How to Connect AirPods to Laptop: A Quick and Easy Guide
How to Connect AirPods to Laptop: A Quick and Easy Guide
How to connect AirPods to laptops has been an issue many people have been struggling with recently as this new technology from Apple has just hit the market, especially since it connects in non-traditional ways. Here’s an easy step-by-step guide on how to connect AirPods to a laptop, so you can start enjoying your music again!
Step 1: Make sure Bluetooth is On
Before you can connect AirPods to your laptop, you’ll have to ensure that your Bluetooth is turned on. So, head over to Settings (you can do so by clicking on that handy little gear icon in your Mac’s menu bar) and go down to Bluetooth.
You should see a slider next to it with a red bar underneath it, which means Bluetooth is off. To turn it on, just move that slider up so that it’s green (full). Once you’ve done that, you’re ready for step 2!
If you don’t want to leave Bluetooth turned on all day, there are alternatives if you want to be able to use your AirPods while they’re not connected.
One way is through iCloud Music Library and iTunes Match, I went into more detail about how this works below; there are other ways too!
If you only want them active when they’re connected, try double-clicking one when they are paired via iCloud or iTunes, that will put them back into pairing mode.
Connecting via iCloud Music Library/iTunes Match: Now that your Bluetooth is on, it’s time to connect those AirPods to your laptop.
Head over to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and tap on Manage Storage at the bottom of that page. From there, select Apple Music (you may need to enter your password first) and then choose Delete Downloaded Songs.
Once that’s done, you should see a small popup telling you how much space has been freed up, Now close out of Settings by pressing Command + Q or clicking on that little gear icon at the top left corner of your screen.
Open up iTunes and move to Edit > Preferences. Click on Devices in the sidebar menu and make sure that Prevent iPods, iPhones, and iPads from syncing automatically is unchecked. Next, click on Show AirPods under Devices in the sidebar menu.
You’ll see an option called Sync with This [device], just check off Sync Only Checked Songs & Videos (if you have any). You can then click on Apply for your changes take effect!
Step 2 on How to Connect AirPods to Laptop: Go to Settings
On your Mac or PC computer, go to Settings > Bluetooth. Your computer will now search for any Bluetooth devices that are nearby. If you’re using a Mac, you should see iPhone appear in a list of available devices on your laptop.
Select it; if it doesn’t show up right away, try tapping F5 or Command + R on your keyboard. If you’re using a Windows PC, click the Start button then go to Devices > Add Bluetooth or other device and follow the instructions there.
Once paired with your computer via Bluetooth, try clicking Play in iTunes (or double-clicking on a song in Windows Media Player). You should hear music coming through both speakers and headphones!
How cool is that? You can also play/pause tracks by double-clicking either one of your AirPods. And, yes, you can use Siri as normal too, simply hold down either one of your earbuds and say something like Play Daft Punk or Next track.
The latter only works when you’re playing music from Apple Music, though. The great thing about pairing over Bluetooth is that your AirPods won’t lose their connection while they’re charging, unlike when they’re connected directly to an iOS device’s Lightning port.
Step 3 – Search for AirPods
Your AirPods come with a charging case. The case has a Lightning connector that plugs into your laptop’s charging port. On some laptops, you may need to hold down a specific key (like Fn) while connecting or disconnecting it from your computer.
You can find out which key applies by contacting your computer manufacturer directly. But don’t connect it yet! First, ensure that your laptop is set up for Bluetooth; follow these steps for Windows or macOS.
To see if your system supports Bluetooth, go to Device Manager > Bluetooth Radios. If there isn’t one listed then you will have to look up what drivers need to be installed before proceeding any further with your setup.
Once you know it works, plug in your AirPods’ charging case. After a few seconds, you should see AirPods connected appear on the screen. If not, make sure they are turned on in Settings > Bluetooth and try again. When they are successfully connected to your computer, open iTunes and enjoy listening to music or watching videos wirelessly through them!
