If the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II connect but are silent, think of the signal path from the app to your ears and test each stage. Stage one is the earbuds themselves: both should be out of the case and awake, and the Bose Music app should show them connected with a battery for each. If the app shows them as disconnected while the phone's list says connected, the phone and the buds have lost their audio link, and forgetting the earbuds in the phone's Bluetooth list and pairing again repairs it.
The checks in more detail
Pair with the earbuds in the case and hold the case button until the light pulses. Stage two is the phone's output. Open the output selector in the control center or the sound settings and make sure the earbuds are chosen, with media audio allowed for them in the Bluetooth device settings. Phones remember cars, speakers and other earbuds and may route sound to them if they are in range.
Stage three is the app: play from a different app to see whether one source is muted or paused, and check the in-app volume as well as the phone's. Stage four is multipoint: the earbuds can hold two devices, and a call or a video waiting on the second device may have taken the audio path, so disconnect the other device for a test. If all that checks out, look at the earbuds' own state.
Hold the buds in the case for a minute to restart them, check the firmware in the app and update it. Wax in the nozzle muffles sound severely, so clean it with a dry brush. If the earbuds play on a second device but not on yours, reset your device's Bluetooth by toggling it, restarting or resetting the network settings. If they are silent on every device after a reset and a charge, they need service under warranty, which Bose arranges with the serial number from the app or the case. Keep the receipt.
Differential
Likely causes of “Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II connects but has no sound”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The audio link between phone and buds is lost
What separates it The app and the phone disagree
How to confirm Forget and pair again
- 2
The phone routes sound elsewhere
What separates it Connected but silent
How to confirm Select the earbuds as the output
- 3
A muted app or a paused source
What separates it Only one app is silent
How to confirm Test another app
- 4
Multipoint holding the audio path
What separates it A second device is playing
How to confirm Disconnect it
- 5
Wax in the nozzles
What separates it Very faint sound
How to confirm Clean them gently
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether the app shows both buds connected
- The output on the phone
- Whether another device is connected
- The firmware version
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedCheck the app's connection view
ReversibleBoth buds.
Forget and pair again
ReversibleWith the case button.
Choose the output
ReversibleOn the phone.
Disconnect the second device
ReversibleIf any.
Clean the nozzles
ReversibleDry brush.
Update the firmware
ReversibleIn the app.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Signal path
- App, phone, link, buds.
- Multipoint
- A second device can hold the audio.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If silent on every device after a reset, contact Bose with the serial number
- !Update the firmware first
- !Keep the receipt
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Why is there no sound from my QC Earbuds II?+
The audio link or output is wrong.
What is multipoint?+
Two devices connected at once.
Do I reset them?+
Pair again first, then reset if needed.
Does wax matter?+
Yes, it muffles sound.