Bluetooth faults on the Galaxy S20 are mostly a matter of age: this is a 2020 phone running its final software, with Bluetooth 5.0 and a long list of old pairings, and the radio is shared with Wi-Fi on the same chip. A headset that used to work and now fails has usually been paired for years, and the stored profile has gone stale, so removing the pairing and starting fresh clears it. If music stutters, the cause is typically the 2.4 GHz band shared with Wi-Fi, and moving your router's clients to 5 GHz or sitting closer fixes it.
Check the call and media permissions for each device by tapping the gear next to its name, because a device with Call audio switched off connects but plays nothing during calls. Updating the accessory's firmware through its own app, and wiping the cache partition after the last system update, solve many remaining cases. A full reset of Wi-Fi, mobile data and Bluetooth settings is the final software step before service. Phones of this age sometimes lose the Bluetooth radio entirely, with the toggle grayed out, and that needs a repair.
Differential
Likely causes of “Samsung Galaxy S20 family will not pair or stay connected over Bluetooth”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A pairing profile years old
What separates it A headset worked for years and suddenly will not connect
How to confirm Unpair it completely and pair it as new
- 2
Call audio switched off for the device
What separates it It connects but is silent in calls
How to confirm Tap the gear beside the device and enable Call audio and Media audio
- 3
2.4 GHz crowding
What separates it Music stutters while Wi-Fi is busy
How to confirm Use 5 GHz Wi-Fi and keep a clear line to the accessory
- 4
A leftover cache after the final update
What separates it Bluetooth misbehaved right after updating
How to confirm Wipe the cache partition from recovery mode
- 5
A dying radio
What separates it The Bluetooth toggle is grayed out or turns off alone
How to confirm Ask Samsung or a repairer to test the board
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The accessory's brand, model and age
- Whether Call audio and Media audio are both enabled for it
- Whether stutter happens only when Wi-Fi is busy
- Whether the Bluetooth toggle ever grays out
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedUnpair the device completely
ReversibleSettings, Connections, Bluetooth, tap the gear beside the device and choose Unpair, then pair it as if it were new.
Enable both audio profiles
ReversibleOn the device's gear screen switch on Call audio and Media audio so that calls and music both play through it.
Switch Wi-Fi to 5 GHz
ReversibleJoin the 5 GHz network to relieve the 2.4 GHz band the radio shares.
Update the accessory
ReversibleUse its own app to install firmware, which cures dropouts with older phones.
Wipe the cache partition
ReversiblePower off, hold Volume Up and Power into recovery, choose Wipe cache partition and reboot; this keeps your data.
Reset Wi-Fi, mobile data and Bluetooth
ReversibleSettings, General management, Reset, Reset network settings, as the last step before service.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- A 2020 phone
- The S20 is on its final software, so fixes come from settings, not updates.
- Shared radio
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi share a chip, so one can disturb the other.
- Grayed-out toggle
- A toggle that will not switch on points at the hardware radio.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the toggle stays grayed after a full network reset, the radio needs a repair
- !If one brand of accessory fails on every phone, contact that maker
- !A phone this age may be cheaper to replace than to repair; ask for a quote first
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Why does my old headset not connect to my S20?+
Its stored pairing has gone stale; unpair it and start again.
Does the S20 support Bluetooth 5?+
Yes, Bluetooth 5.0.
Why is there no sound in calls?+
Call audio may be off for that device.
Is a grayed-out Bluetooth switch fixable?+
Not by software alone.