Optional component
Advanced Driver Bridge
A separate, optional companion that unlocks deeper device controls. The app does not need it, does not ship it, and does not degrade without it.
What it is for
Some headphone features — noise control modes on supported AirPods, for example — are not reachable through the ordinary Windows Bluetooth stack. The Bridge is a small companion process that can talk to those features and publish what it is able to do.
It writes a capability document that KikuTune reads: whether the Bridge is running, which protocol version it speaks, which device is selected, and which capabilities were actually detected. KikuTune only shows a control once the Bridge reports it as available — detection is explicit rather than assumed.
What it is not
“Driver” is a word worth being precise about, so here is the precise version.
No kernel driver
It contains none and installs none.
No Test Mode
It does not enable Test Mode or touch boot configuration.
Not in the app package
Built and shipped out of band. The release build does not bundle it, and neither the app nor the CLI references it.
If the Bridge is absent, KikuTune runs exactly as before and hides the controls that depend on it. Nothing degrades.
Four states, and the app tells you which one
A control is never just missing. KikuTune reads the status document and tells you which of four things is true.
Ready
The Bridge is running and your selected device is supported. The control appears and works.
Warming up
The Bridge is present but has not finished reporting what it can do yet.
Required
This device does expose the control, but no Bridge is running. This is the only state where installing it changes anything for you.
Unsupported
The device does not expose the feature at all. No Bridge will change that, so KikuTune does not pretend otherwise.
DriverBeta only
If the installer reports Secure Boot: On
Core KikuTune uses standard Windows APIs and never asks for any of this. The separate private DriverBeta package is different: it carries test-signed Windows components for hardware validation, so use it only on a disposable test PC. It is not a production release.
KikuTune cannot disable Secure Boot for you. Secure Boot is a firmware setting, so Windows software cannot safely or consistently change it. The installer stops before trusting certificates, enabling Test Mode, or installing DriverBeta files.
Before changing firmware settings: save your work and confirm you can reach this PC's BitLocker recovery key. A firmware change can trigger BitLocker recovery on the next boot, and disabling Secure Boot weakens boot-chain protection.
- 1
Open Windows recovery options
Open Settings → System → Recovery. Under Advanced startup, select Restart now and confirm the restart.
- 2
Enter UEFI firmware settings
On the recovery screen choose Troubleshoot → Advanced options → UEFI Firmware Settings → Restart.
- 3
Disable Secure Boot manually
In UEFI/BIOS, find Secure Boot. It is commonly under Boot, Security, Authentication, or Windows OS Configuration. Set it to Disabled, then save changes and exit. Names vary by PC manufacturer.
Do not clear the TPM, delete platform keys, change storage mode, or reset firmware defaults. KikuTune does not need any of those, and they can cause data loss or stop Windows starting.
- 4
Verify, then run the installer again
After Windows starts, open System Information (
msinfo32) and confirm Secure Boot State: Off. Then run the same DriverBeta installer again.Microsoft reference: Windows 11 and Secure Boot (opens in a new tab).
After DriverBeta testing
Uninstall DriverBeta first and complete any restart it asks for. Then return to UEFI/BIOS and re-enable Secure Boot. Confirm in System Information that Secure Boot State is On.
Simulation by default
The Bridge ships with a simulation backend. It reports a plausible capability set so the whole path — detection, status, and the controls that depend on it — can be exercised and tested without any real driver present. A real backend is a separate implementation and is not included here.
Should you install it?
Probably not yet. Install the app first and use it normally. If a control shows as Required and you want that control, add the Bridge then — not before.