As a headphone user, you are probably familiar with the frustration of trying to plug your headphones into an Android phone.
The issue is that most phones have different ports for charging and listening to music, so it can be difficult to figure out which one goes where!
Connecting your USB headphones to your Android phone is a pretty simple process. However, not everyone knows how to do it.
This article will teach you how to connect your USB headphones to an Android device in 5 easy methods.
What is a USB Cable?
The USB cable is a standard cable used to connect any USB-capable device to another device, such as a Computer. The cables are usually flat or round and often have metal connectors, although some can be found with plastic parts.
USB Device Cables come in two basic types:
Type A cable: This is the standard cable that you likely have plugged into your computer right now. This is what you plug into all of your USB devices, such as mice, keyboards, printers, etc.
It’s used to connect a device with a standard USB host or hub port.
Type B Cable: Used to connect most types of peripherals to a host computer. This is what you would use to connect your printer to an external power source so that it can receive power while it’s plugged in, or if the USB port of the device doesn’t supply enough power for the peripheral.
Type C cable: This is a type of USB Cable that looks like a micro-B connector, but with an extra 5 pin connector to allow for reversible plug orientation. It’s intended as a replacement for the standard USB cables since it allows for faster transfer speeds and uses about half the space.
How to Connect USB Headphones to Android Phone?
A USB headphone is a type of headphone that uses the Universal Serial Bus (USB) to connect to your Android phone. The majority of smartphones and tablets nowadays come with an audio jack.
However, if you want to use your older set or perhaps more quality ones, it would be wise to get yourself one instead. When working on this article, I also realized that many people don’t know about the existence of USB headphones.
Best Ways to Connect USB Headphones to Android Phone
All of us want a headphone that can be attached to Android phones. However, the major discomfort with the headphones is that you cannot use them while charging on Android devices.
Some users also reported that some headsets don’t work, and it turns out they were not compatible with the device; make sure you choose the most compatible USB headphones.
Here are the best ways to connect USB headphones to Android Phone.
1. The Headset Jack Adapter
This simple gadget is easy to use and plug-n-play. But it has some problems which you can face while using this adapter.
For example, there is no microphone support, so you will have to use the speaker mode for making calls. In a word, it is a hardware problem that you will have to face with an adapter, so it is better not to go for this option.
Another drawback of using a simple jack plug-in headphone adapter is that you cannot charge your phone while listening to music through the headphones as it has a port for charging and a port for the headphone jack.
So you’ll have to choose only one of them, i.e., either your phone will get charged, or you can listen to music with a headset attached.
2. Get an OTG Cable
OTG cable is a gadget that can turn any Android smartphone into a USB host. So what you have to do is attach your USB headphones to the other end of this cable.
After that, Plug-In and play will be the only things you have to do; no more fussing around with drivers or configurations.
The downside of this is that some phones don’t support OTG, so getting an OTG cable might be difficult. And also need to make sure that your phone’s battery is fully charged as OTG cables aren’t power-efficient.
3. Bluetooth Transmitter and Receiver
If you want to avoid all the hassles of different cables, then Bluetooth transmitter and receiver combo will be the best option for you as they will do two separate devices.
First, you have to plug your headphone into the Bluetooth receiver and pair it with your phone.
The range of this device can be around 10 meters, which is pretty good enough to use with wireless headphones.
The only thing that might bother you is that you cannot charge your phone while using Bluetooth headphones with the receiver.
4. FM Transmitter Headphone Receiver
Here is another method to connect your USB headphone with your Android device. This method has some pros and cons.
But I think it’s better than buying a new Bluetooth headphone if you already got one of those old long cables that came with your headphones.
First, you have to plug In the FM transmitter headphone receiver in your phone and attach your USB headphones to it.
Turn On an FM radio station or a static frequency that’s available on your headphone receiver, and you’re good to go with listening to music through your wired headphones without much fuss.
5. Use an OTG Cable with a USB Bluetooth Receiver/Transmitter
As you must have noticed that all the other methods require both an OTG cable and Bluetooth device to work simultaneously, so why not use both of them together? You can buy a Bluetooth USB receiver/transmitter gadget which can connect different devices.
