Windows 11 preview version now supports Bluetooth headsets

If you are a Windows Insider, you may be interested in the latest Windows 11 preview build that was released yesterday. This build, numbered 22494, brings several improvements and bug fixes, but also a new feature that many users were waiting for: Bluetooth headset support.

Bluetooth hearing aids are devices that connect wirelessly to your smartphone, tablet or computer and amplify sound for people with hearing loss. They can also stream music, phone calls and other audio directly to your ears. However, not all Bluetooth headsets are compatible with Windows 10 and some users have reported issues with pairing, sound quality and battery life.

That’s why Microsoft has been working hard to improve the Bluetooth headset experience in Windows 11. In this preview release, they added a new setting on the Sound page of the Settings app that allows you to pair and manage your Bluetooth headsets more easily. You can also adjust the volume and balance of each headset separately and choose which audio sources you want to stream to your hearing aids.

To use this feature, you must have a Bluetooth headset that supports the LE Audio standard, which is a new specification that improves the performance and functionality of Bluetooth audio devices. You also need to have a Bluetooth adapter that supports LE Audio on your PC. Microsoft says they are working with headset manufacturers and Bluetooth vendors to ensure compatibility and reliability.

If you want to test this feature, you must join the Windows Insider program and opt for the developer channel, which is where the more experimental versions are released. Please note that these builds are not stable and may contain bugs and issues that affect the performance and security of your PC. You should only install them on a secondary device or virtual machine, and always back up your data before upgrading.

We think this is a great feature that will make Windows 11 more accessible and inclusive for people with hearing loss. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

Modern hearing aids are impressive little devices that pair seamlessly with phones and tablets via Bluetooth Low Energy to give their users unlimited access to digital audio. Windows laptops and desktops have lagged in this area, but Microsoft is correcting this with the latest Windows 11 Insider release, 25977 Canary. While Windows has supported Bluetooth for more than 20 years, it is the addition of Low Energy in May that makes it possible to connect to durable, high-end headphones.

According to the Windows Insider blog post (discovered by The Verge), Bluetooth LE support will be coming to «a growing market of devices in the coming months.» If your specific laptop or desktop computer supports it, it’s probably due to the specific Bluetooth radio included in the hardware: some generic Bluetooth chips support low energy mode even without specifying it in the spec list, while others do not. A USB adapter should be able to add the capability if your PC’s internal Bluetooth does not already have it. The ability to adjust audio presets in aids directly within Windows is planned for a future update.

The Windows 11 Insider 25977 Canary build also includes improvements to app-by-app location privacy settings, SMB over QUIC for remotely managed machines, and the usual UI tweaks and bug fixes. As always, when these features will make it to the Windows 11 release version is a question mark, depending on Microsoft’s testing procedures and user feedback.