Windows 11: Bluetooth headset mic disappears after restart

Question

Windows 11: Bluetooth headset mic disappears after restart

Jerry Korulla George 0

When I first pair and connect my Bose QC headphones, Windows 11 shows them as “Connected mic, audio”, and the headset microphone works in Microsoft Teams.

After I restart the PC and reconnect the already-paired headset, Windows shows only “Connected audio”. The headset mic no longer appears as an input device in Windows or in Teams.

The only way I’ve found to get the mic back is to remove the device and pair it again. I have to do this after every restart.

Steps to reproduce

Pair the Bose QC headphones. The Bluetooth panel shows “Connected mic, audio,” and the mic works.
Restart the PC.
Reconnect the headset. The panel shows “Connected audio” only, and no mic is available.
Remove the device and pair it again. The panel shows “Connected mic, audio” again.

Screenshots attached: one taken after first pairing (“Connected mic, audio”) and one taken after a restart (“Connected audio”).

initial
reconnect

Szczepan Czaicki 0 Reputation points

2026-11-07T23:55:09.9666667+00:00
Same issue here, with Bose QC Ultra Headphones.

Setup:

Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4

Windows 11 Pro 25H2, build 26200.9711 (October update KB5127648 installed on Oct 14)

Intel Wireless Bluetooth (USB VID_8087 PID_0033), driver 24.50.0.4 from May 2026

The symptoms match exactly. Right after pairing, the mic works. When the headphones reconnect later, only audio (A2DP) connects. In Device Manager the "Hands-Free AG" device is present with no error, but both Hands-Free audio endpoints have status Unknown, so the HFP connection is never set up. Removing the device and pairing again fixes it until the next reconnect.

It started before the October update (I had to re-pair twice in September), but since then it happens much more often: three times since Oct 26.

I haven't tested another headset yet.
Vikki-T 13,600 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-11-09T11:15:22.72+00:00

Hi Szczepan Czaicki,

Thank you for sharing these detailed findings.

Since the problem was already occurring before the October update, there is not enough evidence to confirm that KB5127648 caused it, although the increased frequency after the update is worth documenting.

If possible, please test another Bluetooth headset with a microphone on the same PC. If the same behavior occurs, that would point more toward the Bluetooth adapter, driver, or Windows HFP handling. If only the Bose QC Ultra is affected, checking for headset firmware updates through the Bose app would also be worthwhile.

Please also consider reproducing the issue and submitting it through Feedback Hub under Devices and Drivers > Bluetooth. Include the Windows build, Bluetooth driver version, the “Unknown” endpoint status, and the fact that re-pairing restores HFP only until the next reconnection. These details may help the Windows team investigate why the hands-free profile is not being restored correctly.

2 answers

Your answer

Szczepan Czaicki 0 Reputation points

2026-11-07T23:55:09.9666667+00:00

Same issue here, with Bose QC Ultra Headphones.

Setup:

Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4

Windows 11 Pro 25H2, build 26200.9711 (October update KB5127648 installed on Oct 14)

Intel Wireless Bluetooth (USB VID_8087 PID_0033), driver 24.50.0.4 from May 2026

The symptoms match exactly. Right after pairing, the mic works. When the headphones reconnect later, only audio (A2DP) connects. In Device Manager the "Hands-Free AG" device is present with no error, but both Hands-Free audio endpoints have status Unknown, so the HFP connection is never set up. Removing the device and pairing again fixes it until the next reconnect.

It started before the October update (I had to re-pair twice in September), but since then it happens much more often: three times since Oct 26.

I haven't tested another headset yet.
Vikki-T 13,600 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-11-09T11:15:22.72+00:00

Hi Szczepan Czaicki,

Thank you for sharing these detailed findings.

Since the problem was already occurring before the October update, there is not enough evidence to confirm that KB5127648 caused it, although the increased frequency after the update is worth documenting.

If possible, please test another Bluetooth headset with a microphone on the same PC. If the same behavior occurs, that would point more toward the Bluetooth adapter, driver, or Windows HFP handling. If only the Bose QC Ultra is affected, checking for headset firmware updates through the Bose app would also be worthwhile.

Please also consider reproducing the issue and submitting it through Feedback Hub under Devices and Drivers > Bluetooth. Include the Windows build, Bluetooth driver version, the “Unknown” endpoint status, and the fact that re-pairing restores HFP only until the next reconnection. These details may help the Windows team investigate why the hands-free profile is not being restored correctly.

Answer 1

Hello Jerry Korulla George,

Thank you for documenting the behavior and the reproduction steps so clearly. Since the headset microphone works immediately after pairing but disappears only after Windows restarts, this appears to be related to how Windows restores the Bluetooth hands-free microphone profile rather than a general microphone permission issue.

