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Bluetooth earbuds only shows as hands free not stereo

Issue:
My Bluetooth headphone is not connecting properly with my ASUS TUF FA617NT laptop. Instead of connecting as a stereo audio device, it is only connecting as a hands-free device, which results in poor audio quality.

Background:
The headphone was working perfectly fine a couple of weeks ago. I accidentally deleted the Bluetooth drivers back then and reinstalled them. Since then, the headphone has only been connecting as a hands-free device, and I can’t use the A2DP stereo profile for high-quality audio. I tried connecting the same headphone to another laptop, and it worked fine, so the issue is specific to this laptop.

Troubleshooting Attempts:
1. Reinstalled Bluetooth drivers (tried both MediaTek and Realtek versions from the ASUS support page).
2. Removed and re-paired the headphone multiple times. Checked Sound settings, but the stereo option is missing.
3. Disabled Hands-Free Telephony in device properties.
4. Restarted Bluetooth services and reset Bluetooth settings.
5. Ran Windows Troubleshooter, but it didn’t resolve the issue.

Expected Outcome:

I want my Bluetooth headphone to connect as a stereo audio device instead of a hands-free device so I can use it for high-quality sound output.

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Hello, Bibhav Karn

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

To get stereo audio working with your Bluetooth device, you'll likely need the AVRCP Transport driver. Here's how to check:

  1. Right-click the Start menu icon and select "Device Manager".

  2. Expand the "Bluetooth" section. Look for anything listed that mentions "AVRCP."

  3. If you see an AVRCP entry, right-click on it and select "Update driver."

  4. Choose "Browse my computer for drivers."

  5. Choose "Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer."

  6. Look for and select the "Microsoft Bluetooth AVRCP Transport" driver.

After that, try your Bluetooth headphones again to see if stereo is now enabled.

If you can't find the Microsoft Bluetooth AVRCP Transport driver at all, you can try this:

  1. On a different Windows 11 computer (ideally one that's up-to-date), open File Explorer and go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers.

  2. Copy the entire folder to a USB drive or other portable storage.

  3. Copy to Your PC: Transfer the file to the same location (C:\Windows\System32\drivers) on your problematic computer. Then, repeat the driver update steps above.

If that still doesn't work, I'd recommend performing an in-place upgrade of Windows. This will refresh your system files while keeping your personal files intact. However, it's always a good idea to back up your important files before doing so, just in case something goes wrong.

How to run In-place upgrade in Windows 11 - Microsoft Community

Yuhao L

Microsoft Community Technical Support

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Hi Yuhao.L,
Thanks for your response. I checked my Device Manager, and the AVRCP Transport driver is already listed (as shown in the attached screenshot). I also updated it manually, but it did not resolve the issue—my Bluetooth earbuds still only work in hands-free mode, not stereo. I also tried reinstalling the driver and even attempted copying the necessary system files from another Windows 11 PC, but that didn't help either. Do you have any other troubleshooting steps I can try? Thanks.

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As I mentioned, try in-place upgrade. There might be something wrong with the system files. Just remember to back up your important files in advance.

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Question Info

Last updated March 23, 2025 Views 29 Applies to: