To disable hands-free audio in Windows 11, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices and select More devices and printer settings. Right-click your headphones, select Properties, and on the Services tab clear Handsfree Telephony. Select Apply. Your headphones then stay in high-quality stereo, but their built-in microphone stops working, so use another mic for calls.
Applies to: Windows 11 with Bluetooth headphones or earbuds. No downloads needed.
Why your Bluetooth audio suddenly sounds bad
Most Bluetooth headphones connect to your PC in two ways:
- Stereo for listening. It sounds good, but it doesn’t use the microphone.
- Hands-free for calls. It uses the headset microphone, but the sound becomes mono and muffled, like a phone call.
Whenever an app opens the headset’s microphone, Windows switches the headphones to hands-free mode. That can be a call app, a game with voice chat, or a browser tab using the mic. Your music or game audio then drops in quality until the app lets go of the microphone, even if you’re muted.
So you have two choices. Keep the headset mic and accept hands-free audio during calls, or stop apps using the headset mic so the audio stays in stereo. The methods below do the second.
Method 1: Use a different microphone
This keeps full sound quality and still lets you talk, as long as you have another mic, such as your laptop’s built-in mic, a webcam mic or a USB mic.
- Select Start > Settings > System > Sound.
- Under Output, choose your headphones. If you see two entries, choose the one that isn’t labeled Hands-Free or Headset.
- Under Input, choose your other microphone, such as Microphone Array for a built-in laptop mic.
- In each call or chat app you use, open its audio settings and choose the same microphone. Apps like Microsoft Teams keep their own microphone setting.
Method 2: Stop Windows using the headset microphone
If you don’t need the headset mic at all, tell Windows not to use it. Nothing can then switch the headphones to hands-free mode.
- Select Start > Settings > System > Sound.
- Under Input, select the arrow next to your headset’s microphone (often called Headset or Hands-Free).
- Next to Audio, select Don’t allow.
To use the mic again, go back to Settings > System > Sound, select All sound devices, choose the headset microphone and select Allow.
Method 3: Turn off Handsfree Telephony
This is the setting most guides point to. It removes the hands-free connection for one pair of headphones.
- Select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices.
- Scroll down and select More devices and printer settings. The Devices and Printers window opens.
- Right-click your headphones and select Properties.
- Select the Services tab.
- Clear Handsfree Telephony, then select Apply and OK.
The headphones stay in stereo from now on, but their microphone no longer works on this PC. If Windows asks for administrator permission, ask whoever manages your PC. To undo it, check Handsfree Telephony again.
If you remove the headphones and pair them again, Windows may turn Handsfree Telephony back on. Repeat these steps if that happens.
Method 4: Stop apps using the microphone
If only one app keeps switching your headphones to hands-free, stop that app using the mic:
- Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone.
- Turn off the switch next to the app, such as a game or a browser you don’t use for calls.
You can also turn off Let desktop apps access your microphone on the same page, but that blocks every desktop app, including call apps.
Newer headphones: stereo with the mic on
Some newer headphones and earbuds support Bluetooth LE Audio, which can keep stereo sound while the microphone is in use. It needs Windows 11 version 24H2 or later, a PC with Bluetooth LE Audio support from the manufacturer, and headphones that support it.
To check, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices and make sure Use LE Audio when available is On. Then go to Settings > System > Sound, select your headphones, and set Format when microphone is active to Stereo, if you see it. If you don’t see these settings, your PC or headphones don’t support LE Audio, and the methods above are the way to go.
If the sound is still bad
- The audio still switches during calls. An app is still using the headset mic. Check the app’s own audio settings and choose another microphone.
- The headphones connect but there’s no sound. Make sure the stereo output is chosen under Output in Settings > System > Sound. If they won’t connect at all, start with turning on Bluetooth in Windows 11.
- Handsfree Telephony is missing from the Services tab. Your headphones may not have a hands-free connection, or they may use LE Audio. Use Method 1 or Method 2 instead.
- “The parameter is incorrect” when you clear the box. Remove the headphones in Settings > Bluetooth & devices, pair them again, and try once more.
- Sound is quiet or tinny even without the mic. Check that you chose the stereo output and not the hands-free one.
We don’t recommend guides that tell you to turn off Windows services, disable drivers in Device Manager or edit the registry to stop hands-free mode. They need administrator rights, can stop other Bluetooth devices working, and the change can come back after updates.
Frequently asked questions
What is hands-free audio?
It’s the Bluetooth connection your headphones use for calls. It carries sound in both directions, so it uses lower-quality, mono audio.
Will disabling hands-free audio stop my headset mic working?
Yes. Methods 2 and 3 turn off the headset microphone on this PC. Method 1 keeps a microphone working by using a different one.
Why does the sound only get bad in some games?
Games with voice chat often open the microphone as soon as they start, even if you never talk. Choose a different mic in the game’s settings, or turn off its microphone access.
Does this affect my phone?
No. These settings only change how the headphones work with this PC.
Can I switch back to hands-free for a call?
Yes. Allow the headset microphone again, or check Handsfree Telephony again, and choose the headset mic in your call app.
Next steps
To switch to a different speaker or headset quickly, use the Sound Control Panel in Windows 11. Related: turning on computer speakers in Windows 11. LE Audio settings are covered in Microsoft’s Configuring Bluetooth LE Audio quality settings on Windows 11.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.