Windows 11 | No Hands free mode for bluetooth earphones

This is extremely annoying. I've read through this entire thread (and pretty much all Bing can offer) and I'm still boggling at how I'm meant to get this to work.

I have two devices which I absolutely need to operate in the Hands Free AG mode - one is a Sabinetech Smartmike+. We use these for training customers.

I use an MDR-1000X set of headphones which I use in the Stereo ('music') mode to get high quality stereo audio from Zoom, Teams and Slack huddles. But I like my flexibility, when I don't want to grab my lav mike for a quick Slack huddle or Teams call, I just put my headphones on. But, you know.. I can live with it only operating as headphones.

It's absolutely essential that we can use the microphone on the abovementioned lav mic, but it doesn't show up in a way that lets it work as a device:

Zoom lets me pick my microphone, as does Teams, as does every other bit of audio software and if Windows is "hiding" the Handsfree AG audio from me to make my "user experience" less confusing then it is doing an absolutely abominable job of it. How am I supposed to select my device as a microphone, which should make my headset turn into Handsfree mode, if it's not giving apps the correct list of microphones?

• I have MDR-1000X "Connected music", Smartmike+ "Connected music" in Bluetooth Devices,
• I go into the audio control panel and look in the recording tab and neither are present.
• I set either one to Default Communications Device, nothing changes
• WIN+R and used Control Printers to get to the devices, right clicked them:
  • enabled all Bluetooth Services (handsfree was already checked, as was Headset for the Smartmike+)
  • Confirmed I see "MDR-1000X Hands-Free AG" and "Smartmike+ Hands-Free AG" in the Bluetooth "Device Functions" panel
• Went to Services.msc and confirmed the Bluetooth Audio Gateway service is actually running

Is there any way I can force Windows 10 to show me these devices in a list of Microphones?

The problem I'm running into is that I don't get the choice of mic off and better sound because when I click don't allow for the mic setting, nothing changes for audio.

Ok, I'm having the exact opposite problem. I no longer have the choice for stereo. I don't really do video confrerencing a lot and the hands free playback has a very lowered quality relative to stereo and I'd prefer to have that. Any way to resolve that problem?

Hi guys,

I have the same problem.

When I was using Windows 10 show me headset and headphone options.

After upgrade for Windows 11 goes on OK.

But, after I remove device and add again, windows 11 show me only option headset.

Cheers,

Fábio

Hi Carlo,

Do you mean the Bluetooth driver of the laptop OR the driver of the earphones themselves?

Both have separate drivers in the bluetooth section of Device Manager.

Thanks,

Kartikey