Fixing Samsung Galaxy Note20 Bluetooth Connectivity Issues

Is your Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra not connecting to your new speaker or wireless headphones? It’s pretty frustrating when connectivity issues happen, and you can’t hear anything!

Unfortunately, Bluetooth problems are commonly encountered by Note 20 users. The device just won’t connect via Bluetooth sometimes; other times, the connection is fine, but there’s audio stuttering, or it keeps disconnecting while playing music.

To help you deal with these issues, we’ll dive into 15 methods to fix your Samsung Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra’s Bluetooth connectivity issues in about 10 minutes. 

Later on, we’ll discuss in further detail the common problems that cause this issue so you can prevent them from happening again. Read on!

Difficulty	Easy ●●○○○
Duration	5-10 minutes (average)
Number of Methods	15
Things You Need	Samsung Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra

How to Fix Galaxy Note 20/Note 20 Ultra Bluetooth Issues

Fixing Samsung Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra Bluetooth connectivity issues is generally done via tinkering with the phone’s software and settings or by  physically repairing the phone’s hardware (or even replacing the whole unit).

But don’t fret just yet! Most of our suggested methods below are easy, even for the not-so-tech-savvy. As usual, we’ll unfold each fix from the simplest to the most complex. Let’s go!

1. Check your phone’s distance from the Bluetooth device.

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	1
Duration	1-5 seconds

You can quickly solve a Bluetooth issue like audio stuttering or an actual lack of connection between devices by making sure that the paired devices are near enough each other (the closer, the better). 

This will facilitate the most optimal data transfer quality and speeds.

Generally, the ideal distance between two connected Bluetooth devices can be less than a metre or even further, depending on the quality of each device’s Bluetooth technology. 

Bluetooth technology has five classes with varying uses and ranges: 1 (longest range), 1.5, 2, 3, and 4 (lowest range). Mobile phones belong to Class 2 and could have a BT range of about 100 metres (300 feet).

The version of your device’s Bluetooth technology matters in its range, too. Bluetooth technology is already in the 5.0+ versions, with the latest iteration being version 5.3, released in 2021. 

The great thing about the Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra is that it uses Bluetooth 5.0 technology, which in ideal situations, can connect for longer ranges up to 243 metres (800 feet).

However, knowing the Bluetooth Class, version, and range of the device you’re connecting your phone to is also helpful. You’ll usually have no problems if you’re connecting to most devices since they’re most likely under Class 2 as well.

Moreover, Bluetooth devices are backward-compatible (regardless of the version), meaning they can connect to and work with Bluetooth devices using older versions of the technology.

So to recap, if you can’t connect or are having a dropping Bluetooth connection, just keep your Galaxy Note 20/ Note 20 Ultra as close as possible to your target device.

2. Disconnect and reconnect the Bluetooth device.

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	4
Duration	10 seconds

You can disconnect and then reconnect again to your target Bluetooth device if you’re experiencing some issues. 

Here’s how it should go:

Step 1: Swipe down from your home screen to access the Quick Settings panel.

Step 2: Long-press the Bluetooth icon. Doing so will take you to Bluetooth settings.

Step 3: Tap on the name of the device you’re connected to. Wait for a bit for a popup confirmation that you’ve already disconnected from it.

Step 4: Tap again on the same device’s name to reconnect.

These steps will apply regardless of the type of device you’re reconnecting with.

3. Restart the Bluetooth connection.

Difficulty	Easy ●●○○○
Number of Steps	3
Duration	10 seconds

If you’re having problems sending files or are experiencing stuttering audio, you can always restart your Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra’s Bluetooth connection.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: From the home screen, swipe down from the top edge of your screen to access the control panel or quick settings area.

Step 2: Long press the Bluetooth icon, and you’ll be redirected to Bluetooth settings—toggle the Bluetooth switch to the OFF position. Alternatively, you can tap the Bluetooth icon in the control panel to toggle the connection OFF.

Step 3: Toggle the Bluetooth switch to the ON position and select the device name you want to reconnect with. (Or, in the Android control panel, tap the Bluetooth icon again to turn your connection on; the phone will show available devices.)

4. Restart your phone.

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	2
Duration	10 seconds

Sometimes, your mobile phone needs a quick refreshing. You can easily do this through a phone restart.

Restart your Galaxy Note 20/20 Ultra by doing the following:

Step 1: Press the Power Button until the power options appear.

Step 2: Tap Restart and let the phone do its thing.

