Programmatically connect to paired Bluetooth speaker and play audio

Question

In our app, I'd like to connect to a previously paired A2DP Bluetooth Speaker and direct audio playback to it, using Android v4.2 or later.

I can successfully create an A2DP profile object using this code to start the process:

---

/* Manifest permissions */
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.BLUETOOTH"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.BLUETOOTH_ADMIN"/>

---

// Get the default adapter
BluetoothAdapter mBluetoothAdapter = BluetoothAdapter.getDefaultAdapter();

// Establish connection to the proxy.
mBluetoothAdapter.getProfileProxy(this, mProfileListener, BluetoothProfile.A2DP)

And the following listener to respond to the connection:

private BluetoothProfile.ServiceListener mProfileListener = new BluetoothProfile.ServiceListener() {
public void onServiceConnected(int profile, BluetoothProfile proxy) {

    if (profile == BluetoothProfile.A2DP) {

        mBluetoothSpeaker = (BluetoothA2dp) proxy;

        // no devices are connected         
        List<BluetoothDevice> connectedDevices = mBluetoothSpeaker.getConnectedDevices();

        //the one paired (and disconnected) speaker is returned here
        int[] statesToCheck = {BluetoothA2dp.STATE_DISCONNECTED};           
        List<BluetoothDevice> disconnectedDevices = mBluetoothSpeaker.getDevicesMatchingConnectionStates(statesToCheck);



        BluetoothDevice btSpeaker = disconnectedDevices.get(0); 

        //WHAT NOW?

    }
}
public void onServiceDisconnected(int profile) {
    if (profile == BluetoothProfile.A2DP) {
        mBluetoothSpeaker = null;
    }
}
};

I'm just a little lost as to what to do now, to connect the device, and direct the audio output to it. I've tried connecting to the device, as detailed in the Android docs, with the following code, but the final BluetoothSpeaker.getConnectedDevices() call returns no connected devices.

    BluetoothSocket tmp = null;
    UUID MY_UUID = UUID.fromString("00001108-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb");
    try {           
        tmp = btSpeaker.createInsecureRfcommSocketToServiceRecord(MY_UUID);

    } catch (IOException e1) {
        // TODO Auto-generated catch block
        Log.d("createRfcommSocketToServiceRecord ERROR", e1.getMessage());
    }
    mmSocket = tmp;

    try {
        // Connect the device through the socket. This will block
        // until it succeeds or throws an exception
        mmSocket.connect();
    } catch (IOException connectException) {
        // Unable to connect; close the socket and get out
        try {
            Log.d("connectException", connectException.getMessage());
            mmSocket.close();
        } catch (IOException closeException) { }
        return;
    }

    connectedDevices = mBluetoothSpeaker.getConnectedDevices();

The code does seem to connect to the device in some way though, as when I stop execution, the Bluetooth speaker annouces that it is ready to pair (as it always does when it disconnects from an audio source).

Older versions of the BluetoothA2dp seem to have a connect(BluetoothDevice device) method, but that has now been removed (as of 4.2) and I'm struggling to find any clear examples of how to programmatically connect to an A2DP device, and to direct audio output to it. Any help on how to approach either would be gratefully received.

Any advice on how to approach this would be hugely appreciated.

Solution 1

This one works for me. After receive BluetoothA2dp.STATE_CONNECTED, you can play music as normal.

public class A2DPActivity extends Activity {

protected static final String TAG = "ZS-A2dp";

Button mBtPlay;

BluetoothAdapter mBtAdapter;
BluetoothA2dp mA2dpService;

AudioManager mAudioManager;
MediaPlayer mPlayer;

