I have a pair of Bluetooth headphones, which I have been using since 2022. Today, I was sitting on the bus when some random person connected to them and started playing Free Bird.
It was a bit funny, but I don’t want this to become a regular thing. Is there a way of locking the headphones to certain Bluetooth addresses? Or a way of making it not show up automatically on phones (similar to a hidden WiFi network)?
The headphones in question are the JBL Tune 510, which have a USB-C port. However, I don’t know if this can be used to flash firmware.
If there’s already a comment telling me to “just use wired” or something, please don’t tell me again. It’s the best solution, but my phone doesn’t have a headphone jack (fuck you, Apple).
Thanks!
In my personal experience, every pair of headphones is different, but generally they won’t allow you to connect to a new device unless you intentionally enter a specific mode that broadcasts its availability. Otherwise, turning the device on alone usually causes it to enter a more “locked” mode where it only allows connections with devices it’s already seen.
Hopefully you just tapped the wrong button. Otherwise, you’re right that this could be a huge security issue. A Bluetooth tool emulating a keyboard alone could do some serious damage if devices just accept it.
Yeah, I think they go into discovery mode until they find a previously-paired device when you turn them on.
I’ll double-check the manual.
Clearly the universe decided you needed to listen to Freebird lol
It’s the best solution, but my phone doesn’t have a headphone jack (fuck you, Apple).
You can buy a tiny DAC that plugs into the digital port of the phone.
I think it depends on headphone model/setup.
My Sennheiser Momentum 3 by default only look for devices that were paired up in the past.
It goes to (forced) discovery/pairing mode only when I press a specific button on headset manually.
Check manual of your headset for similar setup.
Is it at all common for BT headphones to be able to pair without specifically enabling pairing mode? I’ve never heard of that before.
Most headphones require you to hold down the power button when powering on to enable pairing.