Once you’ve restarted your phone, you can turn on Bluetooth and connect to devices again.

5. Wipe the system cache.

Difficulty	Easy ●●○○○
Number of Steps	4
Duration	20-30 seconds

Your phone’s Bluetooth function and other processes could also be affected negatively by corrupt or unnecessary files. These files accumulate inside your phone’s storage with daily use.

Here’s how to wipe your Galaxy Note 20’s system cache:

Step 1: Turn off your phone by pressing the Power Button and tapping Power off.

Step 2: With the phone turned off, hold and press the Power and Volume Up buttons together until you see the Android Recovery menu. It should look like this:

Step 3: Navigate to the Wipe cache partition option using the Volume Up/Down buttons, then press the Power Button to select it.

Step 4: Press the Volume Down button to select Yes and lock it in with the Power Button to confirm the system cache wipe. Your phone will automatically restart after the wipe.

Once your phone restarts, your Bluetooth connection should already work. We advise you to wipe the system cache every month to help keep your phone’s software in tip-top shape.

6. Unpair from the device, then pair again.

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	4
Duration	10 seconds

This option is a little bit different from simply disconnecting from a Bluetooth device. 

Unpairing your phone from another device means revoking whatever internal security settings it had to make when you first paired it with a device via Bluetooth.

It’s somehow like “forgetting” that your phone ever connected with that device in the first place.

Here’s how to unpair a Bluetooth device from your Samsung Galaxy Note 20 or 20 Ultra:

Step 1:  Open Bluetooth settings via your phone’s Quick Settings panel or go to Settings > Connections > Bluetooth. You should see a list of your paired BT devices.

Step 2: Tap the cogwheel, gear, or “Settings” icon beside the device name you want to unpair with.

Step 3: Tap Unpair.

Step 4: Tap Unpair again on the popup to confirm your action.

The device you unpaired with will still appear in the available devices in Bluetooth settings. However, you’ll need to pair (and sometimes encode a matching PIN) to connect with the same device again.

7. Toggle Airplane Mode.

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	3
Duration	10 seconds

Another way to somehow “reset” your Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra’s Bluetooth connection is by toggling Airplane Mode. 

This process serves as the ultimate “turn it off and on again” move for your phone’s wireless connections without powering off your phone.

Here’s how it goes:

Step 1: Swipe down from the top edge of your home screen to reveal the Quick Settings panel. Look for the icon that looks like a literal aeroplane. It should look disengaged/untapped since you haven’t engaged Airplane Mode yet.

Step 2: Tap on the aeroplane icon to turn Airplane Mode ON. It will cut off your phone’s wireless connections like network, data, and Bluetooth (you should also see an aeroplane icon beside your battery icon).

Step 3: Tap the aeroplane icon in Quick Settings again to turn Airplane Mode OFF. The aeroplane beside your battery should already be gone, and you should see network signal bars instead.

8. Reset your phone’s network settings.

Difficulty	Easy ●●○○○
Number of Steps	4
Duration	10-20 seconds

If you want a faster way to unpair with devices and ultimately reset your Galaxy Note 20’s Bluetooth connectivity, we suggest you reset your phone’s network settings. This catch-all method will also reset your Wi-Fi and mobile network settings.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Open Settings, scroll up a bit, and tap on General management.

Step 2: Scroll up a bit and select Reset.

Step 3: Choose Reset network settings.

Step 4: Confirm your action by selecting Reset settings/Reset in the next prompts.

Once you’ve reset your network settings, you must go through the entire process of setting up or pairing with your Wi-Fi network and other Bluetooth devices again. (Hopefully, Bluetooth will now work flawlessly!)

9. Try connecting to another Bluetooth device.

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	4
Duration	10 seconds

Connecting your Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra to another BT device (aside from the one you’re having trouble connecting with) is an excellent method to troubleshoot and diagnose Bluetooth connection issues.

It will help a lot in figuring out whether your phone or the device you’re trying to connect to is problematic.

This is how to connect to another Bluetooth device from your phone:

Step 1: Open Bluetooth settings. You can do this by long pressing the Bluetooth icon in Quick Settings or by Settings > Connections > Bluetooth.

Step 2: Tap on the name of the device you’re currently connected with to disconnect. Once disconnected, the name of your previously-connected device will move to the Available devices list.

Step 3: Tap on the name of another available device to connect via Bluetooth. Depending on the device type, you might be prompted to type a PIN.