BroadcastReceiver mReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {

    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context ctx, Intent intent) {
        String action = intent.getAction();
        Log.d(TAG, "receive intent for action : " + action);
        if (action.equals(BluetoothA2dp.ACTION_CONNECTION_STATE_CHANGED)) {
            int state = intent.getIntExtra(BluetoothA2dp.EXTRA_STATE, BluetoothA2dp.STATE_DISCONNECTED);
            if (state == BluetoothA2dp.STATE_CONNECTED) {
                setIsA2dpReady(true);
                playMusic();
            } else if (state == BluetoothA2dp.STATE_DISCONNECTED) {
                setIsA2dpReady(false);
            }
        } else if (action.equals(BluetoothA2dp.ACTION_PLAYING_STATE_CHANGED)) {
            int state = intent.getIntExtra(BluetoothA2dp.EXTRA_STATE, BluetoothA2dp.STATE_NOT_PLAYING);
            if (state == BluetoothA2dp.STATE_PLAYING) {
                Log.d(TAG, "A2DP start playing");
                Toast.makeText(A2DPActivity.this, "A2dp is playing", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            } else {
                Log.d(TAG, "A2DP stop playing");
                Toast.makeText(A2DPActivity.this, "A2dp is stopped", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            }
        }
    }

};

boolean mIsA2dpReady = false;
void setIsA2dpReady(boolean ready) {
    mIsA2dpReady = ready;
    Toast.makeText(this, "A2DP ready ? " + (ready ? "true" : "false"), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
}

private ServiceListener mA2dpListener = new ServiceListener() {

    @Override
    public void onServiceConnected(int profile, BluetoothProfile a2dp) {
        Log.d(TAG, "a2dp service connected. profile = " + profile);
        if (profile == BluetoothProfile.A2DP) {
            mA2dpService = (BluetoothA2dp) a2dp;
            if (mAudioManager.isBluetoothA2dpOn()) {
                setIsA2dpReady(true);
                playMusic();
            } else {
                Log.d(TAG, "bluetooth a2dp is not on while service connected");
            }
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onServiceDisconnected(int profile) {
        setIsA2dpReady(false);
    }

};

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    LinearLayout ll = new LinearLayout(this);
    setContentView(ll);

    mAudioManager = (AudioManager) getSystemService(Context.AUDIO_SERVICE);
    registerReceiver(mReceiver, new IntentFilter(BluetoothA2dp.ACTION_CONNECTION_STATE_CHANGED));
    registerReceiver(mReceiver, new IntentFilter(BluetoothA2dp.ACTION_PLAYING_STATE_CHANGED));

    mBtAdapter = BluetoothAdapter.getDefaultAdapter();
    mBtAdapter.getProfileProxy(this, mA2dpListener , BluetoothProfile.A2DP);

}

@Override
protected void onDestroy() {
    mBtAdapter.closeProfileProxy(BluetoothProfile.A2DP, mA2dpService);
    releaseMediaPlayer();
    unregisterReceiver(mReceiver);
    super.onDestroy();
}

@Override
protected void onPause() {
    releaseMediaPlayer();
    super.onPause();
}

private void releaseMediaPlayer() {
    if (mPlayer != null) {
        mPlayer.release();
        mPlayer = null;
    }
}

private void playMusic() {
    mPlayer = new MediaPlayer();
    AssetManager assetManager = this.getAssets();
    AssetFileDescriptor fd;
    try {
        fd = assetManager.openFd("Radioactive.mp3");
        Log.d(TAG, "fd = " + fd);
        mPlayer.setDataSource(fd.getFileDescriptor());
        mPlayer.prepare();
        Log.d(TAG, "start play music");
        mPlayer.start();
    } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }
}

}

Solution 2

Ted,

I have the same issue like you when I tried with BluetoothHeadset. I guess my work around may work with A2DP. Since my headset only support Handsfree profile. I am only test with BluetoothHeadset.

No need to establish RFComm channel.

For me. After you connected to BluetoothHeadsetService, 1. check whether audio is already connected

mBluetoothSpeaker.isAudioConnected(btSpeaker);

2. if not, establish audio connection

mBluetoothSpeaker.startVoiceRecognition(btSpeaker);

3. register BroadcastReceiver for BluetoothHeadset.ACTION_CONNECTION_STATE_CHANGED and BluetoothHeadset.ACTION_AUDIO_STATE_CHANGED

registerReceiver(mReceiver, new IntentFilter(BluetoothHeadset.ACTION_CONNECTION_STATE_CHANGED));
registerReceiver(mReceiver, new IntentFilter(BluetoothHeadset.ACTION_AUDIO_STATE_CHANGED));

