Why do I experience audio delay when using my Bluetooth earbuds?
Transmitting audio over Bluetooth requires many elements to work together and will always involve some audio delays or latency. Most latency isn’t detected, but there are times when it becomes noticeable, especially when watching videos or playing games.
If you feel you are experiencing an above average amount of latency, try the following:
- Keep your earbuds and connected mobile device close together.
- Remove physical barriers between your earbuds and connected mobile device.
- Ensure your earbuds and connected mobile device are using the latest firmware and software versions.
- Unpair and re-pair your earbuds with your mobile device.
- Turn your mobile device off and on again.
- Adjust the audio delay/latency timing in your phone/television/computer settings (refer to the manufacturer’s documentation).
- Go to the settings in the app that is not native to your mobile device (e.g. TikTok) to resync the audio.
If you continue to experience audio latency, it could be because of the following:
- Bluetooth codecs
Codecs compress audio data to send over Bluetooth. The more compression that is applied to audio data, the lower the audio quality and latency. All codecs are different as they find the balance between reducing file size and maintaining audio quality. It is important to note that both your audio source (e.g., phone, tablet, computer) and your earbuds need to support the same codec. If not, the SBC codec will be used by default and is prone to audio delays.
- Bluetooth version
Bluetooth LE Audio with Bluetooth 5.2 brings time-synchronised audio streaming. As a result, fewer buffers are needed, and delays are shorter. Note that both your earbuds and connected streaming device will always default to the lowest Bluetooth version between the two. For example, if your earbuds have Bluetooth 5.2 and your phone has Bluetooth 4.2, you will only experience the features of Bluetooth 4.2.
