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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteYes. The Sony WH-1000XM5 supports Bluetooth multipoint for two source devices at the same time. Pair the headphones with both devices, then use the Sony | Sound Connect smartphone app to enable All device settings → Connection → Connect to 2 devices simultaneously. You can then keep, for example, a phone and laptop connected and switch audio by stopping playback on one device and starting it on the other.
The feature maintains two active Bluetooth source connections; it does not let the headphones play from two sources simultaneously or stay connected to three sources. The setup is done in the smartphone app because Sony does not provide a PC version of the app.
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What you need before starting
Multipoint is a Bluetooth feature in the WH-1000XM5, so no cable, adapter, replacement part or subscription is needed. Prepare the headphones, both source devices and a smartphone with the current Sony | Sound Connect app.
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- WH-1000XM5 headphones: Charge them sufficiently and keep them near the devices during pairing.
- Two Bluetooth source devices: Common combinations are a phone and computer, two phones, or a phone and a music player. Both sources must support Bluetooth audio.
- Android or iPhone for setup: The two-device switch is configured in Sony | Sound Connect. Sony says there is no PC app, but a setting made in the phone app carries over when the headphones later connect to a computer.
Menu names for Bluetooth pairing and audio output vary by operating system and device maker. The exact labels on your phone or computer may therefore differ from examples below.
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How to connect your WH-1000XM5 to two devices
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Pair the headphones with the first source
Open the first device’s Bluetooth settings, put the WH-1000XM5 into pairing mode if it is not already discoverable, and select the headphones from the available-device list. Complete the pairing prompt. If the headphones are already paired with this device, you can leave that pairing in place.
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Pair the second source
On the second phone, computer or music player, open its Bluetooth settings and select WH-1000XM5. Finish pairing. Pairing stores the device; it does not by itself guarantee that both sources will remain connected simultaneously.
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Open Sony | Sound Connect on a connected smartphone
Launch Sony | Sound Connect on a smartphone that is connected to the headphones. The app is where Sony places the multipoint control. You do not need a separate Windows or macOS application.
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Enable the two-device connection
In the app, open All device settings → Connection, then turn on Connect to 2 devices simultaneously. This is the setting that changes the headphones from a single active source connection to multipoint operation.
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Select or confirm the other paired device
Use the app’s connected-device controls to choose the second device from the paired-device list, or confirm it if it is already shown. Sony’s general instructions illustrate selecting a computer after a phone; those screenshots are for the XM4, but Sony describes the general procedure as applying across its headphones. Treat the labels and screen layout as examples rather than guaranteed current XM5 screens.
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Test both sources
Pause audio on the first source and start a song, video or other audio on the second. If the computer is silent, open its sound settings and select the WH-1000XM5 as the active output device. The headphones can remain connected to both sources while audio is routed from only the source that is playing.
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How multipoint behaves after setup
Once the feature is enabled and both devices are selected, the headphones maintain two Bluetooth source connections. You normally do not have to unpair one device every time you want to use the other. Instead, stop playback on the current source and begin playback on the other.
Switching from a laptop to a phone
- Pause the music, video or call-related media on the laptop.
- If the laptop’s application continues running audio in the background, quit or close that application.
- Start playback on the phone. If the phone does not take over, open its Bluetooth output picker and choose the WH-1000XM5.
Switching from a phone to a laptop
- Pause media on the phone and close the music or video app if it continues streaming silently.
- On the laptop, choose the WH-1000XM5 in the system’s sound-output menu.
- Start playback on the laptop.
The key is to stop the first source, not merely mute it. A source that remains connected to an audio application can keep the headset occupied even when you cannot hear sound.
Phone plus computer: the most common setup
A phone-and-computer connection is useful when you want computer audio while retaining the phone connection for calls or notifications. Pair each device separately, enable the multipoint switch in Sony | Sound Connect, and verify the computer’s output selection.
| Source combination | What to check | How to change active audio |
|---|---|---|
| Phone + laptop or desktop | Both Bluetooth pairings exist; the computer lists WH-1000XM5 as its sound output. | Pause or close the computer’s audio app, then start playback on the phone, or do the reverse. |
| Two phones | Both phones show the headphones as connected and neither phone is holding an audio app open in the background. | Stop media on the current phone before starting media on the other. |
| Phone + music player | The player supports Bluetooth audio and is selected as the second paired device in the app. | Pause the player before starting phone audio, and select the headphones in the phone’s output controls if needed. |
Operating-system names for Bluetooth status, sound output and media controls differ. Sony’s written multipoint guidance uses phone-and-computer examples, while its illustrated menu sequence is XM4-focused, so do not assume every XM5 screen will use identical wording.
Why the second device connects but has no audio
This is the most common multipoint symptom: both devices appear connected, but sound continues to come from the first source or the second source is silent. Work through the following checks in order.
1. Confirm multipoint is enabled
Open Sony | Sound Connect on the connected smartphone and go to All device settings → Connection. Make sure Connect to 2 devices simultaneously is on. If it is off, the headphones may remember both pairings but operate with only one active connection.
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2. Stop playback on the first device
Pause the first device’s media. Then close its music, video, browser or communications application. Sony notes that some devices continue silent streaming; that background stream can keep the headphones attached to the first source and block the audio handoff.