4. BroadcastReceiver

protected BroadcastReceiver mReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {

    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
        String action = intent.getAction();
        int state = BluetoothHeadset.STATE_DISCONNECTED;
        int previousState = intent.getIntExtra(BluetoothHeadset.EXTRA_PREVIOUS_STATE, BluetoothHeadset.STATE_DISCONNECTED);
        if (action.equals(BluetoothHeadset.ACTION_CONNECTION_STATE_CHANGED)) {
            state = intent.getIntExtra(BluetoothHeadset.EXTRA_STATE, BluetoothHeadset.STATE_DISCONNECTED);
            if (state == BluetoothHeadset.STATE_CONNECTED) {
                mConnectedHeadset = intent.getParcelableExtra(BluetoothDevice.EXTRA_DEVICE);
                mInfoTextview.append("\n\nDevice name = " + mConnectedHeadset.getName());

                // Audio should not be connected yet but just to make sure.
                if (mBluetoothHeadset.isAudioConnected(mConnectedHeadset)) {
                    Log.d(TAG, "Headset audio connected already");
                } else {
                    if (!mBluetoothHeadset.startVoiceRecognition(mConnectedHeadset)) {
                        Log.e(TAG, "maybe you do not call stopVoiceRecognition previously");
                        mBluetoothHeadset.stopVoiceRecognition(mConnectedHeadset);
                        mBluetoothHeadset.startVoiceRecognition(mConnectedHeadset);
                    }
                }
            }
            else if (state == BluetoothHeadset.STATE_DISCONNECTED) {
                mConnectedHeadset = null;
            }
        }
        else if (action.equals(BluetoothHeadset.ACTION_AUDIO_STATE_CHANGED))// audio
        {
            state = intent.getIntExtra(BluetoothHeadset.EXTRA_STATE, BluetoothHeadset.STATE_AUDIO_DISCONNECTED);
            if (state == BluetoothHeadset.STATE_AUDIO_CONNECTED) {
                // Bluetooth audio connected. you send audio stream to headset now!!!
                mAudioManager.setMode(AudioManager.STREAM_VOICE_CALL);
                mMediaPlayer = new MediaPlayer();
                AssetManager assetManager = getAssets();
                try {
        AssetFileDescriptor fd = assetManager.openFd("Radioactive.mp3");
        mMediaPlayer.setDataSource(fd.getFileDescriptor());
                    // set audio stream type to STREAM_VOICE_CALL will send audio to headset
                    // @see <a href="http://developer.android.com/reference/android/media/AudioManager.html#startBluetoothSco()">SCO</a>
                    mMediaPlayer.setAudioStreamType(AudioManager.STREAM_VOICE_CALL);
        mMediaPlayer.prepare();
        Log.d(TAG, "start play music");
        mMediaPlayer.start();
        } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
        }
            }
            else if (state == BluetoothHeadset.STATE_AUDIO_DISCONNECTED) {
                if (mMediaPlayer != null) {
                mMediaPlayer.stop();
                mMediaPlayer = null;
                }
                mBluetoothHeadset.stopVoiceRecognition(mConnectedHeadset);
            }
        }   
    }
};

Solution 3

Had the same problem, but found that older post:

Programmatically connect to paired Bluetooth device

In short, in order to connect to a paired a2dp device, you simply have to invoke BluetoothA2dp.connect(myPairedA2dpDevice), but right now that method is hidden from the public API, which is not helpful. So you access it through Java reflection. It's kind of a hack, but the way Google put it, there doesn't seem to be a clean solution for now.

Comments

[Ted]

Zxshi, thank you so much for your answers. I'm glad to hear you've managed to get this working. I'm currently hiding from A2DP, and working on some other aspects of our project, but I promise I'll give these a go soon, and see if I can get them to work too.

[antman]

Thanks, very helpful answer. I have a slightly different requirement. I am trying to use live audio from microphone and send to A2DP bluetooth speaker. Can anyone help me with solution?

[CleanCoder]

A2DP has low latency. Is there any compress method?