How to Connect Bluetooth speaker with zoom?

[hminney]

This is clearly going to run and run.  No, Zoom doesn't work with Bluetooth on all devices.

1) my bluetooth headset works with Windows.  It works fine with MS Teams, GoToMeeting, Google Hangouts, and for dictation and playing music

2) my bluetooth headset is detected by Zoom.  The microphone works fine with Zoom

3) the bluetooth speakers (ie the ear pieces on the headset) don't work with Zoom.  When I select them, either by selecting "use same as system" or by selecting them specifically, Zoom says it's playing the test sound (or my friend carries on talking) but no sound come to the headset.  Which works, as I said above, with everything else from Windows

I wonder if Zoom is going to fix this?  I've been trying different "solutions" for a couple of years now and it's tedious and annoying.  No wonder MS Teams has had to become my video calling solution of choice - not because it's easy for others to access, but because I can use my headset which I can't with Zoom.  I have to use a bulky USB headset whenever I'm on Zoom.

[Luv2Zoom]

SOLUTION: or work around.

I have an S22 Ultra. I turned off Bluetooth. Turned off my buds. Rebooted my phone. Started my Zoom meeting. Then turned on BT and then my buds. Success! Zoom is now using my earbuds.

Perhaps another app has control of the BT device and Zoom can't take control to use it.

[jockers]

I think the distinction might be that your earbuds have a microphone and thus have bluetooth headset mode (or whatever it's called).  Due to echo canceler software issues there are problems with using any bluetooth audio output which doesn't have a microphone built in to it.  I feel like Zoom probably specifically disables this because they don't want to have to deal with echo cancelation.

[LisaShea]

Thank you SO MUCH. I would like to report that we have a Samsung S21Ultra with Earfun Free Pro 2 earbuds. They have worked for everything EXCEPT Zoom since about the beginning of 2022. They work perfectly well with everything else. So it was definitely something about Zoom not working.

We followed the Luv2Zoom instructions:

1) Turn off Bluetooth

2) Turn off earbuds

3) Reboot phone

4) Start Zoom

5) Turn on Bluetooth

6) Turn on earbuds

That works perfectly for Zoom.

Thank you so much!!

[achridhan]

yeah have same issue.. by changing step 3 by force close zoom.. didn't change anything.. seem zoom remember the setting even the bug miss direct sound..

[mmidgley]

thanks for the suggestion. unfortunately it fails too readily. for example, if you get a phone call during the meeting, even if you decline it, you are no longer on bt audio and cannot get back. it's just horribly broken; something that works for every other app I deal with.... unbelievable.

[jianwu]

Same problem for Xiaomi Mi 10. All other apps works well with bluetooth. Only zoom doesn't work. And when zoom meeting is running. All the other apps's audio will also stop working with bluetooth. I have to end zoom meeting to let other apps to connect to bluetooth again. All the suggestions above doesn't work at all. It's obviously a bug that messes up the bluetooth. Which causes big in-convenience.   

[brucew]

Over two years of using Zoom I've never been able to get Zoom to use bluetooth speakers or earbuds from any Android device.  The speaker option that is shown during a meeting just switches to using the phone's earpiece instead of the speakers.  Currently this is on a Samsung S20 FE 5G.  They've clearly done some tricky audio programming instead of using standard APIs since all other programs (even very simple ones) that I use all switch to the earbuds when they connect.

I'm happy to assist in testing if they decide to address the problem.

[LisaShea]

Try this:

1) Turn off Bluetooth

2) Turn off earbuds

3) Reboot phone

4) Start Zoom

5) Turn on Bluetooth

6) Turn on earbuds

That worked for us on a S21 Ultra.

[jockers]

Since my original post in this thread I got a Galaxy 4 smart watch and now the Android Zoom app behavior is even worse.  The zoom meeting audio still refuses to connect to a bluetooth speaker (no matter how many times I disconnect/reconnect it, tap the audio icon which shows a bluetooth logo, etc).  However, now no matter what I do in software settings I could not get the Zoom meeting audio to NOT play on the smart watch!  I finally had to power off the smart watch so I could even have a chance of adjusting meeting audio settings in the app (which never worked to send the audio to the bluetooth speaker).

Based on this I have concluded the Zoom Android app is functionally unusable.   I hope Zoom product people or software engineers might check this thread at some point, this thread is going on a year with no resolution.

Zoom engineers/product people: the use case for a bluetooth speaker is Zoom all hands meetings where there is zero chance I will need to participate but I want higher quality audio, or need louder levels, than I can get from my phone (or smart watch).

[mmidgley]

This bug has existed way too long and this kinda shows Zoom's commitment level to fixing things.

However, if you contact Zoom support they will ask lots of questions and eventually ask you to install a test version (via APK file) of their Zoom app that produces more diagnostic info for their engineering efforts. I recommend you request that app and submit logs.

I have this test version of the app installed and waiting to reproduce the issue myself.

[exceptionalpm]

Hey Community.   I want to thank you all for helping me understand and characterize this issue with the Zoom Tech team.    When I switched to a Samsung S21 from my S9, I incurred this same issue.   Your detailed notes, help me find a workaround until a real solution could be found.    I've been working with the Zoom tech team for the last 6 months on this issue, and they've finally resolved it.       

To solve this problem, you'll need to install the Android Mobile app version 5.13.4 or higher (currently my version is 5.13.5).     I tried to upgrade without reinstalling, and that did not work.   However, once I deleted the Zoom mobile app, and downloaded the latest version from the Googe Store, it provided me with the latest version.   

Here's what I wrote to Zoom Tech in the final conversation. 

"I tested the Zoom mobile app today with the latest updated version, 5.13.4, and the application worked exactly as expected with the Bluetooth functionality. I had my Bt device on before I turned on the Zoom app, and it worked as expected.   Previously, I had to turn the Zoom app on before I turned the Bt device on to make the Zoom app work.   

I also turned the Bt off and on via the Zoom mobile app and the app worked perfectly versus before that function did not work.    We’re good to go."

[ymiller]

The workaround @MaxarAdam didn't work for me. 

BUUUT I found a fix that worked for me! I went to Apps settings on my Android, selected Zoom, deleted the storage (not just the cache) and then uninstalled the app. Restarted my phone, reinstalled the app and voila! It now works.

[dgdoug]

I'm not sure I've seen a fix for using zoom on a desktop, but I'm having the same issue with my Bluetooth speaker on my desktop.  Makes no sense.  The speaker works with all applications except Zoom, so I end up wearing wired headphones on Zoom calls.  So, now I have to go back to wired speakers?  

[zlee]

I'm having this issue too and unfortunately I've tried all the workarounds everyone's posted here. It was working a few months ago and then just stopped. It won't connect switch to any bluetooth device I've tried--Samsung Buds, Aukey, car radio, nothing.

I have a Samsung Galaxy S20+.

Any other ideas, or news on whether Zoom has acknowledged this as a real issue?