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User profile for user: MalenySteve
MalenySteve Author
User level: Level 1
17 points

Bluetooth headphones, Apple Watch and iPhone

I have a pair of Plantronics Backbeat Fit bluetooth headphones. I just got an iPhone Xs Max and an Apple Watch s4. Today at the gym I left my phone in a secure locker after having paired the headphones and started running audio whilst doing my workout. The Watch can control the audio, stop/start/pause etc. I got to a part of the gym where something obstructed the bluetooth signal from the iPhone to the headphones and the audio stopped. The Watch still had connectivity and I was able to pause and resume the audio. I went back to the locker and could here the audio coming from the iPhone. I was able to pair the headphones directly to the Watch, but no audio came through. Can someone explain how this all works to me please. I assume the Watch has better receptivity of bluetooth than the headphones. I know it is possible to play stored audio files on the Watch to the headphones, but it seems I cannot use the Watch as a relay to stream audio from the iPhone through the Watch to the headphones? Thanks for any suggestions.

Apple Watch Series 4, watchOS 5.0.1

Posted on Oct 25, 2018 9:08 PM

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User profile for user: rockmyplimsoul
rockmyplimsoul
User level: Level 6
11,155 points

Posted on Nov 5, 2018 3:25 PM

Your Watch cannot "relay" audio from your iPhone to the Bluetooth headphones. What you were initially seeing is the Watch showing you what was playing from your iPhone (and able to remote control the iPhone) but the audio in your headphones was coming from your iPhone's Bluetooth connection to the headphones.

So when you paired your headphones to your Watch, you didn't hear anything either because (a) you don't have any music saved to your Watch, or (b) the Music app on the Watch was set to "On iPhone" (media on iPhone) rather than "Library" (media saved on your Watch).


So if you want to play music from your Watch to your headphones, first load some music onto it but then be sure to select the correct source for the music in the app (the upper-left corner of the Watch's Music app is where you navigate to sources).

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User profile for user: rockmyplimsoul
rockmyplimsoul
User level: Level 6
11,155 points

Nov 5, 2018 3:25 PM in response to MalenySteve

Your Watch cannot "relay" audio from your iPhone to the Bluetooth headphones. What you were initially seeing is the Watch showing you what was playing from your iPhone (and able to remote control the iPhone) but the audio in your headphones was coming from your iPhone's Bluetooth connection to the headphones.

So when you paired your headphones to your Watch, you didn't hear anything either because (a) you don't have any music saved to your Watch, or (b) the Music app on the Watch was set to "On iPhone" (media on iPhone) rather than "Library" (media saved on your Watch).


So if you want to play music from your Watch to your headphones, first load some music onto it but then be sure to select the correct source for the music in the app (the upper-left corner of the Watch's Music app is where you navigate to sources).

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Bluetooth headphones, Apple Watch and iPhone

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