Try this before resetting anything to factory settings.
Bluetooth problems have a bad habit of telling you almost nothing. Your headphones may show as connected but refuse to play music, a car may play music but not accept calls, or a portable device may keep disconnecting for no reason.
Google has given Pixel owners at least some guidance on where to start troubleshooting. Bluetooth diagnostics can help you test a problematic accessory before you start forgetting devices, rebooting everything in sight, and pairing everything again because, well, Bluetooth.
Now, before the Android community comes together to rejoice, here’s the catch. This is a Pixel feature and Google currently lists Bluetooth diagnostics for Pixel 6 and later, including Fold models.
What Pixel Bluetooth Diagnostics Actually Checks
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A Bluetooth connection can fail in very particular ways. For example, music might work but calls don’t, or your phone might see the car just fine, but Android Auto still isn’t cooperating, so going down the rabbit hole of a “Bluetooth is broken” problem might lead to you troubleshooting the wrong thing for 30 minutes.
The good news is that Google hasn’t hidden this diagnostic aid behind anything particularly exotic. During our Pixel 8 Pro test, we discovered Bluetooth diagnostics in Settings > Connected devices. From there, the phone offered tests for multimedia audio, calls, and other issues. The media test made a sound and asked if we could hear it.
Connections to vehicles are where Bluetooth troubleshooting can become particularly annoying. Wireless Android Auto uses both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, which means Bluetooth can work just fine while Android Auto is still in good shape. Bluetooth handles the initial connection and hands-free calling, while Wi-Fi carries most of the data.
But Google is not the early riser here. Samsung Members, Samsung’s built-in support and diagnostics app for Galaxy devices, already includes individual tests and a broader device-wide diagnostic scan.
How to use it and what it can’t fix
Screenshots by Husain Parvez (Google)
The process is short:
- Open Settings.
- Faucet Connected devices.
- Open Bluetooth diagnostics.
- Choose the accessory and follow the on-screen tests.
Bluetooth diagnostics can give you a better idea of where the problem is. But it can’t fix a dead earbud, repair dodgy accessory firmware, or persuade incompatible hardware to suddenly become friends.
Google’s Bluetooth Support tips still recommend the familiar fixes when necessary, including switching Bluetooth, making sure devices are paired, restarting them, and forgetting an accessory before pairing it again. These basics always deserve their place. If a speaker is causing the problem, one should rule out pairing failures, interference, and other common Bluetooth speaker issues before hitting the factory reset button.
There is also a privacy choice worth noting. If you decide to share device and Bluetooth diagnostics with Google, the company says this information may include details about accessories, connection test results, and hardware status. An optional bug report may contain a Bluetooth HCI monitoring log with interaction data such as device names, MAC addresses, and LE Audio reports.
