How to connect your AirPods to an iPhone (and just about any other device) - ZDNet

Apple's AirPods pro. All procreation of AirPod and the AirPods pro stock the aforesaid pairing process.

Michael Gariffo

So you've got a shiny caller brace of AirPods (1st, 2nd, oregon 3rd gen) oregon AirPods Pro (1st oregon 2nd generation). Now you've got to get them paired with your devices to commencement listening to your favourite music, movies, and podcasts. 

If you're utilizing an iPhone, Mac, oregon iPad, the process volition astir apt instrumentality astir 5 seconds. If you'd similar to usage your AirPods with a non-Apple instrumentality instead, the task of pairing them is astir arsenic easy.

Also: How to cleanable and sanitize your AirPods

We'll amusement you however to rapidly link your genuinely wireless earbuds to conscionable astir immoderate Apple oregon non-Apple instrumentality retired there. The process is the aforesaid for each procreation of modular AirPods and AirPods Pro, meaning this usher should enactment for beauteous overmuch everyone. 

How to link your AirPods to your iPhone

The archetypal paper volition look immoderate clip you brace AirPods already associated with an iCloud relationship different than your own. Once paired, they'll summation your name, arsenic seen successful the consequent 2 cards.

Michael Gariffo

The iPhone is astir apt the astir communal audio output buddy for AirPods. Luckily, it's besides the easiest to connect. Just travel the steps below.

Also: The champion AirPods and AirPods Pro deals close now

Final note: Verifying you're signed into iCloud erstwhile the process starts makes it a cinch to link your AirPods to immoderate Mac, iPad, oregon different supported Apple instrumentality that's signed successful to the aforesaid iCloud account. You'll apt beryllium presented with a pop-up connected each instrumentality erstwhile logging successful oregon turning them connected for the archetypal clip aft you've paired your caller AirPods. Simply deed Connect on the pop-up and you tin usage the AirPods to perceive to the audio from immoderate compatible Apple device. 

How to manually link your AirPods to iPhone

That stealthy small ellipse I'm pointing to is the setup fastener that puts your AirPods into pairing mode. It's successful a akin spot crossed each AirPod models.

Michael Gariffo

If, for immoderate reason, the supra process doesn't enactment for you, there's a elemental workaround. You tin link your AirPods to your iPhone manually. To bash this, travel the steps below.

Also: AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods Pro: Were they worthy the wait?

1. Open your AirPod charging lawsuit and marque definite the earbuds are inside. 
2. Press and clasp the Setup fastener (shown above) until the indicator airy connected the beforehand of the lawsuit begins pulsing (about 5 seconds). 
3. Look for the AirPods successful the Bluetooth section of your Settings app. 
4. Tap connected them and implicit the transportation process. 

How to link your AirPods to your Apple Watch

This option's large for going connected a run, particularly if you person a cellular exemplary of the Apple Watch. 

Image: Apple

Your Apple Watch should automatically link with your AirPods erstwhile they're paired with the iPhone it's paired with. However, the wearable doesn't request your iPhone adjacent to link with your AirPods, and tin beryllium paired directly. This is useful erstwhile you're astatine the gym oregon retired for a tally and you've near your iPhone behind, but privation immoderate euphony oregon podcasts to walk the time. To get this acceptable up, travel these steps.

Also: How to alteration Low Power Mode connected the Apple Watch (and wherefore you should)

1. Open your AirPods charging lawsuit and guarantee the earbuds are inside. 
2. Press and clasp the Setup fastener (shown successful the sections above) until the indicator airy connected the beforehand of the lawsuit begins pulsing (about 5 seconds). 
3. On your Apple Watch, archetypal pat Settings then Bluetooth. Your Apple Watch volition statesman to hunt for adjacent Bluetooth devices.
   
4. Wait until it finds the AirPods and pat connected them. Your AirPods should present beryllium paired for each audio output.

How to link your AirPods to your Mac

The aforesaid Setup fastener arsenic it appears connected the backmost of a 3rd-gen AirPod charging case.

Image: Apple

As mentioned above, if your AirPods were already paired with an iPhone signed into the aforesaid iCloud relationship you usage connected your Mac, chances are your full pairing process for your Mac volition dwell of you clicking the Connect button that pops up. 

Also: Don't discarded your wealth connected these Apple products 

However, if that doesn't hap due to the fact that you don't usage iCloud, don't person an iPhone, oregon your Mac's the archetypal instrumentality you're pairing your AirPods to, the process is lone a small much complicated. 

In immoderate of these cases, travel these steps to manually brace your AirPods with your Mac. 

1. Make definite your AirPods are successful their lawsuit and unfastened its lid. 
2. Press and clasp the setup fastener connected the backmost of the lawsuit (seen above) until the airy connected the beforehand flashes white.
   
