What is Bluetooth multipoint, and how does it work?

What if you could effortlessly cycle through your audio sources with your paired Bluetooth headphones without having to manually disconnect and pair them to each device one-by-one? As with so many consumer tech fantasies, the desire has become a reality. In this deep-dive, we’ll delve into a nifty audio feature called Bluetooth multipoint.

Available starting with Bluetooth 4.0 in 2010, Bluetooth multipoint was a marvel for office-based users of stereo Bluetooth headsets, as it could put an incoming call on hold on the second phone line when there wasn’t enough time or privacy to answer. And that’s just the beginning of Bluetooth multipoint’s tricks… as well as of its usefulness with a multitude of devices.

But how does it work, and how come the feature gets such blanket-shame from the brands that build multipoint into their products? Let’s delve into the life cycle of Bluetooth multipoint’s past, present and future.

How does Bluetooth multipoint work?

Before learning more about why the audio becomes distorted in multipoint mode, it’s worthwhile to refresh ourselves on how Bluetooth generally works.

Classically, each Bluetooth nugget seeks out a piconet – a simple ad-hoc wireless network – that connects one pair of Bluetooth headphones to a Bluetooth-enabled device somewhere, which for you is probably a phone, tablet, computer or game system. In this A-to-B handshake, your headphones (Device A) are in control of this piconet, able to announce the volume at which your phone is playing music, for instance, when you call upon a voice assistant.

Device B in this piconet (the audio source) need do nothing other than listen for and obey the commands of Device A But so far so good, right? Wait and see how multipoint fits into this chain of command.

Although by default a Bluetooth piconet has exactly two nodes, if Device A supports multipoint connectivity, you could connect up to two or more Device B sources and keep a connection running with more than one peripheral (phone, tablet, etc) at the same time and move between them as needed.

Now that we have the fundamentals of multipoint down, let’s look a little deeper into the different types of multipoint audio.

Simple, triple, advanced (and your Apple ID)

Apple’s true noise-cancellation earbuds AirPods Pro (left) and Google’s Pixel Buds Pro. Photo by Phil Nickinson/Pro Well Tech.

Three main types exist: simple, triple, and advanced multipoint. The most common type of multipoint (multipoint meaning that one device, such as a set of Bluetooth headphones, can combine or link to two sources at once) is simple multipoint. This is usually the type of multipoint that consumer tech product developers use.

Three-point connectivity, which – as the name suggests – allows a maximum of three audio sources to be linked to a single headphone or set of wireless in-ears, is a rare beast. The Technics EAH-AZ80 does the three-point trick very well.

And the third advanced, has been around for a little longer than simple multipoint but is very similar. Often associated with call centres, advanced multipoint adds one more feature to the piconet: the headset to answer two at once, and to put one of them on hold, and to easily swap between them.

There is in fact another method of multipoint that we have to talk about; instead of using the more traditional kind of automatic switching that Bluetooth button-based devices use, companies such as Apple, Samsung and Google, for example, have different versions of their own automatic device switching.

For example, if you own a pair of Apple AirPods Pro, when paired to an Apple iPhone, iPad or Mac, Apple’s automatic audio switching will switch sound output to that device when sound is going to be played. For Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro wearers, Samsung’s Galaxy Auto switching capability, provided through their Wearables app, remembers paired devices and switches between paired/prioritised devices when, for example, a phone call is received or the device detects that music or some other audio track is starting to play on another device. Through Google’s Fast Pair and two enabled audio switch features on an Android device, an Android device owner with Google Pixel Buds Pro earbuds, for example, can switch between the owner’s other paired devices as they move from one device they will be using some sound from to another.

What is multipoint good for?

The main advantage of Bluetooth multipoint is that one pair of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds can be connected to more than a single source device, and you can switch between two different source devices without having to manually disconnect your headphones from one device and reconnect them to another.

But how exactly does primogeniture rule work in multi-point hives – which media takes precedence? To unpack this, let’s look at the hum of a typical multipoint flow.

Assume you are wearing a pair of Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones but that they are also plugged into your phone (which you are invariably carrying about) and your work computer. The pyramid of priorities is this: live phone and video calls trump voice assistants and system tones while digital assistants, device alarms and tones, and notifications trump any of the audio content – your Netflix stream, your Spotify tune, any music or podcasts you’ve downloaded onto your phone or computer. OK, let’s get real and see how all this shakes down.

Picture yourself at your desk wearing your nifty headphones, which will link simultaneously to your iPhone and work computer.

You’re on a Teams video call on your computer with a coworker, and your spouse sends you a text on your phone, the noise of which comes through on your headphones. But hey, work is important, so you pretend to pay no attention – phone rings – aaaah it’s your better half, now you’re screwed. You answer the call, and while the Teams video stream stays active on your computer screen, its audio is now muted in your headphones as you move into priority mode – phone call audio takes over. And back to your Teams call when the call is finished.

Or when you are listening to music from a streaming service such as Spotify on your computer and you get various alerts over your phone such as calendar appointments, text messages, WhatsApp messages, and so on. After silencing the alert or when the alert becomes idle, you return to your Spotify playlist. And if this technology were possible, the music on your computer would have stopped playing for the duration of a phone call or Zoom call can, such as when someone calls your phone.

That should be the case but, in reality, it depends on a Multipoint-compatible device and headphone setup, what apps you are using, which updates they have and how they play together, whether your computer and phone settings are the same, and a variety of other factors. For instance, your music might pause for that incoming call notification, but not necessarily a voice call. And while your headphones might stop transmitting when your Zoom or Teams call ends, they might not start again automatically when your call comes back. Little things? Yes, but this is to say that while the technology of Bluetooth multipoint makes for some very nifty and useful features, it’s still a work in progress today … and there’s always room for improvement.

How to shop for Bluetooth multipoint products

This can be useful when creating a shortlist of potential Bluetooth multipoint products: here is our checklist: your needs/use case: which one of the following would you like to replace with a multipoint device: headset for training? earbuds for daily commuting to work? a speaker for your home? a car kit for pairs-free calling and navigation driving? automated or manual switching between devices: I need it because I will use the device in all my scenarios/I will only use the device once a month in a specific scenario/I do not need it because I will use the device only in specific scenarios.

Compatibility is too important a criterion for it to be ignored: you cannot use every product with every gadget. Please verify that the product you have chosen is compatible with your smart phone, tablet, laptop or more.

If you want to buy the products, you should look at the key features. The products should include easy pairing, excellent sound quality and good battery life. Easy pairing could save time and avoid trouble. You could hear the music with excellent sound quality and have an enjoyable experiences. You could use the product for a long time with good battery life.

They include such qualities as build quality, and manufacturer support – a high-quality product is likely to last longer and continue to perform well, while reliable manufacturer support could turn out to be invaluable if the product malfunctions.

Read reviews and do research before you buy. Other users’ feedback about how well a product performs and how well it lasts can be helpful. If you can if you can test the product in store, doing so will give you a better sense of whether it feels right for you.

Secondly, settle your wallet market and what sacrifice you make his price to get a component on the more affordable facet. Establish which of its qualities would be the most significant for you personally, and also be ready to understand your decision with the funds you possess. Giving attention to these factors, you can probably make a excellent determine to invest in a Bluetooth multipoint item.