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Mac starts playing music when I (dis)connect headphones

SimonTT

SimonTT

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 7, 2022
32
29
Bavaria
My 2021 16" MBP inconsistently starts playing music when I (dis)connect my headphones (AKG K371 BT).
It is currently on 13.2.1 but I have observed this behaviour for quite some time.
I used to think it might just be some "apple knows what you want" thing and my Mac decides when I connect headphones it should start playing music, but it also did this when I disconnected my headphones (no music - disconnect headphones - music).
This never really bothered my since I mostly use my Mac at home / I don't use my Mac alone in public, so I don't use headphones in public.
But today I used my Mac with headphones, like any other day, then I closed the lid, my headphones were still connected but the Mac stops playing music while the lid is closed. I then turned my headphones off.
When I returned I turned my headphones back on which immodestly connected to my Mac. The CLOSED MBP then started playing music trough its speakers, after ~5secs it switched to the headphones.

Is this supposed to be a feature?
 
did you stop the music source? if you don't stop playing from the app (ie "Music") you mac must assume you want it to keep playing, and when you turn on your BT headphones, it must 'see' them and do what it thinks you want: connect & play music.

always stop playing (and or quit your music source app) before closing the lid...
 
fisherking said:
did you stop the music source? if you don't stop playing from the app (ie "Music") you mac must assume you want it to keep playing, and when you turn on your BT headphones, it must 'see' them and do what it thinks you want: connect & play music.

always stop playing (and or quit your music source app) before closing the lid...
Click to expand...
It is irrelevant if music is playing.
I once paused the music, then turned my headphones off and then the Mac started playing music.
 
SimonTT said:
It is irrelevant if music is playing.
I once paused the music, then turned my headphones off and then the Mac started playing music.
Click to expand...
ok. then quit the app before turning off your headphones... no app open, no music should play 👍

EDIT: do u have an external monitor connected? just curious...
 
Last edited:
bogdanw said:
Breakaway 3 "Turn your headphone jack into a pause button and more."
free trial & licence https://frozencrate.com/breakaway
also available in the App Store https://apps.apple.com/app/breakaway-3/id1527622417

Other apps that might be helpful
Balance Lock https://apps.apple.com/app/balance-lock/id1019371109
Headphoned https://apps.apple.com/app/headphoned/id1040734333
Click to expand...
'breakaway' sounds good, but not sure how 'balance lock' (which locks the balance setting) would help. hope the OP tries breakaway 👍
 
bogdanw said:
Breakaway 3 "Turn your headphone jack into a pause button and more."
free trial & licence https://frozencrate.com/breakaway
also available in the App Store https://apps.apple.com/app/breakaway-3/id1527622417

Other apps that might be helpful
Balance Lock https://apps.apple.com/app/balance-lock/id1019371109
Headphoned https://apps.apple.com/app/headphoned/id1040734333
Click to expand...
Does breakaway only use the headphone jack?
I rarely use wired headphones.
My BT Headphones have a trackpad so I can control media remotely.
I don't mind the weird behaviour, most the times I would've played music anyway, I just want to know why it does that.
 
SimonTT said:
Does breakaway only use the headphone jack?
I rarely use wired headphones.
My BT Headphones have a trackpad so I can control media remotely.
I don't mind the weird behaviour, most the times I would've played music anyway, I just want to know why it does that.
Click to expand...
have you tried what i suggested? ie quitting your music app before closing the mac lid?
 
fisherking said:
have you tried what i suggested? ie quitting your music app before closing the mac lid?
Click to expand...
No I didn't, I rarely "quit" apps. It's not like my Mac needs the resources anywhere else, it mostly uses ~20GB ram and 10-20%CPU/GPU.
But it could be a bug with Music, I like it but it is the second most buggy app ever, only behind Fusion 360 which is already buggy on Windows, the MacOS versions adds a lot of bugs and Rosetta doesn't help either.
For an apple app on new apple Hard/Software Music is really unstable, at least on a Mac, on my iPhone/iPad it runs flawless.
Generally it feels like the more expensive an apple product is the less reliable it is, my 2017 MBP damaged its display cable, rendering its display useless, my 2019 MBP overheated its T-Con board, rendering its display useless and my 2021 MBP has a slightly dodgy Magsafe connection.
 
