I cannot live without this little media control button

Most of my casual entertainment comes from a handful of popular apps, streaming content on a phone, tablet, laptop, or TV. Despite having fantastic audio gear, awesome wireless earbuds, and a quiet listening room, I like the convenience of shuffling my Liked songs list on Spotify or choosing a playlist for ambient music. Controlling my music is often a challenge, but an accessory from Satechi changed my life for the better.

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Music in the background is an important part of my life, and I usually play something at a low volume when I'm driving, doing household chores, and writing. In many of these situations, physically returning to my phone or shifting attention to it can break my focus, and in no time, diversions take over. Don't get me started on the inconsistencies in player UIs and their constant urge to "update" and disrupt muscle memory. Yes, I'm thinking of the media control panel in the notification shade and its tiny previous and next buttons.

Media player controls are inconvenient and ever-changing.

I use smart speakers and voice commands to control music playback, like with Spotify's new Gemini integration. Sometimes, people are around, or I don't want to break the silence by hollering at an assistant. After much introspection into my preferred sources for music and how I like to control playback, I bought a seemingly dated accessory from Satechi, the Bluetooth Media Button.

Meet my tiny new accessory

Making some mundane activities simple

Satechi's Bluetooth Media Button retails on Amazon and the brand's website for $30. It's barely bigger than a stack of three coins. It packs buttons to play and pause, increase and decrease the volume, and jump to the previous or next track. The front doesn't have any controls you can bump accidentally. However, on the back, Satechi tucked away a tiny reset button and the battery door that's secured by a screw.

A single coin cell battery powers this little accessory. While it isn't rechargeable via USB-C, the simple operations mean this one battery should last a long time before needing replacement. Another benefit is that it is constantly powered on and ready to go when a paired device connects.

Initially, I paired it with my computer to shut off Chrome tabs blasting audio ads and manage Spotify while I'm working. It works beautifully. Using wireless earbuds with my phone and the same account on my PC allows me to control playback from either device. Sometimes, this effortless control beats using the tap combos on the earbuds.

This handy accessory doesn't support dual pairing and doesn't connect to a secondary paired one, even if the primary, like my PC, is powered off. However, I figured I could connect the Satechi Media Button to my phone and enjoy playback control for Spotify on the PC (but not Chrome) while adding another convenience: distraction-free jogs.

During my walks, I don't like to keep myself away from screens while playing a playlist or podcast. I attach this media controller to my crossbody bag using the screw ferrule to control the media without looking at the buttons. It doesn't matter when you get media controls on the best fitness trackers, but it helps when your phone is inaccessible, like in your backpack.

Screw-on ferrule makes detachment easy.

Pairing the Media Button to your phone simplifies audio controls in the car, which can be a lifesaver.

The most potent use-case: Driving

Smartification of the controls

One of my cars doesn't have an infotainment screen or Bluetooth. I remedied the Bluetooth situation using a USB-powered receiver dongle that connects to the head unit's Aux input, minimizing the cable clutter in the cabin. I'm not eager to use a tablet as a head unit, but juggling Maps and music on a phone is dangerous while driving.

You could use a larger foldable phone or tablet as a head unit if you're brave enough.

Google tries to help with larger buttons in the UI. Still, I take my eyes off the road to tap the screen, which isn't ideal. Satechi's little Bluetooth Media Button is more helpful because it has a finger ring-like attachment and sticky tape to attach it to the steering wheel.

Such an attachment gives me steering-mounted controls for media playback on the phone, which relays audio to the car's speakers via Bluetooth. Although complex, the system is convenient now that I've memorized the button layout on Satechi's accessory.

One accessory you didn't know you needed

A quality-of-life investment

The one-two punch of this accessory's low price and convenient operation makes it a no-brainer if you can pair it to a single media source for playback control. I enjoy using it with Spotify, especially after making a few changes to improve the Spotify experience on my Android phone. I also love how the battery is long-lasting and user-replaceable. For $30, it is hard to go wrong with the Satechi Bluetooth Media Button for simple controls.