How to play music from phone to computer via Bluetooth Windows 10?

ByJael Lawler

Playing music from your phone to your computer via Bluetooth on Windows 10 is a convenient way to wirelessly stream audio from your mobile device. With Bluetooth enabled on both devices, you can pair your phone and PC to create a direct wireless connection. Once paired, you can play music apps and services on your phone and have the audio stream seamlessly to your computer speakers or headphones connected to the PC. This provides a flexible way to enjoy your music library from your phone through your computer’s audio setup.

Bluetooth streaming provides the ability to untether from your phone and walk around while still listening to music or other audio playing from your phone. Setup is quick and Bluetooth connectivity in Windows 10 works well for most use cases of streaming music, podcasts, audiobooks and more from your mobile device.

Prerequisites

To play music from your phone to your computer via Bluetooth on Windows 10, there are a few prerequisites that your devices need to meet:

First, both your phone and computer need to have Bluetooth capability and support Bluetooth connections. Most modern smartphones and laptops/desktops have built-in Bluetooth support.

Second, Bluetooth needs to be enabled on both your phone and your computer. On your phone, check in your settings to ensure Bluetooth is turned on. On your Windows 10 computer, go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth and other devices and toggle on Bluetooth if it is not already enabled.

Finally, your computer needs to be running Windows 10. The Bluetooth connection and audio streaming processes described here apply specifically to Windows 10. If your computer runs an older version of Windows, the set up process may differ.

As long as your devices meet these prerequisites, with Bluetooth enabled on both sides, you should be ready to connect your phone and Windows 10 computer.

Enable Bluetooth on Phone

To enable Bluetooth on your phone, you first need to open your phone’s settings. On an iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth. On an Android phone, open the Settings app and tap Connections > Bluetooth. You can also swipe down from the top of an Android phone to open Quick Settings, then tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it on.

Once in your phone’s Bluetooth settings, look for the on/off switch for Bluetooth and turn it on. The switch is often a slider or tap button. Make sure Bluetooth shows as “On” or “Enabled.” Your phone’s Bluetooth is now activated and ready to pair with other devices.

Sources:

https://www.wikihow.com/Turn-on-Bluetooth-on-Your-Phone

Enable Bluetooth on Windows 10 PC

To enable Bluetooth on a Windows 10 computer, follow these steps:

  • Open the Windows Settings app by clicking the Windows icon in the taskbar and selecting the gear icon for Settings.

  • Go to the Devices section of Settings.

  • Click on “Bluetooth & other devices”.

  • Under the Bluetooth heading, toggle the Bluetooth setting to On. This will turn on Bluetooth on your Windows 10 PC.

Enabling Bluetooth allows your Windows 10 computer to discover and connect with nearby Bluetooth devices like smartphones, speakers, keyboards, mice, and more. Once Bluetooth is enabled, you can pair your phone and computer to stream music wirelessly.

Pair Devices

The first step is to get your phone and Windows 10 PC ready to connect. Both devices need to have Bluetooth enabled and set to be discoverable in order to find each other and pair up. Here’s how to get started:

On your phone, open the Settings and tap Bluetooth. Make sure Bluetooth is toggled on. Then tap Pair New Device. Your phone will start searching for available Bluetooth devices nearby.

On your Windows 10 PC, open Settings and go to Devices > Bluetooth & other devices. Make sure Bluetooth is turned on. Also click the toggle to turn on Make this PC discoverable to other Bluetooth devices. This allows your PC to be visible to your phone for pairing.

With both devices now discoverable, go back to your phone’s Bluetooth settings. You should see your Windows 10 PC show up in the list of available devices. Tap on the name of your PC to initiate pairing. Your Windows PC will display a pairing request notification – tap or confirm to complete pairing.

Once paired, your phone and PC will stay connected automatically whenever Bluetooth is enabled on both devices. You can now start playing music or audio from your phone which will play through the PC speakers or connected headphones.

Connect Devices

To connect the paired devices, simply select each device from the Bluetooth settings on the phone and PC. On the phone, go to Bluetooth settings and select the name of the paired Windows 10 PC. This will connect the phone to the PC. Similarly, on the PC, go to Bluetooth settings and select the name of the paired phone. This will connect the PC to the phone.

According to one Reddit user, going to Bluetooth settings on both devices and manually selecting the paired device is what finally worked after trying everything else (https://www.reddit.com/r/SonyHeadphones/comments/spxu3x/sonywhxb900n_bluetooth_that_didnt_work_make_sure/). So if you’ve paired the devices but they aren’t connecting, this simple step of manually selecting the paired device on each end should do the trick.

