Bluetooth stuttering

[CharlesLewis]

I'm having a sudden problem with bluetooth stuttering.I first noticed it about two weeks ago and thought it might be due to a short in the wire of my bluetooth earbuds between the earpiece and the power unit. But I've tried three different connections with the same problem. The same thing occurs with my Alexa speaker but not when paired with my Toyota Prius.

I've rebooted my phone, turned bluetooth off and on, unpaired and re-paired, and turned off wi-fi -- all to no avail. I've had my phone, a Moto Z4, for about two years now with no previous issues. I am running Android 10. Nothing has changed other than the stuttering issue.

Could a visit to the Verizon store provide a fix? I certainly don't plan to purchase a new phone; I can use the speaker when I walk if necessary. Nor am I willing to restore factory settings; that's just too much of a hassle.

Any suggestions?

 

[Dannydet]

Restore factory settings...
As much as much as you don't want to.
That should fix your problem

 

[mikedt]

Someone here was reporting the same issue with a Samsung phone. https://support.google.com/android/thread/12892715?hl=en
Settings > Apps > Device Care > Battery > Three Dots (top right) > Sleeping Apps
music apps were on the list.

I don't know Moto phones of course, but the settings might be similar.

I suspect the peeps at the Verizon Store will just tell you to reset it.

 

[svim]

Look in your Settings menu for a 'Network settings reset' option and you try that first. It will reset all network related setting back to their defaults so it will wipe all saved WiFi entries along any Bluetooth pairings. Basically a Factory Reset but limited to just network functionality.

If you do opt for a Factory Reset, don't forget to back up all your files. (... and check your backup and confirm it contains your files. A lot of people mistakenly 'think' they're back up but the actual content isn't where they thought it was.) It's a big hassle to go through a messy restore process, even worse if you can't copy your files and things back.
You should have backups anyway, no matter what's going on. It might just fail, or you lose it, or if you're just walking down the street Officer Friendly might take it from you if he/she doesn't like your appearance.

 

[CharlesLewis]

Someone here was reporting the same issue with a Samsung phone. https://support.google.com/android/thread/12892715?hl=en
Settings > Apps > Device Care > Battery > Three Dots (top right) > Sleeping Apps
music apps were on the list.

I don't know Moto phones of course, but the settings might be similar.

I suspect the peeps at the Verizon Store will just tell you to reset it.

Sleeping apps aren't in settings. That option must not apply to Moto

 

[CharlesLewis]

Look in your Settings menu for a 'Network settings reset' option and you try that first. It will reset all network related setting back to their defaults so it will wipe all saved WiFi entries along any Bluetooth pairings. Basically a Factory Reset but limited to just network functionality.

If you do opt for a Factory Reset, don't forget to back up all your files. (... and check your backup and confirm it contains your files. A lot of people mistakenly 'think' they're back up but the actual content isn't where they thought it was.) It's a big hassle to go through a messy restore process, even worse if you can't copy your files and things back.
You should have backups anyway, no matter what's going on. It might just fail, or you lose it, or if you're just walking down the street Officer Friendly might take it from you if he/she doesn't like your appearance.

I tried resetting network settings but the problem still occurs. It worked fine for about 3 seconds and I was ready to celebrate, but alas.

I'm just not ready to do a full reset. I do have backups but it still takes several days of restoring to get everything back the way I want it

 

[Dannydet]

You could also have a faulty Bluetooth module

 

[CharlesLewis]

You could also have a faulty Bluetooth module

Not sure what that means. Is it a hardware problem? And if so , could the problem be repaired or would it require a new phon ?

 

[svim]

Sleeping apps aren't in settings. That option must not apply to Moto

Power management functionality is an integral part of the Android operating system. Different phones have varying options on basic features (depending on the OS version and the manufacturer's hardware configuration). Anyway, look in your Settings for 'Battery optimization' -- if you go here to your phone's online user manual, tap on Battery in the left side column to read more about it:
https://support.motorola.com/ca/en/products/cell-phones/moto-z-family/moto-z4/documents/MS143412

Not sure what that means. Is it a hardware problem? And if so , could the problem be repaired or would it require a new phon ?

Well it's still not been determined if this is a software or a hardware problem.
If the Bluetooth chip in your phone did fail, the usual fix will be to just replace the entire motherboard -- replacing just the Bluetooth chip itself will involve tearing the phone down completely anyway, to get to free access to the circuit board, then soldering the bad chip out and new one in. After all the time and labor involved this will be a very costly fix. Swapping out the motherboard is easier and a lot more cost-effective.
You should try to eliminate all software-related fixes first, including the dreaded Factory Reset option. If you do have to send it in to be repaired and a fix isn't readily found, at some point they'll either do a Factory Reset or just replace the motherboard so you'll need to go through a setup and restore anyway.

 

[mikedt]

Sleeping apps aren't in settings. That option must not apply to Moto

Maybe it's called something else, and has different options on Moto phones. Which I can't help you with of course. Maybe someone else can, who's familiar with Moto devices?

 

[svim]

It's referred to in the link to his model user manual, it's just Battery optimization like in any recent Android device I've encountered.
Although it would be interesting if anyone can confirm it's labeled as something else.

 

[CharlesLewis]

Finally solved! I got an android update a few days ago that indicated it solved Bluetooth problems -- and it did .