Windows 10: Why does my Bluetooth headphones not show up in my Audio output?

Sometimes I connect my headphones with Bluetooth and the option to switch to the Audio output of my headphones doesn't show up. I have tried different pairs including Bose headphones and Air Pods but they don't work. sometimes it works but as soon as I restart my laptop it stops working again. I have no problems with connecting to the headphones via Bluetooth. wired headphones don't seem to be affected but when I connect audio related to Bluetooth the option to switch to that output device doesn't show up. I've tried restarting, connecting different things, and reconnecting repeatedly but noth

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Making Bluetooth headphones the audio output device

I finally got my Bluetooth headphones to connect to my PC (Windows 10) but I'm not getting any sound through them. When I try to change my audio output device to them, I don't see them listed. I do see them under Bluetooth devices in Device Manager.

 

HP Notebook will not show bluetooth connecteed audio output devices

I have a MPow Bluetooth headphone connected to my notebook via bluetooth, but the Audio Output Options only show Microphone Realtek High Definition Audio so that I can't listen through my headphone. How do I get additional audio output options?

 

HFP devices no longer show as audio input or audio output devices (Win11)

All of my HFP Bluetooth devices are no longer available as audio input or output devices. A2DP devices still show as audio output devices.

I've tried:

• unpairing and repairing BT devices (Sony MDR-ZX770BN and a custom ESP32-based device)
  
• removing all BT devices (including hidden devices) from Device Manager, including the RFCOMM and SDP services and Intel wireless driver, etc. and reinstalling
  
• removing the Audio devices (Realtek) and reinstalling
  
• sfc /scannow (no problems found)
  
• checked registry Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Bluetooth\Audio\Hfp\AudioGateay and ..\HandsFree and both show registry value Enabled=1 (not that I've seen any diagnostic ever suggest checking these keys)
  
• pairing my headphones to a Win10 laptop, which works fine, and audio input/output devices allow me to select HFP (also A2DP)
  checking the headphones under "Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Devices and Printers", I can confirm under "Bluetooth Services" the headphones show Audio Sink, and Hands-free Telephony, so SDP has discovered the HFP profile correctly
  
• my ESP32 device also has SPP (serial port) which works fine, and the headphones can use A2DP just fine, so Windows can use the other BT profiles on these devices
  
• running troubleshooter for Audio Input and Audio Output devices - the troubleshooter finds nothing, and doesn't even list the HFP device as an audio device
  

HFP was working OK before Christmas. At some point since then all HFP devices no longer show as audio input/recording sources or output sources.

My laptop is a Lenovo Thinkpad L15 gen 3, roughly 1 year old. Windows and drivers are all up-to-date.