Survey says few readers change this hidden Bluetooth audio setting on Android

I wasn’t a fan of smartphone makers dropping the headphone jack back in the day, and I still lament the decision when my earbuds inevitably run out of battery. I won’t deny that Bluetooth audio technology has improved in leaps and bounds over the years, with headphones lasting longer than ever, sounding better than ever, and keeping me and my pocket tangle-free. For many, pairing a new set of headphones is pretty easy and involves the usual Bluetooth pairing dance. However, if you really care about audio quality, you might be missing an important step.

As my colleague Rob Triggs discusses in a recent feature, Android lets users select their preferred Bluetooth codec — a setting that could vastly improve the audio fidelity of media streamed to your ears. But how many of our readers actually bother tinkering with this? We asked our readers in a recent poll, and the results are as follows.

Just under 1,500 readers responded to our poll, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, most readers don’t bother with customizing their Bluetooth codec settings at all. In fact, 36% of respondents “leave it on the default,” as this setting puts the onus on your phone and headphones to negotiate the best codec. A smaller share of readers, around 23%, enable and dig through Android Developer Settings to pick a specific option, while 10.9% pick their device’s “HD setting.” This means that only a third of respondents actively pick their preferred Bluetooth audio codec.

Lastly, a rather hefty 30.7% share of respondents “have no idea” that they could even pick a codec, let alone that these settings exist. To be fair, Android does a good job of hiding this capability from users not actively snooping around or looking for it.

Of course, there’s more to codecs than selecting one that offers the best quality. As Rob explains, bitrate and resolution often play second fiddle to stability, compatibility, efficiency, and latency. Given this fine balance, it’s perhaps a good idea to simply leave Bluetooth codec settings as is and let your devices bicker. However, for those who want their Bluetooth headphones to sound a little bit more like wired monitors, Developer Settings and its bounty of options are just a few taps and swipes away.

Do you select your preferred Bluetooth audio codec, or do you let your phone take control? Can you tell the difference in audio quality between the various codecs available? Let’s discuss in the comments section below.