Linux and Bluetooth Headphones
Connecting a set of bluetooth headphones to your Linux computer is a simple thing, if you just want to listen to music. But what about when you want to use the microphone that is, most probably, embedded in those headphones?
How I tested?
All the below information was tested on Kubuntu 20.04 with the following headphones:
How to check if your microphone is working or not?
You can test from an application that makes use of the microphone like Skype or 8x8 Meet.
For example, in this screenshot, it doesn't work. Just go to https://8x8.vc/someRandomString and click the up arrow next to the microphone symbol to see the list of available microphones your computer has. You might see the headphones (in this particular example, the EDIFIER NeoBuds Pro are conected) but only the laptop's internal microphone is detected.
From the command line, you can run this command:
$ pactl list
At the end of the output, you should see something like this:
Card #31
Name: bluez_card.FC_E8_06_76_05_2C
Driver: module-bluez5-device.c
Owner Module: 56
Properties:
device.description = "EDIFIER NeoBuds Pro"
device.string = "FC:E8:06:76:05:2C"
device.api = "bluez"
device.class = "sound"
device.bus = "bluetooth"
device.form_factor = "headset"
bluez.path = "/org/bluez/hci0/dev_FC_E8_06_76_05_2C"
bluez.class = "0x240404"
bluez.alias = "EDIFIER NeoBuds Pro"
device.icon_name = "audio-headset-bluetooth"
device.intended_roles = "phone"
Profiles:
a2dp_sink: High Fidelity Playback (A2DP Sink) (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 40, available: yes)
headset_head_unit: Headset Head Unit (HSP/HFP) (sinks: 1, sources: 1, priority: 30, available: no)
off: Off (sinks: 0, sources: 0, priority: 0, available: yes)
Active Profile: a2dp_sink
Ports:
headset-output: Headset (priority: 0, latency offset: 0 usec, available)
Part of profile(s): a2dp_sink, headset_head_unit
headset-input: Headset (priority: 0, latency offset: 0 usec, not available)
Part of profile(s): headset_head_unit
Notice the Profiles section and the fact that the profile headset_head_unit is not available and, also, that the Active Profile is set to a2dp_sink.
The easy way: making HSP work
This only works for JBL TUNE205BT.
This is easy, as it doesn't require any hacks or additional software. Just edit the file /etc/pulse/default.pa and add auto_switch=2 to the line load-module module-bluetooth-discover. In the end, the file should look like this in that zone:
### Automatically load driver modules for Bluetooth hardware
.ifexists module-bluetooth-policy.so
#load-module module-bluetooth-policy
load-module module-bluetooth-policy auto_switch=2
.endif
Restart bluetooth and kill pulseaudio (it should respawn by itself):
$ sudo systemctl restart bluetooth
$ pulseaudio -k
Now, not only that the HSP profile will appear as available (notice the Profiles section and, also, the Active Profile)...
$ pactl list
Card #32
Name: bluez_card.B8_F6_53_03_D4_1C
Driver: module-bluez5-device.c
Owner Module: 57
Properties:
device.description = "JBL TUNE205BT"
device.string = "B8:F6:53:03:D4:1C"
device.api = "bluez"
device.class = "sound"
device.bus = "bluetooth"
device.form_factor = "headset"
bluez.path = "/org/bluez/hci0/dev_B8_F6_53_03_D4_1C"
bluez.class = "0x240404"
bluez.alias = "JBL TUNE205BT"
device.icon_name = "audio-headset-bluetooth"
device.intended_roles = "phone"
Profiles:
headset_head_unit: Headset Head Unit (HSP/HFP) (sinks: 1 …
