Confusing Apple

Well, I came upon my first real hurdle, since swapping to my iPhone.

I regularly use a Bluetooth headset (Samsung Galaxy Buds+) and when I was out walking, I received a call. I picked it up by pressing on the surface on the earbuds, but it went dead. Took off my gloves and fished inside my jacket for my phone, it had taken the call, but disconnected the headset.

It turns out, that the iPhone defaults to the internal speaker and microphone, even if you are already wearing a headset with speakers and microphone!

Nothing under BT settings, nothing under the Phone app settings. In the end, I did some searching on the Internet and I found the solution…

It isn’t under audio, Bluetooth or the Phone app, where you would assume it to be. Oh, no, it is much more (il)logical than that. It is under accessibility settings, under Touch! Yes, the default audio device for the Phone app is under touch settings for accessibility!

That is so logical, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it myself! /s

Conversation 9 comments

  • Stabitha.Christie

    14 January, 2022 - 9:30 am

    <p>Curious. If you have a headset on I don’t think the phone defaults to internal speakers and mic when you answer calls. Mine certainly doesn’t. That said I answer using the phone or watch and not an interaction with the headset. So it’s that interaction that seems to be driving the behavior you are seeing. That said, I agree that it is totally counter intuitive. I would have expected the headset to answer the phone and remain connected. </p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      14 January, 2022 - 10:34 am

      <p>That is how it works with Android, so I assumed it would work the same on the iPhone. But searching on the internet brought up several threads about it.</p><p><br></p><p>I also tested it several times on my iPhone, by calling it repeatedly from the my landline. With the headset connected and with it playing audio, the iPhone stops the headset playing and switches the call to the internal speaker and microphone. I had to switch it manually back to the headset.</p><p><br></p><p>Changing the touch accessibility option to Bluetooth as the default then let the iPhone automatically use the headset when called, and when no Bluetooth is connected, it drops back to the internal speaker and microphone.</p>

      • Stabitha.Christie

        14 January, 2022 - 11:09 am

        <p> I looked in Accessibility and mine is set to Automatic. Perhaps a bug or an issue with specific bluetooth devices? Who knows, whatever it is it should work consistently rather than different behavior on different devices. </p>

  • christianwilson

    Premium Member
    14 January, 2022 - 11:47 am

    <p>That is a weird place to bury that option. Good find and thanks for sharing.</p><p><br></p><p>I never had this problem but my setting for Call Audio Routing is set to Automatic. Was yours defaulted to Speaker?</p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      14 January, 2022 - 1:12 pm

      <p>Mine was set to automatic.</p>

  • jt5

    Premium Member
    14 January, 2022 - 11:50 am

    <p>I use a Bluetooth headset with my iphone for work- as long as I answer from the headset it works fine. If I answer from the phone it- it goes to the headset. My headphone does have a setting to answer calls by pressing it- sounds like similar to yours. This would drive me crazy if it worked like you were having the problem. Thanks for taking the time to find the clearly easy to find setting(Forgive my sarcasm).</p>

  • Chris_Kez

    Premium Member
    14 January, 2022 - 1:43 pm

    <p>Interesting. I use AirPods, and tapping one when a call comes in will pause the music and route the call to the AirPods. </p>

    • thejoefin

      Premium Member
      14 January, 2022 - 1:52 pm

      <p>I had AirPods for a little bit before returning them because they kept falling out of my ears, but the behavior is different with my Jaybird earbuds than it was with AirPods. Not sure if this is anti-competitive behavior from Apple or lack of API use by Jaybirds, either way it is frustrating.</p>

  • wunderbar

    Premium Member
    14 January, 2022 - 3:06 pm

    <p>yeah… this is something that should work. Might just be a specific weird bug with that specific headsete.</p>

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