3. On your Mac, click connected the Apple menu, past System Preferences, and yet Bluetooth. You tin besides entree System Preferences via the cogwheel icon you've apt got successful your dock. 
   
4. Your AirPods should look successful the Devices list wrong the Bluetooth menu. If so, conscionable click connected them and they'll link to your Mac. 
   
5. Once that's done, you'll beryllium presented with a fewer much choices astir enabling "Hey Siri" functionality and definite privateness preferences. 
   
6. Once you've made your decisions for each of these, your AirPods are acceptable up and bully to go. 

Jason Cipriani/ZDNet

How to link your AirPods to your iPad

As successful the Mac conception above, the process should beryllium fundamentally automatic if you've already paired your AirPods with different Apple instrumentality connected the aforesaid iCloud account. However, if you request to bash it manually for immoderate of the reasons listed above, travel the steps beneath connected immoderate iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, oregon iPad Mini. 

Also: How to instrumentality notes connected your iPad with an Apple Pencil

1. Make definite your iPad's Bluetooth is on. 
2. Go to your location screen. Make definite your AirPods are successful their case, and unfastened the case. 
   
3. You should spot a pop-up that's fundamentally identical to the 1 shown connected iPhone above. Simply tap Connect and travel immoderate consequent prompts, and you're done.
   
4. If this doesn't work, you tin besides clasp the setup fastener until the presumption airy flashes white, and past find your AirPods wrong your iPad's Bluetooth menu, conscionable similar successful the manual method above. There you'll beryllium capable to pat them successful the database of disposable devices and manually connect. 
   

How to link your AirPods to Multiple Apple devices

It's communal for Apple instrumentality owners to person a table that looks similar this, with a Mac imaginable hiding successful the wings arsenic well.

June Wan/ZDNET

If you've got much than 1 of the devices listed above, arsenic galore of america do, you're astir apt going to privation to usage your AirPods with each of them. Thankfully, connecting to each of them works conscionable arsenic described above, and switching betwixt them is simply a painless process, which we'll picture below.

Automatic switching

If you're signed into iCloud, arsenic mentioned respective times, this volition let your AirPods to automatically power betwixt your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and different devices, based connected whichever instrumentality was astir precocious unlocked oregon turned on. Automatic switching tin besides hap erstwhile a telephone telephone comes successful connected your iPhone, oregon erstwhile you statesman playing media connected immoderate device, and during prime different events. If you'd alternatively grip things manually, work on. 

Manual switching

The circled icon is simply a communal interface constituent crossed galore iOS apps and components.

Image: Apple

iPhone, iPad, oregon iPod Touch: To manually power to your AirPods connected immoderate of these devices, simply look for the icon indicated successful the greenish ellipse supra and pat it. This volition bring up a paper with disposable dependable output options. If your AirPods are paired correctly, they should look here.

The MacOS Control Center drop-down menu.

Image: Apple

Mac: Click the measurement icon successful the MacOS paper bar, oregon click the Bluetooth enactment successful the MacOS Control Center (shown above). In either place, prime the AirPods to power to them. 

How to link your AirPods to Windows PCs

The process for connecting to a Windows PC truly isn't each that antithetic than it is for connecting to a Mac. Just travel the steps beneath and you should beryllium up and moving successful little than a minute. 

1. Click connected the magnifying solid icon (Windows 10) oregon Search container (Windows 11) successful your taskbar and benignant successful "Bluetooth."
2. Click connected the effect that says Bluetooth & different instrumentality settings. 
   
3. At the apical of the model that opens, click Add Bluetooth oregon different instrumentality (Windows 10) or  Add instrumentality (Windows 11). 
   
4. In the Add a device model that pops up (Windows 10 and 11), click Bluetooth astatine the top. 
   
5. The PC volition statesman searching for disposable devices to brace to. At this point, clasp the setup fastener connected your AirPods until the indicator airy blinks white. 
   
6. Your AirPods should popular up wrong the database of disposable devices wrong a fewer seconds. Simply click connected it to statesman pairing. 
   
7. Once the PC finishes pairing, your AirPods should amusement up nether the Audio section of the Bluetooth & different devices window. Once it's determination with a Paired or Connected indicator beneath it, you're done.
   

Also: Getting AirPods Pro? Here's wherefore you should get AppleCare+ arsenic well

June Wan/ZDNet

How to link your AirPods to Android smartphones and tablets

The process for an Android smartphone tin alteration overmuch much than immoderate of these different processes owed to the wide assortment of Android versions retired determination crossed thousands of Android-based devices from hundreds of manufacturers. However, we inactive tin supply much generalized steps below. 

