My earbuds are connecting but i can't hear any sound now, even though they used to work perfectly fine before.

Rahul Mandiya 0 Reputation points
2026-05-29T08:07:52.8866667+00:00

"My Bluetooth earbuds connect to my device, but it only says 'Connected for mic.' There is no sound coming through the earbuds at all. Previously, when they connected, the audio worked perfectly, and the status would show 'Connected for mic and audio.' How can I fix this?"

Surface | Surface Earbuds | Setup and pairing | Windows
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  1. AI answer

    2026-05-29T08:08:11.0733333+00:00

    Follow these steps on Windows to restore audio to the earbuds:

    1. Select the earbuds as the output device
      1. Select Start > Settings > System > Sound.
      2. Under Output / Choose your output device or Choose where to play sound, select the Bluetooth earbuds (not the PC speakers).
      3. Test audio again.
    2. Confirm the earbuds are connected for audio, not just mic
      1. Select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices.
      2. Find the earbuds in the list and make sure they show as connected.
      3. If they only show as connected for mic or behave incorrectly, continue with the next steps.
    3. Unpair and re‑pair the earbuds
      1. In Settings > Bluetooth & devices, select the earbuds > More options (…) > Remove device.
      2. Turn the earbuds off, then back on in pairing mode.
      3. Select Add device, choose Bluetooth, and select the earbuds from the list.
      4. Once paired, go back to System > Sound and set them as the output device.
    4. Power‑cycle Bluetooth
      1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices.
      2. Turn Bluetooth off, wait about 10 seconds, then turn it back on.
      3. Let the earbuds reconnect and verify sound output.
    5. Run the Bluetooth/audio troubleshooters (Windows 10/11)
      • Run the Bluetooth troubleshooter in the Get Help app using Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows or Fix sound or audio problems in Windows. These troubleshooters automatically check for configuration and driver issues.
    6. Update Bluetooth drivers and Windows
      1. Open Device Manager (select Start > type Device Manager).
      2. Expand Bluetooth, right‑click the Bluetooth adapter, and select Update driver > Search automatically for updated driver software.
      3. Then go to Settings > Windows Update (or Update & Security > Windows Update) and select Check for updates. Install all available updates and restart.
    7. Check that the earbuds support A2DP
      • Ensure the earbuds support the A2DP audio profile (this is required for stereo audio). If they do not, Windows may only connect them as a mic device.

    If the earbuds still only show as “Connected for mic” after these steps, remove them from Bluetooth & devices, delete any related Bluetooth entries from Device Manager under Bluetooth and Audio inputs and outputs, restart the PC, and pair them again so Windows recreates the full audio profiles.

    References:

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  2. Vikki-T 10,195 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-29T13:02:26.99+00:00

    Hi Rahul Mandiya,

    I understand how frustrating this can be, especially when the earbuds were working normally before.

    To better understand what is happening, could you please confirm a few details?

    • Are these Microsoft Surface Earbuds, or another brand of Bluetooth earbuds?
    • Are you using Windows 10 or Windows 11?
    • Did this begin after a Windows update, Surface app update, driver update, or after connecting the earbuds to another phone/PC?
    • Do the earbuds play sound normally when connected to another device, such as your phone?
    • In Settings > System > Sound, do the earbuds appear under Output, or only under Input?

    In the meantime, please try the following checks:

    1, Make sure the earbuds are not connected to another device at the same time

    • If the earbuds are also connected to a phone, tablet, or another PC, disconnect them from those devices first. Then put the earbuds back into the charging case, wait a few seconds, and reconnect them only to the Windows device.

    2, Check the Surface app

    • Open the Surface app on Windows and check whether your Surface Earbuds appear there. If they do, review the device information and install any available firmware or accessory updates. Also check whether the earbuds are shown as paired with multiple devices, then disconnect any device you are not currently using.

    3, Check whether Windows sees the earbuds as a playback device

    • Press Win + R, type mmsys.cpl, and press Enter. In the Playback tab, look for your earbuds. If they appear there, right-click them and make sure they are enabled and set as the default playback device.

    4, Restart Windows audio services

    • Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter. Find Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder, then restart both services. After that, disconnect and reconnect the earbuds and test the sound again.

    5, Check app-specific audio settings

    • If the issue happens only in one app, such as Teams, Edge, Chrome, Spotify, or a media player, check that app’s own audio settings and make sure the output device is set to your earbuds or to Default.

    6, Test with a clean Bluetooth reconnect

    • Turn off Bluetooth on the PC, put the earbuds back in the case, restart the PC, then turn Bluetooth back on and reconnect the earbuds. After reconnecting, check whether the status changes back to “Connected for mic and audio.”

    While my initial response may not fully resolve the issue, I truly appreciate your cooperation as we work together toward identifying the most effective solution. Thank you so much for your understanding.  

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

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