USB problem requesting help

Electronics
1

Not really related to anything I’ve made.

I’ve recently started to wear hearing aids and they seem to have issues when paired to my phone.

When on a phone call at about 26 minutes one will stop receiving the stream and then the other at which time the other party can’t hear me either. If the other party is speaking I can switch the phone to speaker, turn off then on Bluetooth and switch the phone manually back to using the Bluetooth device.

When streaming audio, such as when viewing YouTube, at some random time the audio becomes distorted and turning Bluetooth off and back on restores the audio quality for anywhere from a few minutes to well over an hour.

For reference I never had issues using Bluetooth devices other than these hearing aids. Some google forum suggested 2 things that have no effect separately or combined.

First one: “Enable developer options then search settings for “Disable Bluetooth A2DP hardware offload” this is in the off position by default, toggle it to enable it. It will then prompt you to reboot to enable that feature.”

Second one: “… Another option is to change the “Bluetooth AVRCP version” option to 1.4 or 1.3. You can find this option from the developer menu, which you must first unlock.” (Default is version 1.5, also tried version 1.6.)

It’s not seeming like a pairing issue, but just to be thorough I did try “Forget” device in Bluetooth settings and re-paired. I also tried forgetting the other three devices I use with this phone and that made no difference. (Accidentally discovered that an up-paired Fitbit Charge 5 consumes battery much faster).

Resound, the hearing aid manufacturer, has on their phone compatibility page a notice that the issue with Google Pixel phones began with a security update pushed in December 2022, but I couldn’t find any mention of that anywhere else and that’s described as a pairing issue. They claim that Google is aware and working on a fix, but it sounds like a fix for a different problem that I’m not experiencing.

Anyone here have any experience implementing or troubleshooting Bluetooth?

I’m really wanting to avoid the cost of trying a different brand of hearing aids as they’re quite expensive.

2 Likes
2

I found this update from Google. It mentions some Bluetooth bug fixes:

image

1 Like
3

Do you experience these issues with any devices besides your phone?

2 Likes
4

I didn’t mention in my request that I have been keeping current with updates to both the system and apps, because I didn’t want to make it any longer. Currently running TQ1A.230205.001.D2 which is one month newer than the update mentioned. Because im using a Pixel 6a I get updates sooner than many other brands and models. Also I do read the release notes and at least 4 months consecutively updates have included Bluetooth fixes.

What I’d really like to find is an app or a hardware device or a method to do Bluetooth logging and troubleshooting.

When the problem occurs the devices are both indicating they are still paired and cycling Bluetooth off and back on on the phone always restores functionality.

Mike

3 Likes
5

No, I haven’t tried pairing the hearing aids with any other devices.

Good idea though. I’m trying to think of what I might have with Bluetooth that can be an audio source.

2 Likes
6

My Dad pairs his with a TV.

2 Likes
7

Not a feature on my TV. I do have a laptop that I could try though. It’s probably a much older Bluetooth version, so might not tell me much.

(Some minutes pass) - - - Well it seems these hearing aids will only pair with smartphones. They’re discoverable from other devices, but won’t pair. The manufacturer manual only mentions use with a smartphone and it requires installing their app. I’m guessing the app installation modifies the Bluetooth stack, possibly by adding a proprietary profile.

So I’m not sure what to try next. Compatibility still says: “We are investigating the issues with Google and expect the issues to be resolved in a future software update from Google. In the meantime, you may reconnect by turning Bluetooth off/on. As soon as a permanent resolution has been identified, we will make an update on this page”.

1 Like