AudioPlaybackConnector2 is a small Windows tray app that lets you play audio from a paired Bluetooth source, such as a phone, through your PC. It uses the Windows AudioPlaybackConnection API to manage A2DP sink connections from the tray.

Built with WinUI 3 Desktop and C++/WinRT and distributed as a per-user Windows package.

Quick Start

1. Pair your phone or another compatible Bluetooth audio source with your Windows PC.
2. Install AudioPlaybackConnector2 from the Microsoft Store.
3. Launch AudioPlaybackConnector2 and use the tray icon to manage devices.

For commands and certificate-store options, see Installation.

Features

• Tray-only workflow with no main window.
• Fast device picker on left-click.
• Connect, reconnect, and disconnect devices from the picker.
• Double-click the tray icon to toggle the configured default device, or the most recently connected device.
• Disconnect or reconnect all active devices from the picker when multiple devices are connected.
• Compact device options behind each device's … button, with an alias, default-device selection, and connection policies.
• Separate global and per-device policies for connecting on app startup and reconnecting after an unexpected connection loss.
• Optional incoming-connection mode that keeps the Windows A2DP sink ready, so a paired phone can connect and disconnect from its Bluetooth menu.
• Device aliases for cleaner picker, notification, and command-line labels.
• Privacy mode to redact real device names and IDs in UI, CLI output, and diagnostics.
• Support and diagnostics tools for Bluetooth settings, log folder access, and redacted bug-report details.
• Guarded device actions so repeated clicks do not start overlapping connect/disconnect work.
• Animated, theme-aware tray icons for idle, connecting, connected, and error states.
• Toast notifications for connection events, failures, and available updates.
• Optional start with Windows.
• Built-in GitHub release checks with App Installer handoff when an update is available.
• Settings window placement persistence.
• Local crash reports and minidumps for troubleshooting.
• Localized UI in eight languages.

Known limitations

• Audio can occasionally remain silent even while the device appears connected, including after a playback pause. Use the circular-arrow Reconnect action to restore playback. The cause is still under investigation in issue #1.
• Windows may keep A2DP sink audio on the default output despite a per-app choice in Volume Mixer. See issue #13 and Troubleshooting.

Requirements

• Windows 10 version 2004 (build 19041) or newer.
• A Bluetooth adapter with A2DP support.
• A paired Bluetooth audio source that supports sending A2DP audio to Windows.

Usage

• Open device picker: Left-click the tray icon.
• Open tray menu: Right-click the tray icon.
• Connect or disconnect: Click a device name. A connected device shows a disconnect symbol when hovered or focused with the keyboard.
• Reconnect: Use the circular-arrow button beside a connected device.
• Device options: Click … beside a device. Use the back arrow to return to the list.
• Quick toggle: Double-click the tray icon to toggle the default device, falling back to the last connected device.
• Settings: Use the gear in the picker or the tray menu for language, startup, connection policies, notifications, privacy, and window placement.
• Help and updates: Choose Help in the tray menu or ? Help in Settings. Diagnostics are grouped in an expandable section; the update button sits beside the version.
• Command line: Use apc2ctl.exe from PowerShell, MacroPads, or scripts:

apc2ctl status
apc2ctl list
apc2ctl show
apc2ctl settings
apc2ctl connect --name "Device Name"
apc2ctl disconnect --id "<Windows device id>"
apc2ctl toggle --default
apc2ctl default set --alias "Desk Speakers"
apc2ctl alias set --name "WH-1000XM5" --value "Headphones"
apc2ctl reconnect-all

Add --json for machine-readable output. Add --raw when you explicitly need real device IDs or names while privacy mode is enabled.

Installation Notes

The Microsoft Store is the recommended installation path. It provides Microsoft-signed packages and automatic updates for x64 and ARM64 devices.

GitHub releases provide an advanced .appinstaller path with automatic updates, a manual x64/ARM64 .msixbundle fallback, and the source code. These packages use a separate self-signed identity. Follow the installation guide to trust the certificate under Trusted People and install the exact framework dependencies. The old Inno Setup executables are no longer produced.

Documentation

• Usage
• Command-line reference
• Installation
• Troubleshooting
• Architecture
• Translating
• Contributing
• Releasing
• Security policy
• Changelog

Use GitHub Discussions for questions, ideas, translation coordination, and automation recipes. Use GitHub Issues for reproducible defects and accepted work.

Privacy and Crash Reports

• Settings are stored locally in the current user profile.
• No telemetry is sent by the app.
• Update checks query GitHub release metadata.
• Privacy mode can redact real Bluetooth device names and IDs from the UI, command-line output, and copied diagnostics.
• Crash reports and minidumps stay on your machine unless you choose to share them.
• Minidumps may contain sensitive memory; review them before attaching them to an issue.

Supported Languages

Translation improvements are welcome; see the translation guide.

• English
• German
• French
• Spanish
• Japanese
• Korean
• Chinese Simplified
• Chinese Traditional

Credits

Inspired by ysc3839/AudioPlaybackConnector.

License

MIT License. See LICENSE.