Step 4: Try transferring a file to your connected device or play audio on your phone. If either works, then the previous device is faulty; if it doesn’t, then your phone might be the one with an issue.

10. Change your Bluetooth codec in Developer Mode.

Difficulty	Easy ●●○○○
Number of Steps	3
Duration	20-30 seconds

In the age of true wireless earphones and audio peripherals, audio codecs are significant. Although wireless peripherals connected via Bluetooth give users the freedom of unhampered movement, it’s still inferior to the sound quality of wired ones.

Here’s where Bluetooth codecs come in to somehow bridge this wireless vs. wired audio quality gap.

Bluetooth audio codecs code and decode the digital data transmitted between devices into specific formats. Ideally, the best Bluetooth codecs should transfer the highest data quality at the fastest speeds and the least transmission size possible.

Codecs have improved throughout the years. Aside from the simplest subband codec (SBC), other more impressive ones are available to most mobile devices, like Sony’s LDAC, Qualcomm’s aptX, and AAC.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra support SBC and aptX codecs (SBC is the default). Make sure that the earphones or speakers you’ll use with these also support the same codecs for the best audio experience.

If you want to change between your Galaxy Note 20’s codecs, here’s what you should do:

• Enable Developer options (Developer mode) if you haven’t done so yet. Go to Settings > About phone > Software information, then tap on the Build number seven times or until a popup says you’ve unlocked Developer mode.

• Go back to the main Settings menu, and scroll to the bottom to find Developer options. Tap to enter.

• Look for Bluetooth audio codec. Tap it to change the codec your phone uses.

Changing your Bluetooth codec should hopefully fix the audio quality and stabilise your connection.

11. Change your Bluetooth AVRCP version in Developer Mode.

Difficulty	Easy ●●○○○
Number of Steps	3
Duration	20-30 seconds

Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) is a Bluetooth profile used when connecting devices, like speakers or media players, to remote controls (e.g., your Galaxy Note 20/Note 20 Ultra smartphone). Its best-known use is for cars.

You could be having BT issues if your AVRCP version doesn’t match the device you’re connecting your phone with.

There are five AVRCP profiles, and each profile’s functions increase with its number. Below is a short table showing the difference between each one.

AVRCP Profile	Functions
1.0	Basics: play, pause, stop, power, volume up, volume down, etc.
1.3	AVRCP 1.0 features with metadata and music source status
1.4	AVRCP 1.3 features with basic search, absolute volume, and multiple player support
1.5	AVRCP 1.4 features with corrections
1.6	AVRCP 1.5 features with track info and browsing data

For the Note 20 series, we’re lucky that there are four types of AVRCP profiles available. These are 1.3, 1.4 (default), 1.5, and 1.6. 

To toggle between these profiles, here’s what you should do:

• Enable Developer options (Developer mode) if you haven’t yet. Open Settings and go to About phone > Software information, then tap on the Build number seven times or until the phone says you’re already a Developer.

• Tap Developer options in Settings.

• Search for Bluetooth AVRCP version and select the version you want.

12. Pair to Bluetooth device/s while in Safe Mode.

Difficulty	Moderate ●●●○○
Number of Steps	6
Duration	1-5 minutes

Another possible cause of Bluetooth connectivity issues on your Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra is incompatible apps. 

Some sort of code or functionality of one app might be messing up with your BT connection, so booting in Safe Mode could help you isolate the offending app.

Here’s how to boot to Safe Mode and connect to another device via Bluetooth:

Step 1: Press and hold the Power button until the power options appear.

Step 2: Tap and hold Power off until you see the option for Safe mode.

Step 3: Tap on the Safe mode icon and let the phone restart itself. You’ll know that you’ve booted into it when you see “Safe mode” written on the lower left corner of the screen; third-party apps and widgets will be greyed out and can’t be used.

Step 4: Turn on Bluetooth via the Quick settings panel or Settings menu and connect to your chosen device.

Step 5: If your BT connection is working, note which one of your latest installed apps might be the reason for your issue. You can already uninstall the offending app/s while still in Safe mode.

Step 6: Restart your phone to get out of Safe Mode.

13. Update your phone’s software.

Difficulty	Easy ●●○○○
Number of Steps	3
Duration	10 seconds – 30 minutes

Your Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra will receive at least three major Android version updates. These are on top of regular security and software patches.

Therefore, if you’re not the only one having a Bluetooth issue on your device, there is a chance that any upcoming software update could include code to stabilise your phone’s Bluetooth functionality. 

