S22 plays media as a phone call

[Mathrandir]

I have a Galaxy S22 Ultra. For the last few months, it has started randomly switching the audio output, but within whatever device it's playing. For example, if I'm watching a YouTube video on Bluetooth headphones, they will suddenly go silent, then pick back up but with distorted audio. Any attempt to change the volume displays the media volume bar (eighth-note symbol instead of the Bluetooth symbol) and doesn't change the volume. The headphone buttons also start taking on the functions of a call, so pressing the pause button mutes my microphone but doesn't pause the music. If I go to the Bluetooth settings, and turn off the "Connected for Calls" option, it seems to fix it temporarily.

This is also not restricted to headphones. If I'm watching a video using the speakers, it will suddenly go silent, then the audio will come out of just the earpiece as though I was on a call, then switch to "speakerphone" then back to the earpiece. Restarting the phone fixes this problem about 50% of the time.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Rydah · Accepted solution]

Hey there @Mathrandir, I hope you're doing well.

This is certainly an odd issue. By chance do you have an app that uses any type of voip services, such as internet calling/video calling? Does this issue happen after using apps of this type? In the past, I've had issues like this happen where the voip service doesn't end and the phone still thinks it's in some type of call. If you've used an app that uses voip services (such as Duo/Meet, Zoom, Viber, Facebook Messenger, etc...), try force closing those apps and see if that resolves the issue.

If you're not using apps of that nature, are you noticing the issue happen at any specific time after using a certain app?

I hope that helps.

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[Mathrandir]

It looks like this was the culprit. In my case, it appears to be the visual voice-mail from T-mobile. If I don't shut it down, this exact thing happens. And stops about 99% of the time whenever I force-close the app.

[missmyflipphone]

My phone just randomly started taking to me the other night and I don't have Bixby or google assistant. All it said was "Can you repeat that" but still scared me and made me seriously consider getting the phone an excercism

[jimmyweda]

Hey Mathrandir, I'm having the exact same issue on my Galaxy S23 Ultra. It only started happening sometime after pairing my Galaxy Buds Live. None of the things Rydah apply to me so I'm still trying to figure this out myself. If I do figure it out I'll post the solution here.

[Mathrandir]

I did figure out that it was my voice-mail app. No solutions other than shutting it down, though.

[user0QNTM45Uaz]

Have you guys foind a resolution ?

[Mathrandir]

I eventually found the culprit. It was my voice-mail app.

[user0QNTM45Uaz]

Thank you BTW

[user0QNTM45Uaz]

Got it, did you remove the app? Was a third party or like T-Mobile? How did you determine it was the VM app?