Step 4 on How to Connect AirPods to Laptop – Click Pair when prompted
If you’re prompted by your Mac or Windows machine, click Pair. Your computer will then scan for your AirPods. Once detected, it will prompt you to enter a code on your phone.
If prompted by your Mac or Windows machine, click Pair. Your computer will then scan for your AirPods. Once detected, it will prompt you to enter a code on your phone.
Enter 0(zero) as your pairing code on an iOS device: In iOS devices like iPhones, iPad, and iPod Touch go to Settings → Bluetooth → Tap on I icon next to Apple Wireless Headphones (make sure that Bluetooth is turned ON) → Enter 0000 in Paring Code field & tap on Add button → You are done – Done!
Now you can listen to music wirelessly from your laptop/computer using Apple wireless headphones.
Now you can go back and use your AirPods with your laptop!
If you want to listen to music, watch videos, or do any number of other things, you’ll be able to use your AirPods with your laptop. Here’s how,
To connect AirPods to a computer running macOS High Sierra or later: Click on System Preferences in your Dock. Click on Bluetooth.
Your computer will scan for nearby Bluetooth devices; click on AirPods when it appears in a list of available devices. You can now begin using your AirPods!
To connect AirPods to a computer running Windows 10: Open up Settings from your Start menu (Windows key + I). Take your cursor to Devices and click on it, then click on Bluetooth & other devices.
Your computer will scan for nearby Bluetooth devices; click on AirPods when it appears in a list of available devices. You can now begin using your AirPods! That’s all there is to it! You’re ready to start listening to music, watching videos, and more. Enjoy!.
Tips & Tricks
There’s no denying that Apple’s design is sleek, but if you were hoping they would come with a lot of additional help, perhaps even a user manual, sorry.
While it might be easy enough to figure out how to connect them (there are some helpful little icons on both earbuds), I was surprised by how difficult it was to find good tips for using them once they’re synced up.
If you want tips for using your AirPods, try checking out articles written by people who have had them longer than I have.
Here are two helpful pieces from Macworld: How Do You Pair Apple AirPods? Here Are All of Your Options (Macworld) and What should you know about Apple’s new wireless earbuds? (Macworld).
These will give you an idea of what to expect when trying to use these things in real life. Also, check out my post on how to set up an Alexa device for more information on setting up a Bluetooth device.
It has tips for pairing, adjusting volume levels, skipping tracks, etc. And one last thing: Be careful not to lose them! They’re tiny and easily misplaced so make sure you put them somewhere safe before you start going crazy listening to music or answering calls on your phone.
Oh yeah and make sure they’re charged! The case comes with a battery indicator light so keep an eye on that before leaving home without fully charged buds! That’ll definitely make your day go sour pretty quickly.
How do I disconnect my AirPods from windows 10 computer?
The first thing you need to do is open up Cortana on your laptop. Click on Cortana’s search bar, at the bottom of your screen, and type Bluetooth. After you click Bluetooth, look for a Bluetooth icon in your search results.
Click that icon. It should appear in a window near where you clicked it from. Then click Connected Devices in that same menu that opens after you click Bluetooth in Cortana.
This will show you all of your connected devices, including your AirPods. Next, right-click on each of your AirPods and choose Disconnect. Your AirPods are now disconnected from your computer!
The second way to disconnect them is by using their physical buttons. To disconnect them with their buttons, hold down both of their buttons until they make a sound or vibrate three times.
This means they have been successfully disconnected! If you don’t hear or feel anything when holding down their buttons, try pressing them again in different ways until they connect or disconnect successfully.
If neither method works for you, check out Apple’s website. They might have some more information about how to fix any issues with connecting or disconnecting them! The third way to disconnect your AirPods from your computer is through Bluetooth settings.
Click on Settings on your computer’s taskbar and click on Devices under Sound. Then click Bluetooth at the top of that menu that opens up after clicking Devices. Once you’re in Bluetooth settings, right-click on each of your AirPods (if they aren’t already right-clicked) and choose Disconnect next to each one.