Updates could also help iron out other software issues that could have indirectly affected Bluetooth.

If you’ve set up your device for automatic updates, you’ll receive a notification each time a new update is available. But if not, here’s how to check for and install software updates on your phone:

REMINDER: Make sure your Android phone has enough charge or is plugged into a direct power source before updating. Doing so can help prevent permanent damage or corrupted software.

• Open Settings and scroll to the bottom until you see Software update.

• Tap Download and install to prompt your device to check for updates. The next page will indicate if its software is up to date; if it isn’t, it will download the latest software (you can leave this in the background).

• Once the update is fully downloaded, you’ll be asked whether you want to install the update right at that moment (Install now). If it isn’t the right moment to do so, you can schedule when the installation can happen.

14. Reset your device.

Difficulty	Moderate ●●●○○
Number of Steps	4
Duration	10 minutes – 1 hour

One of the last options you have for troubleshooting your Galaxy Note 20’s Bluetooth connection problem is doing a phone factory reset. As the name implies, doing so will revert your device’s software to how it came from the factory.

Factory resetting your Android phone will (hopefully) revert your Bluetooth settings to the most optimum condition.

REMINDER: A factory reset will wipe your Galaxy phone’s data. Backup your phone information to your PC via Smart Switch or wirelessly via Samsung Cloud or OneDrive.

Always perform this procedure with a full battery or your phone plugged in.

Here’s how it should go:

Step 1: Go to your phone’s Settings and tap General management.

Step 2: Select Reset > Factory data reset.

Step 3: A notice about what would happen to your data during the reset will be shown—read and scroll until the bottom. Tap Reset to confirm this action (you might also need to type your phone’s password to proceed with the reset).

Step 4: Let the phone reset its data to factory settings for a few minutes until an hour.

With a factory reset, you’re left with a clean slate. We hope your Bluetooth connection won’t have any issues anymore.

15. Send your device for repair or replacement.

Difficulty	Easy ●●○○○
Number of Steps	varies
Duration	A few days to weeks

Last, but not least, if all other methods of personally troubleshooting your Galaxy Note 20 or 20 Ultra’s Bluetooth issue fail, you can send your phone either to Samsung’s Service Center or any third-party repair shop.

We highly suggest you use Samsung’s repair service, especially if your phone is still under warranty. You will get genuine Samsung parts and a service repair warranty of 90 days.

However, also be prepared to get a replacement device if Samsung deems your phone’s Bluetooth issue irreparable. Furthermore, if your phone is out of warranty or sent to a third-party repair shop, you might need to buy a new device.

Wrapping Up

Nothing beats the ease of connecting your Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra wirelessly to other devices via Bluetooth, but doing so isn’t without any problems. 

We’re sure that better Bluetooth technology is always on its way, but we have to adapt to the shortcomings of the current version available. We hope this list helps you.

4 Common Bluetooth Issues of the Galaxy Note 20/Note 20 Ultra There are several ways a Bluetooth issue could show itself.  The most common “symptoms” experienced by Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra users are connection drops, difficulty or failure to connect to a BT device, the phone failing to transmit any data to any BT device it’s already connected with, and stuttering audio. Let’s take a look at each issue a bit further. 1. Bluetooth Link Keeps Disconnecting Consistent Bluetooth connection drops are among the most common issues for phones, speakers, and other devices. A couple of things that can cause this are the distance between two devices and device signal interference. 2. Galaxy Note 20 Does Not Connect to Bluetooth Device Although your Bluetooth device is at the most appropriate distance from your phone, the attempt to pair your two devices can sometimes fail. There are various underlying issues for this case—whether hardware or software-related. 3. Bluetooth Audio Stutters Another common problem with Bluetooth connections between a phone and a speaker is audio stuttering. It’s pretty irritating, but don’t fret; the usual reason is that your phone might just be too far from your BT-connected speaker. However, audio stuttering can also indicate more serious issues, such as failing Bluetooth hardware. 4. Note 20 Unable to Communicate with the Connected Device We bet you’ve experienced successfully pairing your Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra to a Bluetooth speaker, only to be unable to hear anything you’re playing on your phone over it.  Even in a successful Bluetooth connection between two devices, problems can still happen.  Your phone might appear connected to your speaker but is silent. It means virtually no data is being sent or communicated between the devices.  In this case, one machine might have a too outdated Bluetooth version, or some settings for each device do not sit well with each other.

FAQs on Galaxy Note 20/Note 20 Ultra Issues