Apple AirPods are so popular that they sound great, their battery life and charging speed beat out the competition, and it’s hard to say how easy the pairing process is. It can pair with iPhone and iPad, but on Mac, the process isn’t transparent at all. Wondering how to easily connect and use your earbuds on your Mac? we’ve got you covered. In this guide, we will share different ways to connect Apple AirPods or AirPods Pro to Mac devices!
But before we go any further, you need to make sure that your Mac is up to date. You’ll need macOS Sierra or later to connect the first-generation AirPods, macOS 10.14.4 or later for the second-generation AirPods, macOS Monterey or later for the third-generation Airpods.
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How to Connect Your AirPods to Mac When You’re Not Using Them on iPhone?
If you are using brand new Airpods for the first time, you’ll need to pair them with your Mac first. To do this, you need to do the following:-
1. Open the lid of the AirPods and place the AirPods in the charging case. You do not need to remove the AirPods from the case.
2. Press and hold the button on the back of the case until the status light starts flashing.
3. On your Mac, click the Apple menu in the top left corner, and then go to “System Preferences”
4. On the System Preferences page, select the “Bluetooth” option.
5. There, you will see the list of devices. You’ll need to find the AirPods you want to pair with the Mac, and then click “Connect.”
6. After the connection is complete, AirPods devices will appear at the top of the list, ready to use.
In case, there are any problems that you are facing while connecting your AirPods, here are a few things you can try to resolve them: –
- If AirPods are showing up under the Bluetooth devices list but are not able to connect, remove them from the list and pair them with the Mac again by following the pairing process.
- If that doesn’t work, reset your AirPods and try pairing again.
- To reset your AirPods, press and hold the button on the back of the AirPods case until the status light starts flashing amber.
- Once paired, Apple will sync the details of the earbuds across devices in your iCloud account. This means you only need to pair your AirPods or AirPods Pro once.
How to connect your AirPods to your Mac when you’re already using them on your iPhone?
In case, if you’ve already paired your AirPods with your iPhone or iPad, they’ll show up in the volume controls and Bluetooth menus on your Mac (If the Mac is using the same Apple ID as your iPhone), as your AirPods are designed to automatically connect to your Mac. However, you need to ensure that the Bluetooth setting on your Mac device is enabled.
Now, to connect with a Mac device, do the following: –
- Open the AirPods’ charging case near your Mac
- Now, click on the “Bluetooth” icon from the menu bar on your Mac. (If you don’t see it, first click the Control Center icon that looks like two toggle switches stacked on top of each other.)
- Now, select your “AirPods,” and click on the “Connect” button to connect them to your Mac.
This is the fastest way to pair your AirPods but the process doesn’t always work. In that case, you will have to add them to your Mac manually. To do so, follow the steps given below:-
- Click on the Apple icon from the menu bar in the upper-left corner, and then select the “System Preferences” option.
- Go to “Bluetooth” options and check if Bluetooth is enabled.
- Now open the AirPods charging case near your Mac.
- Press and hold the physical setup button on the Airpods charging case until the status light on the front of the case turns white. This white color means that the AirPods are in pairing mode.
- In a matter of seconds, you can see AirPods in the device list on your Mac. Here, click on the “Connect” button next to the name of the device. If your Mac supports Hey Siri functionality, you will be asked if you want to enable it. Click the “Enable” button if you want to enable it.
That’s it. Your AirPods or AirPods Pro are now connected to your Mac. Click the “Options” button next to the headphones list to change the setting any time your headphones are connected to your computer. Here, you can configure double-tap actions, disable automatic ear detection, and noise cancellation settings for the AirPods Pro, and choose which microphone to use as well as monitor your AirPods battery.
See More: How to know if your AirPods qualify for free replacement
