Bluetooth is ON even though it is OFF

[Fibbitts]

I've discovered a "new" issue (I've seen it mentioned before, but am experiencing it now.) where when Bluetooth is switched off on the deck, it will still come on when resuming from sleep or powering on.

I discovered this when my headphones (AirPods) were connected to my phone, playing music. I then woke the Steam Deck from sleep mode, and my music stopped, and my headphones connected to the deck. Bluetooth was previously disabled. I checked, and it still was. But my headphones were still connected somehow, and the UI confirmed that. This also happens when Airplane mode is enabled.

They remained connected until I turned Bluetooth on and back off again. So Bluetooth is technically still active while the switch is off. Does the Bluetooth toggle in game mode just attempt to block new connections, instead of actually disabling the Bluetooth hardware? I suspect this because when disabling Bluetooth in game mode, it is still active in desktop mode. Whereas with WiFi, disabling it in game mode also disables it in desktop mode.

Not only is this an irritation, it can pose a serious problem when in environments that require devices to not emit signals, like on airplanes or near pacemakers. If turning on Airplane Mode or disabling these features doesn't actually disable them, that is a serious issue that should really be addressed.

I'm happy to run more tests or provide more information.

[Kurzaq]

I also have been having a Bluetooth issue where it will steal my phones connection to my headset when I wake my steam deck with the Bluetooth set to off.

[Fibbitts]

I just thought about the new feature where you can allow certain Bluetooth devices to wake the deck when it is sleeping. Maybe that’s why it was done this way? Still, the brief window for reconnectivity when waking/booting the device should ideally be patched.

Also, I tested the “Allow this device to wake Steam Deck” feature with every Bluetooth device I owned, including keyboards and controllers, and none of them woke the Steam deck while it was sleeping. I mean, if Bluetooth is disabled in sleep mode, how would that work anyways?

[ZanyAvian]

Game mode's bluetooth switch seems to have indeed been tampered with recently. As the OP suggested, it seems to be that only the desktop mode switch has any actual effect on the bluetooth radio. I agree with OP's concerns, but will add the more common, less critical concern of simple battery life.

Moreover, whenever this update happened, bluetooth was off for my Deck. I was visiting family when I next had a reason to use bluetooth (so we could play together). After debugging why bluetooth claimed to be on, claimed even to be searching, but couldn't connect to anything... yeah, suffice to say we had a lot less time to play than we planned. Not cool.

[Fibbitts]

This keeps happening more and more frequently. Bluetooth is disabled in the Steam Deck UI. Yet I turn on my controller, keyboard, and headphones, and they all immediately connect, while the Bluetooth toggle is still off. Seriously?

Even more interestingly, turning Bluetooth ON and then back OFF will temporarily stop this from happening. But then I’ll put the steam deck to sleep, wake it back up, and all my Bluetooth devices connect to it. Did the Bluetooth toggle turn back on? Nope, it’s still off, and the devices are somehow connected.
Only on Steam Deck™

[Fibbitts]

https://imgur.com/a/u7hJ8EA 😂 Oh my gosh
This happens every time I wake from sleep, docked or undocked. Also persists after reboots

[UbieOne]

Curious... Is your Deck OLED OP? I think I saw in some YT post that the "Allow this device to wake Steam Deck" feature only works for OLED. This is true in my case coz I have the non-OLED version. The feature toggle is there though, which is kinda silly. 😅

Connected BT controller/device battery info doesn't even work, although that is a different story.

[raider-363]

Can attest that this is still happening. It even takes over priority from audio I'm currently listening to on my computer when my wife turns the deck on and I start hearing her play her game. They really need to fix this.

[cyberi0n]

I confirm this. My BT is off and my Pixel Buds Pro automatically connect.

[Fibbitts]

I’ve submitted this on their GitHub a long time ago.

[CalebLK]

Any updates on this?

[PsychedelicPourHouse]

How is this not fixed yet

[KRON]

Same issue on an LCD deck here.

[mezzine]

Same here with a LCD Steam Deck and Sony WF-1000XM5.

[Fibbitts]

It's frustrating not knowing if any member from the development team is working on this. I understand that there is a lot to prioritize and tracking down issues isn't always easy, but some communication would be appreciated. Often, these issues go unsolved for over a year, sometimes two.

[Fibbitts]

Is this making any progress?