Can I Pair A Bluetooth Headset With 2 Phones Simultaneously?
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Bluetooth technology has come a long way since it was first introduced. It has made our lives much easier by allowing us to connect wirelessly to a variety of devices. One of the most popular uses for Bluetooth is connecting wireless headphones or headsets to our phones. But what if you have two phones? You may be wondering: can I pair a Bluetooth headset with 2 phones simultaneously?
With a regular Bluetooth headset, you can only connect to one phone at a time. However, there are some new Bluetooth headsets on the market that are designed to be able to connect to two phones simultaneously but they support a unique feature called Bluetooth Multipoint.
Read on as I will go through this and other frequently asked questions about connecting a Bluetooth headset to two phones.
Can I Pair A Bluetooth Headset With 2 Phones Simultaneously?
It is not possible for a regular Bluetooth headset to be connected to two phones simultaneously. Why?
A Bluetooth connection is established when two devices that support Bluetooth agree to connect via an established protocol. Part of this protocol includes an identification process in which each device is given a unique identifier.
When you connect your Bluetooth headset to your phone, the phone and headset share their respective identifiers. The phone then stores the identifier of the headset.
When you want to connect to another phone, the new phone will not be able to recognize the headset because it does not have the headset’s identifier stored.
You will need to disconnect the headset from the first phone before you can connect it to the second phone.
So, if you have two phones and want to use a Bluetooth headset with both of them, you will need to connect and disconnect the headset each time you want to switch phones. This can be a bit of a hassle, but it is currently the only way to do it.
READ MORE! Why do my Bluetooth headphones keep disconnecting from my phone?
Are there Bluetooth Headsets that Can Connect to 2 Phones at a Time?
While there are not so many Bluetooth headsets on the market that can connect to two phones simultaneously, they do exist. These headsets support a feature called Bluetooth Multipoint.
What is Bluetooth Multipoint?
Bluetooth Multipoint is a feature that allows a Bluetooth headset to maintain two separate connections with two different devices at the same time.
Sometimes, a connection can be established with more than two devices but only two devices can be active at the same time. This is the feature used in the headsets of the staff at call centers where they need to be able to answer calls from multiple customers at the same time.
With the Multipoint features, your headset will be able to connect to two phones simultaneously.
READ MORE! Bluetooth 5.0 to 5.2: All You Need to Know (Upgrades Explained)
Is there any other way to connect Bluetooth headphones to multiple devices simultaneously?
So your Bluetooth headset doesn’t have the Multipoint feature or you don’t want to buy a new one? Don’t worry, there is another way that you can connect your Bluetooth headphones to multiple devices simultaneously.
While it may not always work, I have found that this hack works with some Bluetooth headphones. Here’s what to do:
Put the headset in pairing mode: This is usually done by holding down the power button until the LED starts blinking.
With one phone, establish a connection with the headset: Once the headset is in pairing mode, go to your phone’s Bluetooth settings and select the headset from the list of available devices.
Turn Off Bluetooth on the first phone: While doing this, turn on Bluetooth on the second phone and pair it with the headset. While pairing, turn on Bluetooth on the first phone and make sure it is in close proximity to the second phone.
The two phones should now be able to connect to the headset simultaneously. Again, as I pointed out earlier, this trick may not work with all headphones but it’s definitely worth a try if you want to connect your Bluetooth headset to two phones simultaneously.
Benefits of Connecting a Bluetooth Headphone to 2 Phones Simultaneously
You may be wondering; why would anyone want to connect a Bluetooth headphone to two phones simultaneously?
Well, there are actually quite a few benefits to doing this. For starters, it allows you to take calls from either phone without having to disconnect and reconnect the headset each time.
It also allows you to listen to music from both phones at the same time. This can be useful if you have a lot of music stored on both phones and don’t want to miss out on any of it.
Lastly, it can be helpful if you use one phone for work and the other for personal calls. This way, you can take calls from either phone without having to worry about missing an important call.
Downsides of Pairing a Bluetooth Headset to 2 Phones
While you may successfully be able to connect your Bluetooth headset to two phones simultaneously, there are some downsides that you should be aware of.
Lag
You may experience some lag when using the headset with two phones. This is because the headset will be trying to connect to two devices at the same time and may not be able to keep up with both connections.
Battery Drain
Another downside of using a Bluetooth headset with two phones simultaneously is that it can drain the battery life of the headset much faster than usual.
This is because the headset will be using more power to maintain two separate connections. So, if you plan on using your Bluetooth headset with two phones simultaneously, make sure that the battery is fully charged before doing so.
READ MORE! Battery Drain: Hacks For Bluetooth Headphones (Explained)
Limited Functionality
Lastly, you may find that some features of the headset are limited when used with two phones. For example, you may not be able to use the voice control feature or the headset may not be able to read text messages aloud.
Final Thoughts
While it is not possible to pair a regular Bluetooth headset to 2 phones, there is a hack that you can try that may allow you to do so. The process is simpler if your headset supports Bluetooth Multipoint.
Espen
Espen is the Director of ProPairing and has written extensively about Bluetooth devices for years. He is a consumer product expert and has personally tested Bluetooth devices for the last decade.