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Disable Smart Connect / disable app key?(what even is the "app key"?) How, negative effects, etc?

Ellabelle686
Visitor

Disable Smart Connect / disable app key?(what even is the "app key"?) How, negative effects, etc?

I have an Xperia Z, you can skip to the last paragraph for the actual questions if you don't particularly care for the "why I'm asking" part.

I've listened to music through headphones while browsing google and whatnot before with no issues, but not for months (couple of system updates since then) and have never even heard of Smart Connect until today.

Today I put in my headphones to listen to music while I browse the internets, and it was fine for ten minutes or so, but then Smart Connect popped up asking me to assign an app key thing, I told it not to ask again and sent it away. Then it kept bringing up a different part of Smart Connect.. the screen you find under Headset > App key settings > Assign and search. I have "None" selected and no matter how many times I sent it away, it kept coming up! I'm talking anywhere between immediately after I've closed it to five seconds after I've closed it.. but usually immediately. It stopped when I unplugged the headphones, but while my headphones are in my phone is basically unusable. It also did this weird thing somewhere near the end of the whole experience where it slowly turned my music down to zero, without my prompting. I turned it back up, it slowly went down again, and I gave up, seriously frustrated!

(ACTUAL QUESTIONS:) There are options to remove or disable Smart Connect under the phone's App Settings, but it brings up a warning about how it's an in-built app and data could be lost and other apps may be affected. What other apps/data will be affected and in what ways? Google is not helpful. Also, where/what exactly is the app key? Is it something I keep accidentally bumping to cause this? If I can't uninstall/disable the app itself, can I disable the app key to make this stop?
23 REPLIES 23
Thommo
Genius

Things that could be affected - Any gadgets you have connected via bluetooth like a Smartwatch or smartband - The app in question gives access to the settings of the connected devices in which you can setup what your phone does when these devices are connected - If you have nothing connected then disabling will have no effect on your phones performance

meghan
Visitor

I have the exact same problem currently! The same pop ups the same involuntary volume being turned down! Did you ever figure out a way to make it stop?
Rickard
Master

Hi and welcome to the community! Since you're new please be sure that you have checked out our Discussion guidelines.

Do you have a headset connected to your phone when this happens?

meghan
Visitor

Yes
meghan
Visitor

When I don't have a headset connected it's fine but when I do smart connect keeps popping up never goes away asking for an app to pick and then it will turn my volume down I can hardly use my phone now
meghan
Visitor

Same exact problem as ellabelle
Rickard
Master

What headset are you using? 

meghan
Visitor

It's earbuds
Rickard
Master

I mean brand and model. It sounds like you may have a headset that's not compatible with your phone. Do you see this issue when using a Sony headset?