SimonTT said:
No I didn't, I rarely "quit" apps. It's not like my Mac needs the resources anywhere else, it mostly uses ~20GB ram and 10-20%CPU/GPU.
But it could be a bug with Music, I like it but it is the second most buggy app ever, only behind Fusion 360 which is already buggy on Windows, the MacOS versions adds a lot of bugs and Rosetta doesn't help either.
For an apple app on new apple Hard/Software Music is really unstable, at least on a Mac, on my iPhone/iPad it runs flawless.
Generally it feels like the more expensive an apple product is the less reliable it is, my 2017 MBP damaged its display cable, rendering its display useless, my 2019 MBP overheated its T-Con board, rendering its display useless and my 2021 MBP has a slightly dodgy Magsafe connection.
Click to expand...
try quitting Music. then it won't be open to resume playing when you reconnect your headphones, or open your mac. simple!

bluetooth is doing what it thinks you expect it to do; reconnect to Music. and genuinely sorry you've had a rough time with your macs; i'd call apple about that magsafe connection...
 
fisherking said:
i'd call apple about that magsafe connection...
Click to expand...
I did, I even brought it to an Apple Store where they "couldn't replicate the problem".
To be fair I couldn't recreate it reliably either, so I get why they didn't do anything, instead they just told me I probably didn't wait long enough for the magsafe connection to be established.
After that appointment I stayed in the Apple Store a little longer and played around with a M2 Air.
I removed the Magsafe connection and plugged it back in -once- and it didn't establish a connection.
What are the odds of that, I have a dodgy connection on my MBP and I works perfectly when its inspected and then the I get exact same issue on a display unit without even trying.
 
SimonTT said:
I did, I even brought it to an Apple Store where they "couldn't replicate the problem".
To be fair I couldn't recreate it reliably either, so I get why they didn't do anything, instead they just told me I probably didn't wait long enough for the magsafe connection to be established.
After that appointment I stayed in the Apple Store a little longer and played around with a M2 Air.
I removed the Magsafe connection and plugged it back in -once- and it didn't establish a connection.
What are the odds of that, I have a dodgy connection on my MBP and I works perfectly when its inspected and then the I get exact same issue on a display unit without even trying.
Click to expand...
ok, and what about trying the 'quit apple music before closing the lid' thing? that should do it 👍
 
@SimonTT did you try my suggestion? just seems that might solve the problem. obviously your BT headphones are asking for a connection to the mac, the music starts on the mac, until the connection is secured.

good to quit unused apps too (at least sometimes); often, open apps are using ram that could be returned to the 'pool' for other, active things...
 
fisherking said:
@SimonTT did you try my suggestion? just seems that might solve the problem. obviously your BT headphones are asking for a connection to the mac, the music starts on the mac, until the connection is secured.

good to quit unused apps too (at least sometimes); often, open apps are using ram that could be returned to the 'pool' for other, active things...
Click to expand...
Closing the app stops music from playing.

As for the ram, I have 32GB if I try I might use 25GB. I've never seen the memory pressure turn orange, so yes I could close apps, but I have no incentive to do so.
 
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I'm experiencing, when bluetooth headset, sevreral types including airpods, that when I remove and shut off the headsets, or places them in charger, that the Macbook plays through the built in speakers. This is Not okay, and stopping play, or closing the App is just a way around this bug. I have already reported to feedback, but you know?
I hope they address? Macbook Pro M3 Pro base model, on Sonoma 14.4.1

oh, and i'm not asking, i'm letting you know, in no way ever, is having to stop play or close AM a normal proceedure from a company that suggests leaving everything running for weeks!
 
rustygh said:
I'm experiencing, when bluetooth headset, sevreral types including airpods, that when I remove and shut off the headsets, or places them in charger, that the Macbook plays through the built in speakers. This is Not okay, and stopping play, or closing the App is just a way around this bug. I have already reported to feedback, but you know?
I hope they address? Macbook Pro M3 Pro base model, on Sonoma 14.4.1

oh, and i'm not asking, i'm letting you know, in no way ever, is having to stop play or close AM a normal proceedure from a company that suggests leaving everything running for weeks!
Click to expand...
Same here SO annoying how a new OS breaks a simple feature.
 
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