How do I play music through my headphones and speakers on Android?

This article will explain how to play audio through both headphones and speakers simultaneously on an Android device. Many Android users want the flexibility to hear their music, videos, games or calls through headphones privately while also playing the audio out loud on external speakers. With some configuration changes on your Android device, you can take advantage of split audio output so sound plays through both your wired or Bluetooth headphones as well as the built-in speakers or connected speakers.

There are a few different methods you can try to achieve simultaneous headphone and speaker playback on Android. We’ll cover techniques like adjusting audio output settings, using the quick settings notification panel, installing third party apps, toggling developer options, changing Bluetooth settings, using hardware buttons, splitting audio channels, and enabling auto switching. With so many options, you should be able to find at least one reliable way to play audio through both headphones and speakers at the same time on your Android phone or tablet.

Check Audio Output Settings

To check your audio output settings on Android, follow these steps:

Go to your device’s Settings app and tap on Sound & vibration or Sounds and vibration.
Look for options like Media volume, Alarm volume, Ring volume, etc. You can adjust the volume levels for different audio types here.
Tap on Advanced to access more detailed audio options.

Go to Separate app sound to choose which apps play sound through speakers or headphones.
Enable Dolby Atmos or other equalizer effects you want applied to your audio output.
Check the Audio codecs supported on your device like AAC, aptX, etc.

Adjusting these output controls allows you to route audio to connected Bluetooth devices, headphones, speakers, etc. You can set different volumes for media, calls, alarms, and system sounds.

Use the Notification Panel

Open the notification panel and look for media controls like volume sliders. On many newer Android devices running Android 9 or later, there will be an option to select the audio output source directly in the notification panel when media is playing. For example, on Samsung Galaxy devices there is an “Audio Output” section that allows switching between phone speaker, Bluetooth devices, etc (Source).

If you don’t see the audio output controls, first make sure some media like music or a video is actively playing. Then, open the notification panel fully – swipe down from the top of the screen twice on most phones. Look for media notifications and expand them if needed. Try using the volume buttons to reveal the extra output options if they aren’t visible. If your device doesn’t give the option to change audio output here, you may need to enable Developer options or try some of the other methods below.

Install Third Party Apps

There are some useful third party apps available to easily switch between headphones and speakers on Android devices. Some recommended options include:

Lesser AudioSwitch allows you to force your device’s audio output to switch to any external or internal output, including headphones, speakers, Bluetooth, and USB devices. You can also switch the active microphone input.

Audio Output Switch helps enable and toggle the audio output between headphones, speakers, or other connected devices. It detects all audio outputs on your device and makes switching fast and easy.

Apps like these provide greater control over your Android device’s audio routing options to quickly switch sound between your wired headphones and external speakers.

Use Developer Options

Most Android devices include hidden Developer options that can be enabled to provide more granular control over audio output. To access these options:

Open your device Settings, then scroll down to find the Build Number entry. Tap this entry 7 times to unlock the Developer options menu.

In Settings, you’ll now find a new Developer options menu. Open this and scroll down to find the “Force RTL layout direction” setting.
Toggle on the “Force RTL layout direction” option. This enables an audio output selector in the Quick Settings panel.

Once enabled, you can switch between your headphones, speakers, and other audio devices directly from the Quick Settings panel that drops down from the top of your screen. This makes it easy to change your audio output “on the fly” without digging into menus.

For more details on this, check the Business Insider guide on changing Android audio output.

Try Bluetooth Settings

Another way to switch between headphones and the phone speaker is by disconnecting and connecting your Bluetooth headphones.

Open the Bluetooth settings on your Android device. You will see a list of paired Bluetooth devices. To disconnect your headphones, tap on the settings icon next to it and tap “Unpair” or “Disconnect”. This will stop your audio from playing through the Bluetooth headphones.

With the Bluetooth headphones disconnected, audio should now automatically start playing from your phone’s speaker. To switch back, tap on your Bluetooth headphones again from the list of paired devices to reconnect it. The audio playing on your phone should now switch over and play through the headphones again.

This method allows you to quickly toggle between playing audio from the phone speaker and your Bluetooth headphones. Just disconnect and reconnect as needed to manage where your audio output goes.

Use Hardware Buttons

Many Android phones have hardware buttons to switch audio output.¹ To switch between the headphones and speakers, simply press the button on your phone or headphones that toggles the audio channels. For example, many Samsung phones have a button on the side of the phone that will switch the audio between the earpiece, headset, and speakers. Similarly, Bluetooth headphones often have a play/pause button that can be double pressed or pressed and held to change audio outputs.

This hardware button method is one of the simplest ways to switch between headphones and speakers on Android. It works quickly and doesn’t require any settings changes to toggle back and forth.

Split Audio Channels

Some Android devices like Samsung Galaxy phones have a feature to split the audio channels and play audio through both the headphones and speakers simultaneously. This can be enabled by going to Settings > Sound and vibration > Separate app sound. Enabling this feature will play media from apps through both headphones and speakers at the same time.

Another way is to go to Settings > Developer options and enable “Disable absolute volume”. This allows the media volume to be independent from the phone ringer volume and allows playing audio through multiple outputs at once. Do note that this method may not be available on every Android device and is typically intended for developers.

Auto Switching

Certain headphones have a feature called audio switch or multipoint connectivity that allows them to automatically switch audio output between different paired devices (1). When this feature is enabled and the headphones are paired to multiple devices like a phone and computer, plugging the headphones into one device or the other will automatically change where the audio is playing from.

For example, if you’re listening to music from your Android phone using wireless headphones with audio switch enabled, then plug those same headphones into your laptop, the audio will automatically switch playback from the phone to the laptop. Unplugging the headphones from the laptop will switch audio back to the phone (2). This allows for a seamless listening experience without having to manually change Bluetooth connections.

To take advantage of audio switching, your Android device and headphones both need to support the feature. Many of the latest headphones and phones include audio switch capabilities using Bluetooth protocols like Fast Pair. You can check if your devices are compatible in your Bluetooth settings or device manuals (3).

Sources:

(1) https://blog.google/products/android/better-together-audio-switching/

(2) https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/android-audio-switching-multiple-devices-fast-pair/

(3) https://support.google.com/android/answer/12375846?hl=en

Conclusion

As you have seen, there are several ways to play audio through both your headphones and speakers simultaneously on Android devices. The options available depend on your specific Android phone or tablet model and version.

Some of the main methods we covered included using your device’s Audio Output settings menu to choose between headset, speaker, or both channels; using Quick Settings in the Notification Panel; installing third party apps designed for split audio; using Developer Options and toggles; trying different Bluetooth combinations; and utilizing certain hardware buttons if available.

You may also be able to split channels and direct certain audio to different outputs automatically. Test to see which options work best on your Android to play music through both your connected headphones and built-in speakers at the same time.