To route phone calls through a Bluetooth speaker, configure your smartphone's call audio settings so all conversations play through the speaker instead of the handset earpiece. Before adjusting these settings, make sure you connect a Bluetooth speaker to your phone first. This guide covers the specific settings on iOS and Android that direct call audio to a Bluetooth speaker, plus basic troubleshooting when calls won't route correctly.
Set your Bluetooth speaker as the call audio destination on iPhone
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Go to Accessibility settings.
- Tap on Touch.
- Scroll down and select Call Audio Routing.
- Choose Bluetooth Headset from the options.
With Bluetooth Headset selected, all call audio will route to your connected Bluetooth speaker. If you enable this option but forget to bring your Bluetooth device, calls will automatically re-route to your iPhone's internal speaker. This setting works for both phone calls and FaceTime calls.
Enable phone audio for your Bluetooth speaker on Android
- Ensure your Bluetooth speaker and Android phone are paired and connected.
- Tap on Connected devices or Bluetooth. If you see Bluetooth, tap it. If you see Saved devices, tap it.
- Tap the settings icon (usually a gear icon) next to the paired speaker's name.
- Look for an option called Use for or Phone audio.
- Select the checkbox or toggle for Call Audio or Phone audio to enable it for that device.
To prevent calls from going through a particular Bluetooth device, toggle off Call audio in the Bluetooth settings for that device. On Pixel phones, checking Phone audio in the Bluetooth settings is recommended if calls are defaulting to Bluetooth when not desired.
Make a call and confirm the audio is routing correctly
After configuring the settings, place a call using your phone's dialer or a contact. On the call screen, check the audio output selector to confirm it shows your Bluetooth speaker. When answering incoming calls, the Bluetooth speaker will ring, and you can answer directly from the speaker's controls if supported. The audio should play through the speaker for both your voice and the caller's voice.
Troubleshooting: calls not routing to your Bluetooth speaker
If calls still play through the phone earpiece instead of the Bluetooth speaker, try these common fixes. On Android, toggle Phone audio off and on again in the Bluetooth settings for the speaker. Verify that your Bluetooth speaker supports the Hands-Free Profile (HFP), which is required for call audio. If an errant app is causing issues with Bluetooth routing, for example, an app that connects the phone to hearing aids and takes over settings, removing that app might resolve the problem. If you need a fresh start, connecting your phone to a JBL speaker from scratch often clears persistent pairing glitches. This same troubleshooting approach applies when connecting Bluetooth audio to a TV, as the HFP profile requirement remains consistent across devices.