3. Select WH-1000XM5 as the second device’s output
On a computer, open the system sound controls and choose WH-1000XM5 as the output. A Bluetooth connection alone does not always mean the operating system has switched its active speakers. On a phone or music player, open the Bluetooth or media-output picker and select the headphones when more than one output is available.
4. Start playback only after the first source is idle
Wait until the first app is paused or closed, then start audio on the second device. If both applications are trying to stream, the headset may continue favoring the source that began playback first.
5. Recheck the app’s connected-device list
In Sony | Sound Connect, review the connected-device controls and confirm that the intended second source is selected. If it is listed only as a saved pairing, select it so the app requests the second active connection.
6. Reconnect one source if necessary
If the second source still has no audio, disconnect the headphones from that source in its Bluetooth settings, then reconnect it while multipoint remains enabled. This refreshes the connection without deleting the other device’s pairing. Device-specific Bluetooth menus and recovery behavior vary, so use the labels presented by your operating system.
What the two-device limit means
Sony Support states: Multipoint connection works with only two devices at a time.
The limit is about simultaneous source connections, not the number of devices the headphones may remember as paired.
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- You may have several devices saved in Bluetooth settings, but only two can maintain multipoint connections at once.
- Attempting to add a third active source can displace an existing connection, according to Sony’s general multipoint guidance.
- Multipoint does not mix two audio streams into one sound. It lets you move between two connected sources.
- Pairing a new device is different from selecting it as one of the two active devices in Sony | Sound Connect.
If you need a third source, stop using one of the current connections and connect the new source. When you return to two-source use, select the intended pair again through the app’s connected-device controls.
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Using calls on one device and media on the other
A common reason to use multipoint is keeping a phone available for calls while listening to a computer or music player. The WH-1000XM5 can maintain the two source connections, but the operating systems still decide how call and media audio are routed.
- Before starting music on the second source, pause any media playing on the phone.
- When a call arrives, follow the phone’s Bluetooth audio prompt and confirm that the WH-1000XM5 is selected for the call if it is not routed automatically.
- After the call, check which source has resumed playback. If the computer remains silent, reselect WH-1000XM5 as its output and restart its media.
- Close apps that continue streaming during a call or while another source is supposed to play.
These controls are device-specific. Multipoint provides the connections; it does not replace the phone’s call-routing or the computer’s sound-output settings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When the app name or screens look different
Sony’s current support material calls the smartphone app Sony | Sound Connect. Older help pages may call it Headphones Connect. Use the current app name and look for the same connection setting. The relevant route is All device settings → Connection → Connect to 2 devices simultaneously.
Sony does not provide a PC app for this setting. Configure multipoint from the smartphone app, then connect the headphones to the computer. Sony says the setting carries over when the headphones connect to a PC.
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Do not treat an XM4 screenshot or an older operating-system menu as a guaranteed XM5 interface. Sony’s general phone-and-computer instructions use XM4 illustrations and say the steps are generally the same across headphones; your WH-1000XM5 and current operating system may display different labels or ordering.
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Pairing versus connecting: the distinction that prevents confusion
Paired
A device is paired when it has exchanged Bluetooth information with the headphones and appears in the device’s saved list. Pairing is a stored relationship and can remain even when the headphones are not currently connected.
Connected
A device is connected when it has an active Bluetooth link to the headphones. Multipoint uses two such active source links at once.
Playing
A source is playing when its application is sending audio. Only one source’s media normally becomes audible at a time, and a source that keeps sending silent audio can interfere with switching.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Understanding these three states explains why seeing both devices under paired devices does not prove that multipoint is working. Enable the setting, select the second source in the app, and test audio from each device separately.
A reliable reset-and-retry sequence
When the setup becomes unclear, reset the connection order without immediately deleting every saved pairing.
- Pause and close audio applications on both sources.
- Open Sony | Sound Connect and verify that Connect to 2 devices simultaneously is enabled.
- Use the app’s connected-device controls to select the two sources you want active.
- On the computer, explicitly choose WH-1000XM5 as the sound output; on a phone or player, choose it in the media-output control if necessary.
- Start audio on one source, pause it, then start audio on the other.
- If one source still cannot play, disconnect and reconnect that source in its Bluetooth settings, then repeat the output-selection check.
This sequence addresses the two failures Sony highlights for the WH-1000XM5: multipoint being disabled and the first device continuing to stream silently.
Quick checklist
- Both source devices support Bluetooth audio.
- Each source has been paired with WH-1000XM5.
- Sony | Sound Connect is open on a connected smartphone.
- All device settings → Connection → Connect to 2 devices simultaneously is on.
- The second source is selected or confirmed in the app’s connected-device controls.
- Playback is paused and the audio application is closed on the source you are leaving.
- The computer, if used, has WH-1000XM5 selected as its audio output.
- No third source is attempting to maintain a simultaneous connection.
The Bottom Line
To use Sony WH-1000XM5 with two devices, pair both sources, enable Connect to 2 devices simultaneously in Sony | Sound Connect → All device settings → Connection, and select the second source in the app. The headphones support two simultaneous connections only; when audio will not switch, stop playback and close the first device’s audio app, then verify the second device’s output setting.
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