But remember, this requires an OTG capable Android smartphone, so check if your device got OTG support or not.
Another drawback of this method is that you cannot charge your phone and listen to music at the same time because when you attach your USB headphones with a USB OTG device, then the data transfer will take place through it, which means your phone’s battery will turn off.
Which One Should You Choose?
So now you know all the ways to connect USB headphones to Android Phone. But if I have to tell you which one is the best option for you, it will be an OTG cable with a Bluetooth transmitter/receiver combo.
Because this method has some pros and cons like every other method, this is still the most convenient of all as you won’t need to plug in anything in your phone most of the time. You can listen to music, charge your phone and even use it for data transfer if you want!
Also, there are pros and cons of every method. For example, whenever you’re adding some extra device to your phone, there will be a chance of getting less power output which means it can become an issue if you want to listen to high-quality audio.
Step by step process:
USB Headset to Phone Jack Adapter
You can plug your USB headset into the jack adapter, then plug the other end into the phone jack. As if by magic, you will be able to use your headset with normal phones!
This adapter is designed specifically for wireless USB headsets that require AA batteries. Unfortunately, many of these headsets’ speakers are muted when plugged into their USB dongle, which isn’t useful if you use them for Skype or other VoIP software. With this adapter, you can get around that limitation.
This adapter does not provide amplification of the phone’s mic signal. If your phone is extremely quiet, try using a preamp before plugging it into the phone jack adapter.
Now you can use your favorite headset with any phone without having to worry about recharging it! The adapter is about 7 centimeters long (2.75 inches).
The adapter’s 3.5mm TRRS jack is compatible with any standard headset. However, if you want to use a non-USB TRRS headset, you’ll need an additional TRRS to TRS adapter for the 4th (microphone) conductor.
Can USB Headphones Work on Android?
Yes, USB headphones can work on Android. Headphones with Microphones that are USB Headphones will enable you to listen to music & make calls using earphones provided inbox itself.
This is another different type of headphone called Audio Adapter, which enables you to connect your regular 3.5mm Jack headphone with AUX cable supplied along with the headphone itself. This type of headphone also enables you to listen to music & make calls using earphones provided itself.
The headphones that support USB Type-C connectors completely depend on the OS to enable these earphones’ functionality. So, the Google Play store is required to run these types of earphones on android OS.
There are two types of USB Type-C connectors.
- USB 2.0 type-C
- USB 3.1 type-C
Hence, as per connection, these USB headphones can work fine with Android and iOS devices without any app installation required.
Note: I suggest using VoLTE supported Network while using headphones with microphones for making calls.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I enable USB headphones on PS4?
If not already done, connect the USB headphones to one of your PS4’s USB ports. Then, with the PS4 turned on, press and hold the PlayStation button in the center of the controller until you hear a beep. This will bring up Settings on your television screen.
Next, select Sound/Devices from the list of options (you may need to press the ‘Right’ button on your controller first) and select ‘Output to Headphones.
Please note: This will only work with USB headphones. The PlayStation Camera cannot output game audio, so any chat or voice-related sound effects (i.e., alerts, friend notifications, etc.) will not play through the USB headset.
Why are my USB headphones not Connecting?
The most common reason for this is that the drivers are not installed or an incorrect device has been selected. So the first step would be to ensure that all Windows Updates have been run and reboot your PC if required.
The next thing would be to ensure that you have selected the correct audio output device. This can be done by going to your Sound settings by clicking on the link below.
Sounds and Audio Devices in Control Panel:
Once you are in the above window, ensure that under ‘Voice’ you have selected “USB PnP Sound Device” (or similar). If this does not resolve, uninstall your USB drivers, reboot your PC and reinstall the drivers.
Once you have reinstalled the drivers, please reboot your PC and try connecting your USB headphones again.
Conclusion
Connecting your USB headphones to your Android phone is a fairly easy process. It just takes some time and patience on the user’s part. With this article, we hope you will be able to connect them quickly and easily so that you can start enjoying all of the benefits they provide!
