Bose QuietComfort 20 Earbuds Not Working With Pixel 5 — Mic and Playback Controls in In-Ear Headphones

In Ear Headphones
1

The Bose QuietComfort 20 earbuds (QC 20s), made for Android, have an issue where the microphone and playback controls (play/pause, volume, and forward/backward) do not work with the Google Pixel 5.

The QC 20s are connected to the Pixel 5 via a USB-C to 3.5mm Adapter bought from the Google Play Store. The listening sound quality remains great with the adapter.

 

Google Pixel 5 Configuration

  • Device version: Unlocked
  • Android version: 11

Attempted Solutions

  • Turn active noise canceling on/off.
  • Use a different USB-C adapter.
  • Use a different pair of earbuds with a microphone: The Bose MIE2i earbuds' microphone works as expected.
  • Restart Pixel 5.
  • Soft Reboot Pixel 5.
  • Run Pixel 5 in safe mode.

Related Posts

2

Hi AdamHurwitz, 

 

Thanks for posting and welcome to the forums. 

 

I am sorry you are having issues. The troubleshooting you have tried so far is great. Can I please confirm if you have tried another phone, not needing an adaptor with the headphones and let me know if they function correctly?

3

Hi ,

I have tried the QuietComfort 20s on a Pixel device with a 3.5 mm headphone jack (no USB-C adapter required) and the microphone works as expected. However, the playback controls (play/pause, volume, and forward/backward) do not work. I've tested the playback controls on three apps, Spotify, YouTube, and YouTube Music.

Even though the QuietComfort 20s are the "Android compatible" edition I tested with a MacBook Pro to compare. As expected, neither the microphone or playback controls work.

4

Thanks for testing this! Do you have access to a mobile device besides a Pixel? This would help to identify if possible compatibility issues exist, or if there's a fault with your particular headphones. Due to the age of the headphones when they were engineered, it's possible that the Pixel range may not be entirely compatible. The headphones were first specifically designed to work with Samsung Galaxy smartphones.

 

I look forward to hearing back from you.

5

, I've followed up with the Bose support team directly via phone and they have confirmed that the Android version of the QC 20 Earbuds are not compatible with the Pixel phones and the latest operating systems they run on.