Play Music from Phone

Once your phone and Windows 10 PC are paired and connected via Bluetooth, you can start streaming music from your phone to your computer. Here are the steps:

1. Open the music or audio app on your phone, such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music etc. Locate and select a song, playlist or album you want to listen to.

2. On your phone, begin playing the selected music. The audio should automatically start streaming from your phone to your paired Windows 10 computer if the Bluetooth connection is active.

3. The music should now be audible through the PC’s speakers or headphones connected to the computer. Check the volume and audio output settings on your Windows 10 device to make sure the sound is coming through the desired audio device.

That’s it! As long as the Bluetooth connection remains active, any music or audio played on your phone should stream to your computer for listening. You can pause, change tracks, adjust volume and control playback entirely from the phone.

Adjust Volume

Once your phone and Windows 10 PC are paired and connected via Bluetooth, you have a few options for adjusting the volume when playing music from your phone to your computer:

Use your phone’s volume buttons and on-screen controls to adjust the volume level. This will control the overall volume being sent from your phone to your PC over the Bluetooth connection. Just note that if your phone’s volume is set too low, the music volume may be very quiet even if your PC volume is turned up.

Use the volume controls on your Windows 10 PC, like the volume buttons on your keyboard, the volume slider in the notification area, or the volume mixer for fine-tuned control. This will adjust the volume level on the receiving end without affecting your phone’s overall volume.

You can also adjust the volume in the Sound Control Panel in Windows 10 for the specific Bluetooth device. Right click the speaker icon in the notification area, choose Sounds, go to the Playback tab, right click your Bluetooth device, and choose Properties. Adjust the volume level on the Levels tab.

The Windows volume controls essentially act as a master volume on top of your phone’s volume. You’ll get the best audio quality and flexibility by keeping your phone’s volume at a moderate level, then fine tuning with your PC controls.

If you experience issues with volume being too loud or maxing out uncontrollably, check your phone and Windows settings for any options related to Absolute Volume. Disabling Absolute Volume can prevent maxed out volume over Bluetooth.

(Enable or Disable Bluetooth Absolute Volume in Windows 10)

Troubleshooting

Here are some common issues and solutions for playing music from your phone to your computer via Bluetooth in Windows 10:

Bluetooth Not Turning On

If you can’t get Bluetooth enabled on your Windows 10 PC or phone, try these steps:

  • Make sure Bluetooth is turned on in your Phone Settings.
  • Go to Start > Settings > Devices and click the toggle under Bluetooth to turn it on.
  • Check for any physical switch or button on your computer that controls Bluetooth power and make sure it’s turned on.
  • Try restarting both devices or toggling Airplane Mode on and off to reset the radios.
  • Update Bluetooth drivers on your PC by going to Device Manager, right clicking the Bluetooth driver, and selecting Update Driver.
  • As a last resort, reset the network settings on your PC to default.

Can’t Find Device to Pair

If your phone isn’t showing up in the list of available Bluetooth devices, try these troubleshooting tips:

  • Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on both devices and they are within 30 feet of each other.
  • Check that the phone is set to be discoverable to other Bluetooth devices.
  • Reset the network settings on both the phone and PC to clear any faulty Bluetooth connections.
  • Update the Bluetooth drivers on your Windows PC in case of a compatibility issue.

Devices Connected But No Audio

If your phone shows as connected but you can’t hear music through your PC speakers, try these steps:

  • Open Sound Settings on Windows and make sure the Bluetooth device is set as the Default Device.
  • Check that the volume on your PC and phone are both turned up.
  • Try disconnecting and reconnecting the Bluetooth pairing.
  • Reset network settings on both devices to clear any corrupted Bluetooth connections.
  • Check for driver updates for your PC’s Bluetooth and audio drivers.

If you continue having issues getting your phone’s music to play through your PC via Bluetooth, you may need to research the specific device models for compatibility issues and troubleshooting steps.

Conclusion

In summary, the main steps to stream music from your phone to your Windows 10 computer via Bluetooth are:
1. Enable Bluetooth on both your phone and computer.
2. Pair the devices by selecting each other from the list of available Bluetooth devices.
3. Connect the paired devices.
4. Play music on your phone.
5. Adjust the volume as needed on your computer.

The benefits of streaming music via Bluetooth include the ability to move around freely while listening to music, without being tethered to your computer. Bluetooth also allows you to continue receiving notifications and taking calls on your phone while playing music. The sound quality is sufficient for casual listening.

For related tutorials on streaming music between devices, check out:
How to Stream Music from Your Phone to a Computer
How to Connect a Smartphone or Tablet to a Bluetooth Speaker

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