Alex Ruben
How To Avoid Auto Audio Rerouting to USB Devices on Google TV Streamer 4K
If you’ve ever noticed that your audio suddenly switches from HDMI or Bluetooth to some random USB device connected to your Google TV streamer, you’re not alone. It’s kind of annoying, especially when it happens mid-movie, and it’s not always obvious why or how to stop it. Basically, the system sometimes auto-redirects audio to whatever USB device is plugged into the TV or streaming box, which can be a major headache. This guide walks through a way to clamp down on that behavior—disabling the auto USB audio rerouting so your sound stays where it belongs. It’s a bit fiddly, but once done, maybe your TV’s audio setup actually stays predictable.
How to Fix Auto USB Audio Rerouting in Google TV Streamers
Accessing the Settings Menu
You need to get into the developer options first, and that means poking around in your device’s settings. It’s kind of unintuitive because those options are hidden by default.
- Power on your Google TV device, and press Settings (usually found as a gear icon on the top right of the home screen or in the sidebar menu).
- From the dropdown, select Preferences or go for Settings from the main menu.
Navigate to System Settings
Next, find the system info to unlock developer options—it’s buried deep, but here’s where:
- Scroll down to System.
- Then pick About — usually at the very bottom of the system menu.
Enable Developer Options
Now, to toggle the secret developer menu, you gotta tap on the build number like a maniac:
- Inside About, locate Android TV OS Build.
- Press OK or select it, then repeatedly tap it (seven times usually). You should see a message pop up saying you’re now a developer or something similar.
Note: On some setups, it might take a couple more taps or a reboot for this to register. Be patient.
Access Developer Options
Once enabled, go back to the main System menu:
- Select Developer Options. If it’s not immediately visible, you may need to restart the device or revisit the About section.
Disable USB Audio Routing
Here’s where the magic happens. This setting is kinda hidden and might be labeled differently depending on your firmware version, but generally:
- Scroll down in Developer Options to the Media section.
- Search for Disable USB audio routing and toggle it ON.
Why does this help? Because turning off this setting stops the system from automatically redirecting audio to USB devices — which it does when it thinks it’s necessary, but ends up just being annoying.
Final Checks and Testing
Once you’ve toggled that setting, go back to the home screen and start playing media. Check if the audio sticks to HDMI or Bluetooth instead of jumping over to USB. Sometimes, a quick restart of the device helps, especially before testing, since Android TV might need to reinitialize audio routes.
Extra Tips & Common Hiccups
If this solution doesn’t stick, or the setting doesn’t seem to do much, here’s what else can be tried:
- Double check all your HDMI and Bluetooth connections are solid—sometimes loose cables mess with how the TV handles audio.
- Ensure your Bluetooth devices are connectively stable. If they disconnect easily, the system might default to USB as a fallback.
- Reboot your device after toggling the setting—Android’s kinda quirky, so a restart can make sure changes register properly.
- On some setups, firmware updates or resetting to factory defaults might be needed if settings are corrupted or buggy.
Wrap-up
Getting this feature turned off prevents your Google TV from messing with your audio setup, which is pretty handy when aiming for consistent sound. Once it’s set, you shouldn’t have to mess with it again unless a firmware update resets things. Not sure why it works, but toggling that developer option actually does the trick on most devices.
Summary
- Access Settings > Preferences > System > About
- Tap on Android TV OS Build seven times
- Go back and open Developer Options
- Scroll to Media, toggle Disable USB audio routing
- Test the audio output after rebooting
Fingers crossed this helps
Hopefully, this shaves off a bit of head-scratching and gets your audio behaving. It worked for me on a few setups, so there’s a decent chance it’ll help you, too.