Owning a Bluetooth speaker is amazingly convenient because it’s portable and allows you to connect to any device of your choosing. It’s a much simpler way to play music than the old-school stereos with their mess of confusing and chaotic wires.
However, the speakers can sometimes pause for no real reason, and this can be frustrating. It’s a good idea to troubleshoot yourself before buying a new speaker or returning the one you have – let’s walk you through it.
Reasons Why Your Bluetooth Speaker Pauses
There are a few reasons your speaker might be pausing randomly or even switching off suddenly. Most of the problems are very easy fixes that can be implemented immediately.
Battery problems
A low battery can affect the Bluetooth function on your speaker and cause a choppy sound or frequent pauses. If the sound quality is worse as well, sounding crackly or grainy, then it might be an indication that the battery is dying or needs replacing.
Signal interference
Devices that are capable of Bluetooth connectivity work on the 2.4GHz frequency. But this means that if you have multiple devices that are Bluetooth capable, they’ll all be competing for the same frequency. This competition can cause your speaker to pause.
WiFi
WiFi also works on the 2.4GHz frequency, so this can cause your speaker to pause when you’re using both at the same time. If the WiFi gets slower whenever the speaker is on, it might be a sign that the signals are getting crossed.
Walls
While being able to move around while you play music is one of the main reasons for buying a Bluetooth device, you still have to be mindful. Having a physical barrier between your connected devices and the speaker can weaken the signal. The thicker the wall or material is between the two, the harder it will be for the signal to pass through.
Bodies
Bluetooth signals also weaken when they’re passing through bodies of water, so because humans are mostly water, our bodies can interfere with the signal. This is called cross-body interference, and it can happen with your mobile device and Bluetooth headphones too!
Other Bluetooth devices
This is a problem that mainly occurs in speakers that pair automatically and are capable of pairing to more than one device at the same time. This means that your speaker can connect with another device while still connected to your phone.
Background Apps
Having too many apps or programs running in the background of your phone, laptop or tablet can slow down all the connections, including the Bluetooth signal.
How to Fix Bluetooth Speaker
Now that you have an understanding of the most common reasons why your speaker might be pausing, we’ll guide you in solving the problems.
Charge the speaker
Check your speaker’s battery indicator and see if it’s low. If it is, simply charge your speaker and try again. If the problem is resolved after this, the solution would be to just be mindful of the speaker’s battery going forward.
Replace the battery
If the speaker is already fully charged but still pausing or emitting choppy audio, the battery might need to be replaced. Speaker batteries typically have a 2-3 year lifespan, after which they might need to be replaced.
If you can replace your speaker’s batteries or battery yourself, you should try it out and see if it makes a difference. *Note that for many models of bluetooth speakers, replacing the battery is either challenging, impossible, or prohibitively expensive.
See a Technician
If your speaker’s battery isn’t accessible to you, then it’s time to take your speaker to a technician so they can assess the speaker for themselves and replace the battery if necessary.
Get rid of interference
If you suspect that the problem is signal interference, you should do your best to limit that by switching off your other devices when using your speaker. If you can’t switch off the device, then the next best thing to do is make sure the speaker is as far away from that device as possible.
Don’t place your body, walls, or any other objects between the speaker and the connected device to limit the potential for signal interference.
Reset the connection
Resetting the settings and pairing on the speaker and phone or other devices can also erase any glitchy behavior.
On the speaker
If the speaker has a Bluetooth button, use it to disconnect from the phone. Press the button again and reconnect with the phone. If the problem persists, you can try it on the phone as well.
On the other device
Go to the settings app on your phone and turn the Bluetooth off. Turn it back on and reconnect with the speaker. If the problem persists, try unpairing from the speaker.
Go to your settings app, navigate to Bluetooth and choose to forget the speaker from your device. Then pair it with the speaker again; this will refresh any data between your device and speaker.
Move closer
Most speakers have a range for their Bluetooth connection. This means that once the device is outside of this range, the connection will start to become choppy until it’s too far to connect.
Familiarise yourself with your speaker’s connectivity range and stay within it when playing music. Alternatively, you can carry the speaker with you or leave your device and speaker in one place together.
Check your device
In some instances, a problem with the phone or device being used to play music can be misinterpreted as a problem with the speaker.
- Close all background apps and programs, leaving only the app playing music to run.
- Check for software updates for the phone or the app being used; sometimes, outdated software can be buggy and cause music to pause.
- Check your data or Wifi connection to make sure that it’s stable and not causing interruptions in the music.
- Check that your device and speaker are compatible with each other. Older speakers might not pair well with newer devices.
FAQs
Why does my Bluetooth speaker turn off at full volume?
If the speaker consistently turns off when you’re playing music at full volume, it means you’ve probably discovered the device’s limit.
Final Thoughts
A Bluetooth speaker that keeps passing can be annoying, but the problem is usually a quick and easy solution. If none of the tips work, consider taking your speaker to your local technician or electronics store.
