Wireless headphones, particularly those using Bluetooth, are designed with convenience and efficiency in mind. One common feature is an automatic shut-off mechanism that powers down the device after a period of inactivity – typically around 5 minutes if no audio is played. This helps preserve battery life but can be frustrating if you want your headphones to stay on continuously, such as during long pauses in a podcast, while waiting for a call, or when using them for non-audio purposes. Fortunately, there’s a simple workaround: playing a small, periodic sound to keep the headphones active.
Understanding the Auto Shut-Off Feature
Most Bluetooth wireless headphones are programmed to enter a low-power or sleep mode after 5 minutes of silence. This is a deliberate design choice to extend battery life, especially for portable devices that rely on limited power reserves. While this feature is useful for casual listening, it can interrupt your experience if you need the headphones to remain powered on for extended periods without constant audio input. The solution involves tricking the headphones into thinking they’re still in use by sending a subtle audio signal at regular intervals – specifically, every 3-4 minutes, which is safely within the 5-minute threshold.
Step-by-Step Guide to Keep Your Headphones On
Step 1: Create the PowerShell Script
Copy-paste the following code into a plaint text editor like Notepad++ and save the file as beep.ps1 anywhere on your computer. For this example, we saved it as C:\beep.ps1.
while ($true) {
[console]::beep(1000, 100) # Beep sound (1kHz for 100ms)
Start-Sleep -Seconds 240 # Wait for 4 minutes
}
Step 2: Automate the Script with Task Scheduler
- Press Win+S, type “Task Scheduler” and hit Enter to open Task Scheduler.
- In the right-hand pane, click Create Basic Task to start creating a new task.
- Name the task “Headphone Beep”. Select “When I log on” as the Trigger. Select “Start a program” as Action. Give powershell.exe as program/script. For “Add arguments” give the following:
-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\beep.ps1"
- Click Finish to save the new task.
- Restart your computer and verify that the script runs (you’ll hear the beep every 4 minutes through your headphones).
Conclusion
By using a simple PowerShell script to emit a periodic beep, you can effectively prevent your Bluetooth wireless headphones from turning off automatically. This method is lightweight, customizable, and integrates seamlessly into your workflow via Task Scheduler.