How do I enable USB audio on Samsung?

USB audio allows you to connect external audio devices like headphones, speakers, and microphones to your Samsung device using the USB port. This can provide higher quality audio output compared to the built-in headphone jack. With USB audio enabled, you can also use your Samsung device with USB audio interfaces, USB mics, and other pro audio gear. Enabling USB audio unlocks more advanced audio capabilities on your Samsung, allowing you to record music, podcasts, make calls, or simply listen to music with better fidelity. As USB-C becomes the standard port on most devices, USB audio support is increasingly important for maintaining compatibility with various headsets, adapters, and audio equipment. Overall, enabling USB audio opens up more options for higher quality audio input and output on your Samsung.

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/usb-audio-interfaces-market-size-2023-2030-global/

Check If Your Samsung Device Supports USB Audio

Not all Samsung devices support USB audio output. To enable USB audio, first you’ll need to check if your specific Samsung model contains the necessary hardware and software support.

To find your device model number:

On your Samsung phone, open the Settings app.
Scroll down and tap About Phone.

Look for the Model Number listed.

Once you know your device model, you can search for its specifications online or in the user manual. Specifically, look for whether the device supports USB audio or USB digital audio output. This may be listed as a feature, or mentioned in the device’s technical specifications.

For example, the Samsung Galaxy S9+ specs indicate USB digital audio support. However, older models like the Galaxy S5 do not contain USB audio support.

Without proper hardware and software support built into the device, USB audio output will not work. Confirm USB audio compatibility before proceeding.

Enable USB Debugging

To enable USB audio on your Samsung device, you first need to enable USB debugging in the developer options. Here are the steps to enable developer options and USB debugging on your Samsung device:

1. Open the Settings app on your Samsung device and select “About phone”.

2. Scroll down and tap on “Build number” 7 times until you see a message saying “You are now a developer”. This unlocks the developer options menu.

3. Go back to Settings and you should now see a “Developer options” menu. Open it.

4. In Developer options, find and enable “USB debugging”. You may see a permission pop-up, tap OK to allow USB debugging.

According to this guide, enabling USB debugging allows you to connect your Android device to a computer and access advanced software features.

Once USB debugging is enabled, you can proceed to install the necessary USB audio drivers and connect your audio device.

Install USB Audio Driver

In order to enable USB audio on your Samsung device, you’ll need to install the proper USB audio driver. Samsung provides USB audio drivers for download from their website at https://www.samsung.com/us/support/downloads/.

Go to the downloads page and select your specific Samsung device model. This will show you all of the available drivers for that device. Look for and download the “USB Driver” for your device. This contains the necessary drivers to enable USB audio support.

The USB driver package will include installation instructions specific to your device’s model number. Generally, you’ll need to extract the files, connect your device to your computer via USB, and run the included setup executable file to install the drivers.

With the Samsung USB drivers installed, your device will now recognize and be able to output audio to a connected USB audio device.

Connect Your Audio Device

Connecting a USB audio device to your Samsung phone or tablet is straightforward with the proper cables and adapters. Here are the steps:

1. Make sure your audio device supports USB audio output. Common USB audio devices include external DACs (digital-to-analog converters), USB microphones, and USB speakers or headphones.

2. Obtain a USB OTG (On-The-Go) adapter cable to connect your USB audio device to your Samsung device’s USB-C or micro-USB port. These cables allow you to connect USB accessories.

3. Connect the USB OTG adapter cable to your Samsung device first. Then connect your USB audio device to the other end of the OTG adapter cable.

4. If prompted, allow your Samsung device to access the connected USB device. Some audio devices may require additional driver installation at this step.

5. Once connected, you should see a notification that a USB device has been detected. Your device is now ready to send audio over USB.

6. Open your audio or music app and look for the option to switch audio output to the connected USB device.

With the proper cables, adapters, and setup, streaming audio over USB to external devices is straightforward on most modern Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets. For more details, refer to this guide.

Change Audio Output

To switch the audio output to USB on your Samsung device, you need to navigate to the Sound settings. Here are the steps:

Open the Settings app on your Samsung device.
Tap on Sounds and vibration.
Under Audio output, tap on the current audio device shown.