Also: The easiest mode to transportation contacts from your Android to an iPhone

1. Find the Bluetooth paper for your instrumentality and look for immoderate paper prime that mentions adding a caller device, pairing a caller device, oregon syncing with a caller device. 
2. Use that enactment to person your instrumentality scan for caller Bluetooth devices to link to. 
   
3. Press and clasp the setup fastener connected your AirPods until the indicator airy connected the beforehand blinks white. 
   
4. Look for the AirPods to amusement up successful the database of disposable devices connected your Android device. 
   
5. Tap the AirPods' name, oregon immoderate link fastener associated with them. 
   
6. That should bash it. Don't beryllium amazed if you're presented with a mates much dialog boxes to complete. Simply work carefully, and you should beryllium listening to audio successful seconds. 
   

FAQs

How to I enactment my AirPods successful pairing mode?

Your AirPods tin beryllium enactment into pairing mode by pressing and holding the Setup fastener recovered connected the backmost of their charging cases. The AirPods should beryllium successful the lawsuit astatine this time, and the case's lid should beryllium open. Once the airy connected the beforehand of the lawsuit begins flashing, they're acceptable to pair.

How bash I reset my AirPods?

We'll again request the Setup fastener for this process.

Image: Apple

If you're having issues with charging, connectivity, oregon thing else, a reset tin help, and is simply a reasonably speedy process. Just travel the steps below.

1. Put your AirPods successful the charging case, and adjacent its lid, past hold 30 seconds. 
   
2. Remove the AirPods signifier the lawsuit and insert them successful your ears.
3. On a connected iPhone oregon iPad, spell to the Bluetooth section of the Settings app oregon the "[your] AirPods" enactment wrong Settings.
4. If your AirPods are presently listed, pat the "i" successful a ellipse icon, past Forget This Device. Tap again to corroborate your choice. Note, if your AirPods are not listed, you tin proceed straight to the adjacent step.
5. Put your AirPods backmost successful the charging case, leaving the lid open. 
6. Press and clasp the Setup fastener for astir 15 seconds. At this point, the indicator airy should statesman blinking amber and past white. 
7. At this constituent the AirPods should beryllium reset and acceptable for reconnection utilizing the methods listed wrong the different sections of this piece.

Can you link your AirPods to aggregate Apple devices?

Yes. Just travel the transportation procedures listed supra for each device, past notation the "How to link your AirPods to Multiple Apple devices" conception to spot however to power betwixt each connected Apple devices.

Can you link AirPods to Android devices?

Yes. For astir Android-based smartphones, tablets, and different devices, the AirPods relation similar immoderate different brace of Bluetooth earbuds. Check retired the "How to link your AirPods to Android smartphones and tablets" conception supra for details connected however to get this acceptable up. 

What tin you bash erstwhile your AirPods won't connect?

There are a batch of causes for this issue. We'll rapidly spell implicit the astir communal fixes below. 

• Turn your device's Bluetooth disconnected and connected again. This often corrects a pairing that initially failed, oregon a transportation that was mislaid and didn't decently re-establish itself. It should enactment for some Apple and non-Apple devices.
• Disable low-power mode connected your device. Sometimes low-power modes volition trim oregon wholly disable Bluetooth connectivity, which tin marque it intolerable for your AirPods to connect.
• Switch your audio output to your AirPods. This tin beryllium accomplished connected Apple devices utilizing the method successful the "Manual switching" information of the "How to link your AirPods to Multiple Apple devices" section, oregon by checking to marque definite your AirPods are some paired and selected arsenic the progressive audio output instrumentality successful the Bluetooth paper of your Android devices, Windows PC, etc.
• Clean your AirPods. Sometimes accumulated ungraded and debris tin forestall your AirPods from charging correctly, meaning they won't person the indispensable powerfulness to connect. A cleanup of the charging contacts astatine the basal of the stem and the charging lawsuit itself could close this.
• Restart your audio source. A implicit restart of your iPhone, iPad, Mac, oregon non-Apple root instrumentality tin often rectify aggregate issues astatine once, and is decidedly worthy a shot. 
• Update the firmware connected your AirPods. Apple occasionally releases caller firmware for AirPods that corrects problems that could beryllium preventing connectivity. A afloat usher connected this update process is available astatine Apple's enactment website.
• Reset your AirPods. Starting your pairing and transportation from scratch should lick galore issues. For a afloat guide, conscionable scroll up to the "How bash I reset my AirPods?" section.
• Disconnect different Bluetooth devices. Sometimes different Bluetooth devices tin make interference. Disconnect immoderate different devices you can, particularly immoderate that you don't usage anymore. 
• Update your iPhone. Apple tends to update aggregate products astatine the aforesaid time. If your AirPods got an update, but your iPhone didn't, sometimes they won't play good unneurotic again until you besides update your iPhone (or iPad oregon Mac) too.