In addition to the driver and audio-device steps already provided, please run the Bluetooth troubleshooter through the Get Help app and apply any recommended fixes. It would also be useful to check Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates for any available Bluetooth or audio driver updates.

If possible, please test another Bluetooth headset with a microphone. If the same behavior occurs, the issue is more likely associated with the PC’s Bluetooth adapter or Windows configuration. If it happens only with the Bose QC headphones, please also make sure the headset firmware is current through the Bose application.

If the microphone still disappears after every restart, please share the following details:

The PC make and model
The Bluetooth adapter model and driver version shown in Device Manager
The Windows version and OS build shown under Settings > System > About
Whether the issue began after a particular Windows or driver update
Whether another Bluetooth headset shows the same behavior

You can also reproduce the issue and submit it through Feedback Hub under Devices and Drivers > Bluetooth, attaching the screenshots and diagnostic data. This would give the Windows engineering team the information needed to investigate why the hands-free microphone endpoint is not being restored after reboot.

Please note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Contributors and moderators cannot access device diagnostics or directly investigate the Windows back-end, but the additional details above may help narrow down whether the problem is specific to the Bose headset, the Bluetooth adapter, or the current Windows build. Thank you so much for your understanding.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Vikki-T 13,600 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-11-04T12:35:00.74+00:00

Hello Jerry Korulla George,

It has been a while and I am writing to see how things are going with this issue.

Have you had a chance to check the replies provided?

Any update would be appreciated.

Answer 2

The headset’s Windows 11 hands-free microphone endpoint is not being restored after reboot, so update or reinstall the PC’s Bluetooth driver first, then rebuild the audio devices if the endpoint remains absent.

Windows 11 creates one output and one input endpoint when a Bluetooth headset supports the Hands-Free Profile (HFP); A2DP alone provides output only. The change from “Connected mic, audio” to “Connected audio” therefore means the HFP input endpoint is missing before Teams starts using it.^1^

1. Replace the Bluetooth adapter driver

Obtain the latest Windows 11 Bluetooth driver for the exact PC model from the PC manufacturer. Prefer this over relying solely on Device Manager’s automatic search; Microsoft notes that the manufacturer may offer a newer driver even when Windows says the best driver is installed.^2^
Install it and restart.
Reconnect the already-paired Bose headset—do not remove and pair it again.
Check Settings → System → Sound → Input.
- Expected result: Bose QC Headphones appears as an input device and Bluetooth reports “Connected mic, audio.”
Restart once more and verify that the input survives the second boot.

If this started immediately after a Bluetooth-driver or Windows update, use Device Manager → Bluetooth → Bluetooth adapter → Properties → Driver → Roll Back Driver, if that button is available.^2^

2. If updating does not restore the endpoint, reinstall the Bluetooth adapter

This temporarily removes Bluetooth connectivity; a USB keyboard or mouse may be needed if those peripherals also use Bluetooth.

Open Device Manager.
Expand Bluetooth.
Right-click the actual Bluetooth adapter/radio, not merely the Bose entry.
Select Uninstall device → Uninstall.
Shut down Windows, wait several seconds, and power it back on.
Windows should reinstall the adapter. If it does not, open Device Manager and select Action → Scan for hardware changes.^3^
Install the manufacturer’s Bluetooth package again if Windows installed only a generic driver.
Reconnect the existing Bose pairing and check Settings → System → Sound → Input after another restart.

3. If Bluetooth remains connected but only the microphone endpoint is absent

Rebuild the audio endpoint and driver registration:

Open Device Manager.
Expand Audio inputs and outputs and Sound, video and game controllers.
Uninstall the Bose/Bluetooth audio entries associated with the headset.
Restart Windows. It should recreate the audio devices automatically.
If they do not return, select Device Manager → Action → Scan for hardware changes.

Microsoft’s missing-microphone procedure similarly recommends uninstalling affected audio devices, restarting so Windows recreates them, and then updating the drivers.^4^

Avoid disabling Handsfree Telephony in the headset’s Services tab. That disables HFP—the profile required for Bluetooth microphone capture—and would intentionally leave audio output without the headset microphone.^1^

4. Verify Windows and Teams only after the input returns

Once Bose appears under Settings → System → Sound → Input:

Select it and run Microphone test.
Open Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone and enable:
- Microphone access
- Let apps access your microphone
- Let desktop apps access your microphone
In Teams, select the Bose headset under Settings → Devices → Microphone.

If the Bose input is still absent from Windows Sound settings, Teams configuration and microphone permissions cannot recreate it; the remaining issue is at the Bluetooth/audio driver or endpoint-registration layer. If the manufacturer’s latest and rolled-back drivers both fail across every restart, report the reproducible sequence to the PC manufacturer, including the Bluetooth adapter model, driver version, Windows version/build, and screenshots from before and after reboot.

References