Bluetooth headphones keep disconnecting? Try this order

Before anything else, notice when it happens. Constant cutting out during everything points one direction; only during calls, or only when you walk into another room, points somewhere else entirely.

Only happens on calls? It's a codec issue

This was my case. Phone calls use a different, lower-quality Bluetooth profile (HFP) than music does (A2DP), and some headphones handle the switch between them poorly. There's not always a clean fix for this beyond firmware updates from the manufacturer, but it's useful to know it's not a general connection problem it's specific to that mode.

Forget the device and re-pair it

The most reliable general fix, in my experience. Go into Bluetooth settings, tap the headphones, and choose "Forget" or "Remove device," then put the headphones back into pairing mode and connect fresh. This clears a corrupted pairing profile, which is a more common cause of random disconnects than people assume.

Check what else is on the same Bluetooth channel

Bluetooth and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi share similar frequency space, and a crowded environment lots of devices, a busy office, a packed train can cause interference that shows up as random cutting out. If the disconnects happen mainly in specific locations rather than everywhere, this is likely it. Not much you can do about this one except switching to wired in those specific spots.

Update the headphone firmware

Most decent Bluetooth headphones have a companion app now Sony Headphones Connect, Bose Music, Samsung's Galaxy Wearable, whatever fits your brand. These often include firmware updates that specifically patch connection bugs. I've had earbuds genuinely become more stable after a firmware update that didn't even mention "connection" in its changelog.

Distance and obstruction matter more than spec sheets suggest

Bluetooth range numbers on the box assume open space with nothing in between. A phone in your back pocket with your body between it and the earbuds, or walking through a few walls at home, will cut that range down meaningfully. If disconnects correlate with how you're carrying your phone, that's your answer, not a faulty device.

Last resort: factory reset the headphones

Most have a reset method usually holding both buttons for 10-15 seconds, varies by model, check the manual or a quick search for your exact model. This wipes any corrupted internal state that a simple re-pair doesn't touch.

My actual fix

Forgetting and re-pairing solved the music-cutting-out issue completely. The call-specific glitch turned out to be a known firmware quirk for that headphone model an update from the manufacturer fixed it a few weeks later.