Bluetooth Headset cannot be used as both headphones and speakers

@MohsinSait

Exactly, there are two issues here.

#1 the bluetooth device has to support some mythical protocol that Microsoft uses to allow the "Headset" profile.  When you use both input and output at the same time the headset dervice has to be selected for both.  This will have the audio output as low quality mono and the microphone active.  You will not be able to use the high quality stereo output profile for the same device at the same time.  In Microsoft Teams when I join a meeting I have it defaulted to use the Headset profile for both input and output so that my bluetooth headset works (MPOW H19 IPO).  However I have another bluetooth Phaiser BH-530 device that shows in windows with a headset profile but does not work with the headset profile being selected on both the input and output for teams (hence the mythical protocol).  Both headsets work great on my Android phone but only the MPOW works on windows.

#2 Windows does not tell you which protocols are support and expects the user to manage their sound devices in a confusing manner.  How it should work is that if the microphone is not active then windows uses the stereo profile, when the microphone is active then windows uses the headset profile.  This should be transparent to the user.  Bluetooth 5.0 in theory is supposed to improve this however I have not found devices that support this yet.

I think the needed protocol is aptX but I am not positive.  The Phaiser does not have aptx but the mpow does.  But why does the headset profile show up in windows for the phaiser if it doesn't support aptx???

Overall bluetooth and windows is super hit and miss and Microsoft has failed at implementing this in a user friendly manner.

Hello,

I have the same problem with Sony WH-1000XM3.

I hope someone who works on Windows on Microsoft can help us resolve this problem. This is really frustrating especially when you need to use bluetooth headphones/earbuds frequently to work-from-home.

Hi,

I really appreciate all of the help offered here.

I found a way to get the microphone to work along with the headphones, but it is definitely weird.

On my Windows 10 (1903) MSI laptop, I have a new Bluetooth MPOW HC5. I was going to return it after I read all of these posts, but I may give it another chance. Tonight I participated in an hour-long WebEx call without any issues.

Earlier, I deleted all the files and configs for my new headset. Then I paired it and ONLY installed the MPOW HC5 Hands-Free AG Audio and set the MPOW HC5 Stereo disconnected in the Playback Tab.

I found that the MPOW HC5 Stereo device driver DOES control the side buttons on the headset, so that Pause, Play, Volume up and down will work, but it doesn't recognize the microphone.

I also found that the MPOW HC5 Hands-Free AG Audio device driver DOES recognize the microphone, but ONLY after using the Speaker icon to slide the sound level to 100% and then back down to my comfort zone. At that point, none of the side buttons and the headset will work, BUT you can use the microphone. 

If you want to use the "Listen" function in the Recording Tab to hear yourself in the headset speakers, it's awful. I gave that up.

I hope this helps somebody.

TL;DR: At least for me, the only solution is to downgrade to Windows 10 version 1709

Update: Welp, that didn't work either...

It's a fact that you can't use a Bluetooth headset's mic and stereo audio at the same time, because stereo needs two channels and mic needs one. You can't use more than two channels AT ALL with Bluetooth technology. That's why with apps like Skype, the Hands-Free Profile needs to be used for both mic and audio.

But I have the same problem with my Samsung U Flex headphone even if I use the Hands-Free Profile. I have tried every solution on this thread and everywhere else and nothing works.

I also found out that some headsets get muted automatically when idle and you have to open Sound Mixer and mute and unmute your headset when in a Skype call or press a combination of keys on your headset to effectively unmute it. This sounded about right because the sound bars of my HF audio in Sound Control Panel would rise up and down but I just couldn't hear anything. However this still didn't work for me and my headset doesn't have a combination of keys to make it mute/unmute.

To my surprise, the same headphone works flawlessly on my friend's laptop which has Windows 10 version 1709. I took a look at the headphone drivers in his Devices and Printers section which looked something like this:

Which looks totally different from mine (I have Windows 10 version 1903). At first I tried to force install the same drivers that he had, but came across some drivers that can't be installed for versions of Windows 10 higher than 1709 (like e.g. Bluetooth Audio/Video Remote Control HID)

Seems like Microsoft has messed up a working functionality as usual. I guess I have no choice but to fresh install a 1709 version of Windows 10 until this gets fixed. What a pain.

Update: I just installed a 1709 Windows 10 and the same problem persists. I guess it's just my laptop's Bluetooth chip. I think I'll buy a Broadcom Bluetooth adapter or something.

Hi all, I've got the same issue where any bluetooth device will output great as "Headphones" but when set to "Headset" no audio goes in or out. After three hours troubleshooting, I"m pretty livid to see Microsoft hasn't addressed this.

Unfortunately, JayAAA's workaround didn't do it for me. Hopefully Microsoft recognizes the issue soon, I can't believe they've let something this important slide for so long.