Bowers & Wilkins Headphones 4+

First off the app needs you to authorise it to use Bluetooth in Settings -> Privacy -> Bluetooth. It doesn’t prompt you for this at any point. After you’ve done this the Turn Bluetooth On prompt when the app launches will stop appearing (that prompt just asks you to turn Bluetooth on in Settings, it says nothing about Privacy) and you can try to connect to your headphones. That will fail every time until you remove them from the app with Remove Product from the app menu, and then add them again. After that it seems to work.

This is a dreadful, dreadful customer experience/user journey. That this hasn’t been addressed in an update (the app appears not to have been updated in months) reflects really badly on B&W. Yes you make great products, but so do many other companies and stuff like this matters a lot. Will I buy B&W in the future? Maybe, but based on my experiences I will think more than twice before I do.

Hi Tim, many thanks for your feedback; we're very sorry to hear of your disappointment using the app. For any individual support with your headphones, please contact us through support@bowerswilkins.com. Many thanks, Bowers & Wilkins.

Headphones purchased for use in the workplace. Whilst sound quality and build are excellent, the app is a severe letdown and does not work as advertised . App no longer supports multiple devices or seamless transitions between them, connection drops when answering calls via different applications. I have had similar issues with other B&W apps for their products. I have already contacted B&W customer support directly and their response is to the effect of “we are aware of this issue, please wait for the next update of the app and firmware”. SO WHERE IS IT?!?

Hi, thanks for your feedback; we're sorry for your disappointment with the Headphones app.
The disabled feature you refer to was fixed in the last update released on or around the time of your review. For support, please contact us through support@bowerswilkins.com. Many thanks, Bowers & Wilkins

The app provides control over core functionality of the headphones: ambient pass through. It's the only way to manage this. Yet I have to constantly reconnect the app (nearly every time I use it), and it usually takes several attempts to connect. This makes using the headphones a massive pain: I regularly switch between noise cancelling to listen to music and different levels of pass through to take calls.

The app also provides control over the wear sensor. This worked fine when I bought the headphones, but since using the app it has completely stopped working. I've tried resetting the headphone software using the app to no avail.

Please get this sorted out asap. You're literally ruining an amazing product with an app which is terrible and provides the only way of managing core capabilities. Not only that, but you've got nothing but terrible reviews for the app and have done nothing about it.

Recommendation: please release a software update for the headphones that lets me adjust the ambient pass through level without needing the app at all (e.g hold down the noise cancellation button while adjusting the past through level with the volume controls).

Hi JaseN'Hisbulldog, we hear you, and we're very aware of how the feedback is affecting the App ratings. Rest assured, our software teams are working on resolving the connectivity issues, but it's taking a little bit longer than we anticipated. We'll be sure to pass on your suggestions for consideration too. With respect to the wear sensors, we've found a simple turning off and on of the phone can resolve this issue. For anything else, please get in touch on support@bowerswilkins.com, thank you, Bowers & Wilkins