Update 8901.4.A.0016.6: Bluetooth control broken on various devices

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Sparda. But this is getting really OT…

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Me too! - No bluetooth control on my three devices since I ‘downgraded’ to 8901.4.A.0016.6 yesterday (5th Aug 2022 security update), I usually check in here to read what’s been broken before applying updates, but foolishly I didn’t this time. Arrgh!

So I wonder if Fairphone added anything to this update that might have caused this breakage or is this all Google’s handywork? Here’s hoping the next patch resolves this.

Update : I have just sent a bug report to Fairphone support. As it is using their on-line form, I won’t expect a reply in a hurry if at all!

Update 2 : received an automated reply telling they won’t deal with my support ticket until I provide proof of purchase (from my reseller) despite the fact I sent them proof of purchase for a ticket I created a couple of years ago. I sent this latest ticket while being logged in so why do they need it again? I’m not claiming under warranty?!

If anyone out there has purchased their FP3 from FP and has this issue, maybe you will have more luck reporting this issue than me. All I see are FP throwing obstacles in my path. If I find my proof of purchase, I will send, if not my report will not be dealt with. Arrrgh x2!

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Same here; can’t pause, can’t skip and volume control is independent from phone’s volume. With both my JBL GO 2 bluetooth speaker and JBL TUNE125BT earphones.

I’ve purchased my FP3 from the fairphone webstore and will try to report the issue too.

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That’s great! Thanks for doing that.

I eventually found my proof of purchase (seemingly requred each time for those of us who purchased from a reseller), so sent that off. Hopefully someone will get to read my report as well now. While I hope a patch is hatched quickly, I’m not overly optimistic based on past peformance.

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Just a +1 on this topic. Having the same problem here. Getting quite tired of something new breaking with every update.

Headphones are Taotronics SoundLiberty 92.

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In a similar case reported here, it’s reported that a long press on the control button of the headset launches Google assistant instead of the expected media function. Is anyone else seeing this or have info?

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Another user who has the issue:

Getting more and more people who share that they have the same experience. Hopefully tells Fairphone to hurry up with a fix.

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With Bluetooth issues, one step before that should be the network reset in the Settings (resetting Wi-Fi, mobile data and Bluetooth).
It’s a hassle, too, e.g. for Wi-Fi passwords which have to be re-entered and for Bluetooth devices needing pairing again, but less hassle than a factory reset.

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Do you happen to know whether WiFi credentials stored in a Google account are deleted when doing this? If they’re not and they’re used to reestablish the connection after the reset I’d give it a try, though I don’t have much hope.

Today I used my FP3 in the car and, not unexpectedly, nothing apart from audio playback started on the phone worked. The title of the currently playing song wasn’t displayed in the car; the car’s entertainment system didn’t even seem to know that something was playing and happily displayed a play (instead of a pause) button that of course did nothing.

Since very obviously the problem aren’t the TWS earbuds but the latest FP3 update, shouldn’t this topic be renamed and moved to the FP3 section?

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I don’t know, sorry.

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It’s not just earphones. Happens to bluetooth connections in cars, too, at least in my Skoda.
There’s no song title shown in the displays, you can’t skip forward from the car any more (neither from touch displays nor from wheel-steering).That seems to verify, that this is not an issue with my car only:

Doesn’t work. Tried that, even did a factory reset on my cars media and phone settings. Changed AVRCP from version 1.5 (default) to version 1.4, then to 1.3, then 1.6. Nothing helps. That update broke the bluetooth connection.

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I have a similar but slightly different issue. When I connect my Fairphone ear phones they now try to start a call to the last person I called, which is rather err annoying not just for me but the other person too. Has anyone else had this issue?

I also have issues with them pausing audio and video unexpectedly whilst in use.

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Had to hunt a bit, but found it:

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Can confirm on JBL headphones, a Polestar car and a speaker (could check the make and model, but I don’t think it changes the point).

Definitely started after the update.

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I have the same issue. Volume buttons of the bluetooth headset still work, but the media button does not. Single click for play/pause has no effect and double or tripple click also has no effect.

I use these all the time, so this is super annoying. I already had issues with one update regarding display brightness and that took months to be fixed. Not sure if I want to live that long without the media button.

Is there a way to revert the upgrade? Is there a workaround to make the buttons work again?

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I don’t know any way to revert the ‘upgrade’. Google don’t make that sort of thing easy.

Does your headphone volume control still control your phone volume or are the two levels now independent of each other? In my case I have “Disable absolute volume” enabled in developer options so phone and bluetooth levels were already independent. When the headphones did work the phone volume, I couldn’t get the level right as the steps were too great. Level was either too loud or too soft.

No reply from Fairphone on my report ticket opened 11:50 Wednesday. If I have time I will try and phone them tomorrow to see if they are aware.

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Same issue with my FP3, with both BS Boss and Galaxy Buds+.
Both with PocketCasts and Spotify.

I’ve tried almost all suggestions in the links below.

Including:

  • Restart Your Phone
  • Forget Device and Pair
  • Check Bluetooth Device Details
  • Reset Network Settings (which will indeed forget all your wifi passwords).
  • Reset Bluetooth Settings / Clear Bluetooth app cache and data
  • Checked for updates

Excluding:

  • Refresh the Cache Partition
  • Factory Reset.
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So what about this setting?

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No, the volume is also split now. Before the volume buttons of the headset controlled the phone’s bluetooth volume. Now, it doesn’t. It still changes the perceived volume though.

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Just trying to work out if the volume is controlling the phone or just the headphone volume as nyi states “Volume buttons of the bluetooth headset still work”. The two can work independently. Does that answer your question?

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