It would be more interesting if we started threads about TFA instead of rehashing the same generic complaints about X just because X appears in the title.
Ok let me rephrase that: can anyone explain why this common scenario doesn’t work and if there’s any way to solve this? Would a homebrew device running my own software help?
To echo the sibling comment -- Apple has largely solved this problem, within the Apple ecosystem. If you want to avoid Apple, then you're up to the will of N vendors want to try to solve the problem their own way, so...
For Apple, the key feature is iCloud. Your headphone bluetooth information is stored in iCloud, so any headphones that have been paired with one device, are paired with all other devices. This is the secret sauce that make the system work. But even here, there can be issues. My Airpods connect to all of our Apple TVs, but my wife's don't. My iCloud account is the primary one, but I haven't figured out how to get my wife's headphones to transfer over as easily. So, even here -- when things work, they work great. When they don't -- you're stuck.
As far as using custom firmware, I'm not sure how much that would help you. The CSR8645 module from the article has its own firmware already installed and running. It looks like customizing would require some kind of license from Qualcomm. But, even then -- the secret sauce for migrating headphones from device to device isn't in the headphones. It's in the devices. So, that's where you'd need to add some custom code.
> If you want to avoid Apple, then you're up to the will of N vendors want to try to solve the problem their own way, so...
Isn’t this the whole idea of having a standard?
> For Apple, the key feature is iCloud. Your headphone bluetooth information is stored in iCloud, so any headphones that have been paired with one device, are paired with all other devices.
The pairing itself, while a bit annoying isn’t the whole problem, it’s having to connect and disconnect all the time and sometimes pair again. Now I’m not sure how iCloud is necessary for this, the device should already know my regular devices (in fact I think one of the headphones I have can be paired to nine devices, but only connect to two at the same time). The annoying thing is that it stays connected to devices I don’t use, e.g., the closed laptop, the desktop I’m not even logged in on or a different user is actively using. In an ideal world it would connect to all and figure out what to play. In an ok world I’m fine with it always connecting to my iPhone and the other device I’m actively using.
> Now I’m not sure how iCloud is necessary for this, the device should already know my regular devices
It isn’t the headphones that have the issue. AFAICT, it’s that your devices aren’t releasing the headphones from the connection. For this, you require coordination between your phone and tablet. The headphones can just be along for the ride. Your devices try to keep their connection as stable as possible. If your tablet doesn’t know your phone now wants to play a video, why would your tablet disconnect from the headphones?
Maybe it isn’t iCloud that does this (but iCloud definitely stores the Bluetooth ids so you only have to setup the headphones once). But there is some OOB communication between the devices. This is the Apple secret sauce and why they can have the feature, but other vendors struggle.
Say I'm connected to devices A and B. Now C starts playing something, so via iCloud through one of the connected devices, the headphones get the message to disconnect and connect to C.
So A, B, C need to be connected to some server, otherwise they won't have the information on the state of A, B and C and to take actions to connect or disconnect.
Now one alternative would be to have two Bluetooth controllers to stay connected to four devices, but that would increase size and battery consumption. Another would be to periodically rotate connections to idle devices, but that risks not being connected when needed.
If I were designing this, I'd make some sort of a "partial connection", not the full protocol that sends audio, but something that can broadcast to previously connected devices that triggers a full connection.
I have. It doesn’t work for us. I think it’s probably something with her account, where she doesn’t have a setting right. But I try to stay out of her technology as much as possible… it’s just easier that way. :)
I can’t imagine dealing with the shit show of BT outside of the Apple ecosystem in 2022.
You’re not going to like the obvious answer - get into the Apple ecosystem and buy Apple headphones.
They seamlessly switch between my iPhone, iPad and Mac. If I am watching something on my iPad and my iPhone rings, they automatically switch. If I start watching a video on my iPad and then start playing a video on my iPhone, they automatically switch.
Not to mention if I’m using my AirPods with my AppleTV at night and my wife starts talking to me, I just take one side out and the TV pauses.
Of course they work in just the opposite manner. If I put them in, audio switches to them.
I’m not sure if auto switching from my watch. But since I can take phone calls on it anyway. It doesn’t matter as much.
Also if I pair to any device connected to my Apple ID, all of my other devices automatically show them as an option - iPad, iPhone, AppleTV, Watch, Mac.
