between applications.
Optimizing Bluetooth Connections
One way to improve music playback quality during calls on Android is to optimize your Bluetooth connections. Here are some tips:
- Use high-quality Bluetooth headsets or speakers. Look for devices that support advanced Bluetooth codecs like aptX or AAC for better audio quality. Brands like Bose, Sony and Sennheiser are good options.
- Disable any audio effects or sound enhancement features, like Dolby Atmos or EQ settings, which can interfere with Bluetooth audio quality. Go to Settings > Sound to adjust.
- Reset your device’s network settings to clear out any problematic Bluetooth pairings. Go to Settings > System > Reset options.
- Ensure your phone and Bluetooth device have the latest firmware installed. Check for updates in your device’s settings.
- Keep your phone and Bluetooth device within 30 feet and avoid obstructions between them. Bluetooth issues can occur when the connection is poor.
Making simple tweaks like these to your Bluetooth setup can often resolve quality problems during calls. Focus on creating solid connections before troubleshooting other areas.
Third-Party Apps to Improve Experience
There are a few third-party apps on the Google Play Store that can help tweak Bluetooth behavior on Android for better music playback during calls. Some popular options include:
Bluetooth Autoplay Music – This app automatically starts playing music when connected to a Bluetooth device. It helps ensure music resumes even if interrupted by a call.
Bluetooth Music Player – Touted as a full music player with Bluetooth sharing between devices. May help improve audio streaming during calls.
The pros of using such apps are that they provide customizable options to tweak Bluetooth behavior that may not be available in the standard Android settings. The cons are that they require installing another app, may drain battery life, and could potentially cause conflicts with the default Bluetooth functionality.
Overall, these apps provide useful tools for some users but aren’t required for most people. Tweaking the standard Android Bluetooth settings is often sufficient.
Adjusting Alert Tones and Notifications
When connected to Bluetooth, notification sounds and alert tones may also be impacted depending on your phone’s settings. By default, most Android phones will route all notification sounds to the connected Bluetooth device. This means you won’t hear incoming text messages, app notifications, or other alert tones through your phone’s speaker.
You can adjust these behaviors in your Bluetooth settings. On Pixel phones, go to Settings > Connected Devices > Connection Preferences > Bluetooth. Look for the “Play phone ringtone on phone speaker when a Bluetooth device is connected” option and enable it. This will allow your phone to ring for incoming calls through both the speaker and Bluetooth device [1].
To enable notification sounds, toggle on the “Also vibrate for calls” and “Also vibrate for notifications” options. You can also adjust the volume for media, calls, notifications, and system sounds separately when connected to Bluetooth in your main Settings > Sound menu [2].
These settings will help you customize alert behavior so you don’t miss important notifications even when using Bluetooth.
Connecting Multiple Audio Devices
One challenge with Android’s Bluetooth system is managing connections with multiple paired devices. Android allows pairing with several Bluetooth headphones, speakers or car systems. However, it can prioritize only one for music playback. If you get a call, audio may switch to a different paired device like a car’s hands-free system or wireless earbuds 1.
To select a priority device for music, go to Bluetooth settings and tap the gear icon next to it. Choose “Media audio” for your preferred headset or speaker. This should make music keep playing on that device even when receiving a call. However, results can vary depending on the Android phone model and Bluetooth devices used. You may need to re-check this setting whenever pairing new equipment.
Troubleshooting Tips
If you experience issues with music playback cutting out during calls, try some basic troubleshooting steps first:
Pair your Bluetooth headset again – Go to Settings > Connected devices > Bluetooth and delete the headset. Then re-pair it. This resets the connection which can fix intermittent cutting out.
Restart your phone – A simple reboot will restart all systems and clear any minor glitches that could be interrupting Bluetooth connections.
Check for app updates – Make sure apps like your music player, phone dialer, and Bluetooth utilities are fully updated. App updates often include bug fixes.
If basic troubleshooting does not resolve cutting out issues, you may need to investigate further:
Check if the problem only occurs with certain apps – Narrow down if the music cutting out only happens with your music player but not other audio apps. This points to an app compatibility issue.
Try disconnecting other Bluetooth devices – If you have multiple connected devices, disconnect the extras to isolate the problem headset.
Inspect Bluetooth codecs – Your headset and phone may not be negotiating the optimal codec. Try forcing the AAC codec in developer settings.
Toggle Bluetooth AVRCP version – Switch between 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, and 1.6 via developer settings to troubleshoot.
Factory reset headset – As a last resort, reset your headset to factory default settings to eliminate any configuration issues.
Summary
To recap, while Android does allow you to play music over Bluetooth while on a phone call, the experience may not be seamless. The quality of the music playback may be reduced as the phone prioritizes the call audio. There are some steps you can take to optimize the experience such as adjusting Bluetooth settings, using third party apps, and connecting multiple audio devices. However, there is a tradeoff between convenience and quality.
The convenience of continuing music playback during a call has to be weighed against potential issues with interruptions, audio mixing, or lower quality. If high fidelity music playback is your priority, it may be better to manually pause the music when a call comes in. There are techniques to help improve the experience, but you may still experience some degradation in music quality at times.
Overall, while playing music during calls on Android is possible, it requires some compromise between convenience and audio quality. Carefully setting expectations and optimizing your devices and settings can help maximize both.