Audio playback on the HUAWEI FreeBuds series/WATCH Buds earphones unexpectedly starts or pauses

Since the earphones support Smart wear detection, they may pause or resume playback, or switch the audio to your phone/tablet if touched accidentally. To troubleshoot, perform the following steps:

  1. Update your earphones to their latest version. For details, see Firmware and software update guide for the HUAWEI FreeBuds and FreeLace series earphones.
  2. Select an appropriate size of ear tips and adjust the position of the earphones to ensure an optimal fit. Restart the player on your phone/tablet or tap the earphones twice to resume playback.
     
    • Try to avoid touching the touch control areas when taking the earphones off or adjusting the position of the earphones. It is recommended that you take the earphones off before you lie down or go to sleep.
    • If the sensor area is blocked and you are not wearing the earphones (such as when they are in your pocket or in a bag), Smart wear detection may be triggered by mistake. When you are not wearing the earphones, remember to place them in the charging case or storage bag.
  3. The earphones support Smart wear detection, which automatically changes the status of audio playback based on the detected wearing status. For example, if you take off either earphone during music playback, music will automatically pause; if you put the earphones back on within 3 min of taking them off, playback will automatically resume, regardless of whether the audio app is running in the foreground; if you do not put them on again within 3 min, you will need to double-tap an earphone to resume playback (pinch the earphone once if you are using FreeBuds Pro,FreeBuds Pro 2 or FreeBuds Pro 3 earphones).

    FreeBuds Lite only pauses the audio when you take the earphones off.

  4. Check whether a recording app (such as the built-in camera, live broadcast apps, and short video apps) is running on the current device or any other connected devices. If so, select the earphones as the audio output device on your phone. To do so, swipe down from the upper right corner of the screen to display Control Panel, touch , and select the desired earphones.
  5. Grant permissions to the app to allow it to play and download audio using both mobile data and Wi-Fi. This prevents audio playback from being paused when your phone/tablet is not connected to Wi-Fi.
  6. The player or music app in question has stopped running or crashed. Update the player or music app to its latest version and try again.
  7. If the issue persists, press and hold the Function button for at least 10 seconds until the indicator flashes to restore the earphones to their factory settings. Then search for and pair with the phone/tablet again.

If the issue persists, take your device and proof of purchase to an authorised Huawei Customer Service Centre for assistance.