This lets two apps play audio at the very same time, bypassing the standard Android rule that pauses one media source when another begins. 2. Audio Relay (For Android-to-PC Routing)
Ultimately, while Android may not let you install a virtual audio cable the way Windows does, it certainly does not leave you without options. Explore the tools mentioned above, match them to your specific use case, and you will find that flexible, powerful audio routing on Android is not a dream—it is already here, waiting to be set up.
Google has not built a native virtual audio cable for three major reasons:
Not every app supports custom audio output devices. Many only output to the system default speaker. Audio Relay works best with professional audio apps that support OpenSL ES or AAudio drivers. virtual audio cable for android
(Availability and names change often—prefer native Android 10+ capture or reputable Play Store apps.)
| Your Goal | Recommended Solution | |-----------|----------------------| | | SoundWire or AudioRelay | | Use your Android phone as a PC microphone | AudioRelay (sends mic to PC) or MicYou (paired with VB‑Cable on the PC side) | | Capture internal audio (game sound, music) on your Android device for recording | StereoMix Recorder (requires Android 10+ or root for full reliability) | | Route sound from one Android app to another on the same device | No direct solution; consider capturing internal audio and playing it through a speaker‑simulating app, though this is cumbersome | | Complex multi‑source audio mixing involving your Android device | Use a PC as the hub. Install VAC or Voicemeeter on Windows, then stream the mixed output to your Android device via SoundWire or AudioRelay | | Quickly send audio from a specific app to Bluetooth speakers while keeping other audio on the phone speakers | Samsung Separate App Sound (Galaxy devices only) | | Stream audio or microphone over Wi‑Fi to another Android device | AudioRouter Pro |
Many modern USB-C audio interfaces, like the , are designed with smartphones in mind. They have dual USB host routing , allowing your phone and computer to exchange audio through the same device in real time. Crucially, the hardware has a built-in loopback mixer that can route the computer's output back to your phone without needing a single line of extra software code. For guitarists, the iRig HD-A does exactly this, providing a zero-latency, high-quality 24-bit audio path for Android devices. This lets two apps play audio at the
While a system-level "virtual audio cable" is unavailable, the desired functionality—routing audio between sources and destinations—can be brilliantly achieved using different methods, primarily focused on .
You can use your Android device as a remote wireless speaker or headphone jack for your computer. 3. Less Audio Switch / Audio Router Apps
You can create a physical loopback cable to feed audio from your headphone jack back into your microphone jack. Explore the tools mentioned above, match them to
This is the core principle used by many popular apps: they route audio from your Android phone to a virtual audio driver on your Windows PC, which then acts as the crucial "audio cable" on the desktop side.
Conceptually, a virtual audio cable acts as a bridge. It takes audio playing from one application (the , like Spotify or a YouTube video) and pipes it directly into the input of another application (the Destination , like a recorder, streaming software, or a voice call).
AudioRelay is a dedicated application available for Android and Windows/Linux.
If you own a Samsung Galaxy device, you have access to the closest native equivalent of a virtual audio cable. Available through the Galaxy Store, unlocks advanced hardware audio routing.
This lets two apps play audio at the very same time, bypassing the standard Android rule that pauses one media source when another begins. 2. Audio Relay (For Android-to-PC Routing)
Ultimately, while Android may not let you install a virtual audio cable the way Windows does, it certainly does not leave you without options. Explore the tools mentioned above, match them to your specific use case, and you will find that flexible, powerful audio routing on Android is not a dream—it is already here, waiting to be set up.
Google has not built a native virtual audio cable for three major reasons:
Not every app supports custom audio output devices. Many only output to the system default speaker. Audio Relay works best with professional audio apps that support OpenSL ES or AAudio drivers.
(Availability and names change often—prefer native Android 10+ capture or reputable Play Store apps.)
| Your Goal | Recommended Solution | |-----------|----------------------| | | SoundWire or AudioRelay | | Use your Android phone as a PC microphone | AudioRelay (sends mic to PC) or MicYou (paired with VB‑Cable on the PC side) | | Capture internal audio (game sound, music) on your Android device for recording | StereoMix Recorder (requires Android 10+ or root for full reliability) | | Route sound from one Android app to another on the same device | No direct solution; consider capturing internal audio and playing it through a speaker‑simulating app, though this is cumbersome | | Complex multi‑source audio mixing involving your Android device | Use a PC as the hub. Install VAC or Voicemeeter on Windows, then stream the mixed output to your Android device via SoundWire or AudioRelay | | Quickly send audio from a specific app to Bluetooth speakers while keeping other audio on the phone speakers | Samsung Separate App Sound (Galaxy devices only) | | Stream audio or microphone over Wi‑Fi to another Android device | AudioRouter Pro |
Many modern USB-C audio interfaces, like the , are designed with smartphones in mind. They have dual USB host routing , allowing your phone and computer to exchange audio through the same device in real time. Crucially, the hardware has a built-in loopback mixer that can route the computer's output back to your phone without needing a single line of extra software code. For guitarists, the iRig HD-A does exactly this, providing a zero-latency, high-quality 24-bit audio path for Android devices.
While a system-level "virtual audio cable" is unavailable, the desired functionality—routing audio between sources and destinations—can be brilliantly achieved using different methods, primarily focused on .
You can use your Android device as a remote wireless speaker or headphone jack for your computer. 3. Less Audio Switch / Audio Router Apps
You can create a physical loopback cable to feed audio from your headphone jack back into your microphone jack.
This is the core principle used by many popular apps: they route audio from your Android phone to a virtual audio driver on your Windows PC, which then acts as the crucial "audio cable" on the desktop side.
Conceptually, a virtual audio cable acts as a bridge. It takes audio playing from one application (the , like Spotify or a YouTube video) and pipes it directly into the input of another application (the Destination , like a recorder, streaming software, or a voice call).
AudioRelay is a dedicated application available for Android and Windows/Linux.
If you own a Samsung Galaxy device, you have access to the closest native equivalent of a virtual audio cable. Available through the Galaxy Store, unlocks advanced hardware audio routing.