Fact · Dictation
Apple says Bluetooth has two modes, and the second is the one used for speaking through the microphone while also listening to audio.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“The second mode is for both speaking through the microphone and listening to audio.”
If sound quality is reduced when using Bluetooth headphones with your Mac, Apple, Apple Support, n.d., Article body, explanation of the two Bluetooth modes.
Open the original- What it measures
- Apple's explanation of why audio can drop when an app uses the microphone of Bluetooth headphones on a Mac.
- What it does not show
- The article uses the words first mode and second mode without naming the Bluetooth profiles. It does not say which codec each mode uses.