Apple did an excellent job of simplifying the pairing procedure for their famous earphones. This brief tutorial will walk you through the steps to connect your AirPods (of any version) and AirPods Pro to your iPhone, Mac, iPad, Windows 10 PCs, and Android phones and tablets.
So you’ve got a brand-new set of AirPods (1st, 2nd, or 3rd generation) or AirPods Pro. You must now link them with your devices in order to begin listening to your favorite music, movies, and podcasts.
If you’re using an iPhone, Mac, or iPad, the procedure will most likely take less than five seconds. If you want to use your AirPods with something other than an Apple smartphone, pairing them is almost as simple.
We’ll teach you how to connect your new truly wireless earbuds to all of the Apple devices listed above, as well as just about any other non-Apple device. Every version of ordinary AirPods and AirPods Pro follows the same procedure. We’ll go through the little changes that you’ll need to be aware of in order to effectively connect them to each device type.
Connecting to Apple devices
iPhone
- The iPhone is arguably the most popular AirPods audio output companion. It’s also the simplest to connect to. Simply follow the instructions outlined below.
- Go to your home screen after unlocking your iPhone and making sure you’re signed into iCloud.
- Bring the charging case next to your iPhone and open it with your new AirPods inside.
- Within a few seconds, a welcome animation should appear. It will have a “Connect” button, identical to the one on the left-most card.
- Select Connect.
- Things will change from here according to your AirPods model. You could be asked whether you want to activate “Hey Siri” commands and given a free Apple Music trial. The cards that appear after that are self-explanatory, and you can pick whichever offers you like.
- You’ll see a card with a “Done” button once you’ve completed the procedure, and you’ll be presented with the right-most card seen above.
- Your airpods are now ready to use.
Finally, ensuring that you’re logged into iCloud as the procedure begins allows connecting your AirPods to any Mac, iPad, or other supported Apple device that’s linked into the same iCloud account a breeze. After you’ve linked your new AirPods, you’ll probably see a pop-up on each device when checking in or turning them on for the first time. Simply tap Connect on the pop-up to listen to audio from any compatible Apple device through your AirPods.
Mac
As previously said, if your AirPods were already connected with an iPhone that was logged into the same iCloud account as your Mac, the whole pairing procedure for your Mac will most likely consist of pressing the handy Connect button that shows up.
If it doesn’t happen because you don’t have an iPhone, don’t use iCloud, or your Mac is the first device you’re connecting your AirPods with, the process is just slightly more difficult.
Follow the steps below to manually connect your AirPods with your Mac in any of these scenarios.
- Check that your AirPods are in their case and then open the cover.
- Hold down the setup button on the back of the case (shown above) until the front status light flashes white.
- Click the Apple menu, then System Preferences, and lastly Bluetooth on your Mac. You may also get to System Preferences by clicking the gear symbol on your dock.
- Your AirPods should display in the Bluetooth menu’s Devices list. If so, simply click on them to link them to your Mac.
- After that, you’ll be given a few additional options, like enabling “Hey Siri” capability and setting specific privacy preferences.
- Your AirPods are ready to use once you’ve made your choices for each of them.
iPad
If you’ve already linked your AirPods with another Apple device on the same iCloud account, the procedure should be basically automatic, as it was in the Mac part above. Follow the procedures below on any iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, or iPad Mini if you need to do it manually for any of the reasons indicated above.
- Make sure the Bluetooth on your iPad is turned on.
- Return to the home screen. Check that your AirPods are in their case and then open it.
- You should see a pop-up similar to the one displayed on the iPhone above. You’re done after tapping Connect and following any additional instructions.
- If that doesn’t work, press and hold the setup button until the status light flashes white, then look for your AirPods in the Bluetooth menu on your iPad. You may manually link them by tapping them in the list of accessible devices.
Non-Apple gadgets
Windows 10 PCs
Connecting to a Windows PC follows the same steps as connecting to a Mac. If you follow the steps below, you should be up and running in less than a minute.
- Type “Bluetooth” into the magnifying glass icon in your taskbar.
- The result that states Bluetooth & other device settings should be clicked.
- Click Add Bluetooth or other device at the top of the new window.
- Click Bluetooth at the top of the Add a device window that appears.
- The PC will start looking for compatible devices to link with. Hold the setup button on your AirPods until the indicator light on the device blinks white.
- Within a few seconds, your AirPods should appear in the list of accessible devices. To begin matching, simply click on it.
- Your AirPods should appear in the Audio area of the Bluetooth & other devices windows once the PC has finished pairing. You’re done once it’s there with a Paired or Connected sign beneath it.
Android tablets and smartphones
Because of the huge diversity of Android versions available across thousands of Android-based devices from hundreds of manufacturers, the procedure for an Android smartphone can vary far more than any of the other processes. We may, however, give more generalized steps below.
- Look for any menu options that reference adding a new device, pairing a new device, or syncing with a new device in your device’s Bluetooth menu.
- Put your device in pairing mode by selecting that option.
- Hold down the setup button on your AirPods until the white indicator light blinks on the front.
- On your Android device, look for the AirPods in the list of available devices.
- Tap the name of the AirPods or any accompanying connect button.
That should be plenty. Don’t be shocked if you’re given a few extra conversation boxes to fill out. Simply read the instructions attentively, and you should be able to listen to audio in seconds.
