Far too frequently, I find myself battling for control of my own Bluetooth speakers.
I’ll bring a friend over and have them connect to the speaker so I can watch a video. We watched five semi-funny youtube skits and listened to half of my friend’s new music obsessions after two hours.
It never bothers me too much, but at some point, it’s my time to play some music.
I don’t want to offend them by calling them out on their speaker piracy.
They aren’t always willing to relinquish control of the speaker.
So, in order to keep control of my house, I’ve established a few strategies to get friends and family off of my Bluetooth speakers.
There aren’t many of them, but one of them will undoubtedly come in handy when you need it.
What Is the Best Way to Remove Someone From My
Bluetooth Speaker?
When someone else couples to your Bluetooth Speaker, there’s just one sure-fire way to reclaim control. You must first connect to the device and reset it. Unfortunately, both the speaker and the devices it connects to remember Bluetooth connections, so there’s a risk it may reconnect to their phone automatically.
To guarantee the connection is lost, you’ll need to utilize the device’s unique reset commands.
You’ll have to wait till the other person’s smartphone is out of Bluetooth range before you can reconnect.
Pairing Mode should be forced on the speaker.
The pairing mode on most Bluetooth speakers can be forced.
All you have to do is locate the speaker’s Bluetooth button.
Then, for approximately five seconds, push and hold it.
When the LED light begins to gently flash, it is ready to pair.
Before you lose your phone to whoever jacked it in the first place, connect to the speaker using your phone.
Whether your device lacks a Bluetooth button, check the user manual to see if there is a way to start pairing mode.
This is something that all Bluetooth speakers have because it is essential for the first setup.
Activate the Speaker
The commands to reset your Bluetooth speaker will be specified by the manufacturer’s specifications.
The steps of resetting your speaker should go something like this:
- Turn off the Bluetooth speaker.
- Ensure that all gadgets are turned off and the speaker is turned off. (This will be tough if you have a Bluetooth pirate.) If you don’t need to disconnect them, don’t.)
- For up to fifteen seconds, press and hold the Bluetooth and Power buttons together. (If your device lacks a Bluetooth button, press and holds the Volume Up and Power buttons for fifteen seconds instead.)
In pairing mode, the device should power cycle and turn on.
Pair with the speaker as soon as possible before the signal pirate does.
If you don’t shut off the device, don’t unpair it.
Make use of an Aux Cable
If you can’t get control of your speaker’s Bluetooth signal quickly enough, there is one approach that never fails.
To pull it off, you’ll need a comfortable length of 3.5mm male-to-male auxiliary cable.
Auxiliary connections on Bluetooth speakers always take precedence over cable connections for speaker control.
Simply attach one end of the cord to the speaker and the other to the smartphone, tablet, or computer you wish to control it with if your device still has an audio port or you have the adapters you need to utilize auxiliary connections.
Wireless connections will be disregarded, and you will regain control of the audio once more. While you have the power and authority, make the most of it.
Protect Your Bluetooth Speaker from Unauthorized Connections
Preventing pirates from accessing your Bluetooth devices in the first place is the best way to keep them out.
It’s not always doable, particularly if you enjoy sharing.
This advice is mainly intended for you if you came to this list from a circumstance where your speaker was hacked in public.
There are a number of options for keeping your gadgets private and under your control.
I’ll go through a few practices you can start using right now in the section below.
When not in use, turn off your speaker.
Turn off your Bluetooth speakers and devices if you aren’t utilizing them.
The easiest way to avoid unwanted access is to avoid broadcasting a Bluetooth signal wherever you go.
When it’s not in use, turn it off to prevent it from attempting to connect to anything and preserve battery life.
Even while most Bluetooth speakers now have a 24-hour battery life, it doesn’t hurt to have one less charging cycle.
Some Bluetooth speakers have the ability to connect to numerous devices at the same time.
Even if you’re currently linked with the device, it’s possible that someone else will be able to connect to it as well.
Save yourself the aggravation and worry.
When you’re not using it, just turn it off.
Stay connected to your speaker at all times.
If you’re confident your speaker can only handle one connection at a time, just make sure you never disconnect from it.
Keep in mind that Bluetooth components in your gadgets consume a lot of power.
Keeping a speaker connected at all times will consume the battery power of both the speaker and the device it’s paired with at a quicker rate.
You may or may not be comfortable with this as a way to secure your speaker from illegal connections.
This is the only method I would recommend if:
- Your smartphone’s or device’s battery life and power management are great.
- You have no qualms about wearing an external microphone on your person.
- A smart device control function, such as Samsung’s Smart Control, is available on your device.
- You have a battery pack that you can carry with you.
Purchase speakers with built-in security features.
The most secure approach is to purchase a Bluetooth speaker with a programmed locking system.
These devices are less common and less well-known, but they may be configured to connect only to devices that input a certain connection key, which is commonly a four- or five-digit combination.
These speakers are more expensive than the majority of Bluetooth speakers on the market.
The good news is that they’ll be high-resolution audio devices as well.
If you’re serious about security and sound quality, starting your search for safe Bluetooth speakers may be a smart option.
FAQ
Is there an app that I can use to prevent individuals from using my Bluetooth speakers?
Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent unauthorized devices from connecting to your Bluetooth speakers using an app.
To achieve your aim, you’ll have to employ the workaround stated above.
That is, at least for the time being.
Bluetooth speakers with more advanced controls via mobile applications may be available in the future.
What is the best way to jam or hijack a Bluetooth speaker?
You can’t do that without a good understanding of wireless communications and packets.
I won’t go into depth about how it could be accomplished due to the moral issues with this usage for banning people off Bluetooth speakers.
Simply purchase a speaker or gently request to use a friend’s speaker.
Is it possible for someone else to connect to my Bluetooth speaker and operate it?
Your Bluetooth speaker might be taken over by a stranger.
It’s worth noting that they’d have to be within Bluetooth signal range for this to work.
Some speakers can already connect to several devices and may give priority to the most recent ones.
A clever coder may discover a means to connect to your speaker while disconnecting your device for speakers that can only manage one connection.
Apart from being malicious, there isn’t anything to gain from doing this.
It does not seem to me to be a major worry.
Conclusion
There are a lot of ways to connect to Bluetooth devices quickly, but there aren’t many ways to stop others from doing so.
If you need to reclaim control of your Bluetooth speakers, remember to attempt one of the following three options:
- Then try to pair quicker than your friend by turning the speaker off and on again.
- When the speaker resumes, reset it to factory settings and connect it solely to your device.
- With an auxiliary cable, connect your device to the speaker directly.
The quickest and most consistent approach to regain control of your speakers is to use an auxiliary cord.
An auxiliary cable is a great item to pick up if you don’t have an extra cable laying around.
Make a note of it on your must-have list for the next time you go electronics shopping.