In the pop-up menu, tap on your connected USB audio device to switch the audio output.

For example, if you have USB headphones connected via an adapter, you would see it listed there and can tap on it to make your Samsung device output audio through the USB headphones instead of the built-in speakers (1). This route lets you easily change between different connected audio devices.

Adjust Volume Levels

Setting the right volume level is important when using USB audio on your Samsung device. The volume may be lower compared to your device’s built-in speakers or headphone jack. There are a few things you can try to get the volume to an optimal level:

Go to your device’s Settings > Sounds and vibration > Volume and drag the “Media volume limit” slider all the way to the right. This will ensure volume is maxed out for media played over USB.

Try using a third party app such as USB Audio Player PRO which gives you more control over volume levels when using USB audio.

Look for a volume boost or gain setting in your USB DAC or amp if you’re using an external device. This can give you a volume bump.

As a last resort, use a 3.5mm to USB-C adapter to connect your headphones and control volume from the headphone jack rather than USB-C.

With some adjustment, you should be able to achieve satisfactory volume levels when listening to USB audio on your Samsung device.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you are having issues getting USB audio to work properly on your Samsung device, here are some troubleshooting tips:

First, check that your USB cable is not damaged and is properly inserted into both your phone and audio device. Damaged cables can prevent proper audio transmission. Try swapping to a different cable if possible.

Make sure you have enabled USB debugging in your phone’s developer options menu. USB audio may not work if debugging is disabled. Go to Settings > Developer Options to enable this.

Check that your USB audio driver is properly installed and up to date. You may need to uninstall and reinstall the driver if you are having driver-related issues. Search online for instructions for your specific device.

Try adjusting your phone’s audio output settings. Go to Settings > Sounds and Vibration > Audio Output and select your connected USB device. This ensures audio is routed correctly.

If you are connecting headphones or speakers via a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter, ensure the adapter is properly recognized by your phone. Not all adapters work flawlessly with all devices.

As a last resort, try resetting your phone to factory default settings. This will eliminate any software-related audio issues.

If nothing works, your USB port itself may be damaged. You will need to contact Samsung support for potential hardware repair options.

Alternative Connection Options

If enabling USB audio does not work on your Samsung device, there are a couple alternative options for getting audio from your device to an external speaker or headphone:

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a wireless technology that allows you to pair your Samsung device to Bluetooth-enabled headphones, speakers, and other audio devices. To pair your Samsung device to a Bluetooth audio device:

1. On your Samsung device, open Settings and go to Connections > Bluetooth.¹

2. Turn on Bluetooth and make sure your audio device is in pairing mode.

3. Select your audio device from the list of available devices to pair it.

Once paired, you’ll be able to play audio from your Samsung device to the Bluetooth speaker or headphones.

Screen Mirroring

If your external speaker or audio system supports screen mirroring via Wi-Fi, Miracast, Chromecast, or Samsung Smart View, you can mirror your Samsung device’s screen and play its audio through the external device.

On your Samsung device, open Settings and go to Connections > Screen Mirroring. Select your external audio device from the list. Your Samsung device’s screen and audio will now be mirrored to the external device.²

Screen mirroring provides wireless audio playback without needing to physically connect your devices.

Conclusion

In summary, enabling USB audio on your Samsung device is a straightforward process once you make sure USB debugging is enabled and you have the proper drivers installed. The key steps are:

Check your Samsung model supports USB audio output

Enable USB debugging in the developer options
Download and install the Samsung USB audio driver if needed
Connect your USB audio device directly to your phone or via an OTG adapter

Change the audio output in your device settings to the USB device
Adjust volume levels as needed for your headset or speakers

Following these steps carefully should allow you to enjoy listening to audio and media through your preferred USB headphones, speakers, or sound system. If you run into any issues, be sure to check your connections, restart your device, and review the troubleshooting tips provided earlier.

With USB audio enabled, you can now experience your music, videos, games and calls on Samsung with fuller, higher fidelity sound. Have fun listening!