Whether youre returning to a crowded office or one of many working from home, your Bluetooth headphones are probably among your desk essentials — and your most reliable microphone.
With virtual conference calls or quick Slack huddles most likely being a constant in your daily routine, headphones arent just a way to block out the world, but a way to plug in to your work environment.
While pairing Bluetooth earbuds with a smartphone is fairly intuitive, connecting them to a Mac is slightly less so. To avoid blasting your meeting through a quiet office or disrupting your partners work-from-home oasis, heres how to quickly pair Bluetooth headphones with your Mac.
Do you want to pair your Bluetooth headphones with your Mac for wireless listening freedom? It should be a straightforward process right?
Unfortunately many users run into frustrating issues getting their Bluetooth headphones to connect properly to a Mac.
Not to worry – this comprehensive guide will walk you through pairing and troubleshooting Bluetooth headphones with a Mac, step-by-step. Soon you’ll be wirelessly rocking out in no time!
An Overview of Connecting Bluetooth Headphones to a Mac
Here’s a quick rundown of what’s involved:
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Activate Bluetooth on your Mac in System Preferences > Bluetooth.
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Put your Bluetooth headphones in pairing or discovery mode so your Mac can find them.
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Select your headphones from the list of available Bluetooth devices.
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Your Mac will connect to the headphones once paired.
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You may need to set your Bluetooth headphones as the audio output device.
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If you run into issues, reset and reconnect the headphones or troubleshoot the Bluetooth connection.
Follow the steps below to seamlessly connect your Bluetooth headphones with your Mac!
Step 1: Activate Bluetooth on Your Mac
You first need to make sure Bluetooth is turned on for your Mac to find and connect to wireless devices:
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Go to System Preferences > Bluetooth and check it is activated.
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Click “Turn Bluetooth On” if it’s disabled.
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Once Bluetooth is on, your Mac will scan for available Bluetooth devices.
Step 2: Put Your Headphones in Pairing Mode
Next, you need to make your headphones “discoverable” so your Mac can find them:
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Initiate pairing mode by pressing and holding the power button on your headphones for 5+ seconds until the LED light flashes.
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Check your headphone manual for the exact steps to enter pairing mode, as this can vary.
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On some models you may hear a voice prompt when pairing mode is activated.
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Your headphones are now discoverable and ready to connect!
Step 3: Select Your Headphones in the Bluetooth List
With both systems ready, it’s time to connect them:
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In the Bluetooth menu, you will see a list of “Available Devices.”
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Select your Bluetooth headphones from this list to initiate pairing.
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Confirm pairing if you get a popup prompt.
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Once connected, the headphones will show under “My Devices.”
That’s it! Your Bluetooth headphones and Mac are now wirelessly paired and ready to use.
Step 4: Set Your Headphones as the Audio Output Device
To direct audio to your now-connected headphones:
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Go to System Preferences > Sound.
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Under “Output,” select your Bluetooth headphones.
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Now sound from your Mac will play through the wireless headphones!
Without this step, your Mac may still route audio through the internal speakers.
Troubleshooting Bluetooth Headphones Not Connecting to a Mac
Frustratingly, you may sometimes run into issues getting Bluetooth headphones to connect to a Mac properly.
Here are some top troubleshooting tips to try if your Bluetooth headphones won’t connect or have connectivity problems:
Reset Your Bluetooth Headphones
Resetting reconnects the headphones by clearing any software bugs disrupting the Bluetooth signal.
Check your manual for the proper reset procedure for your headphone model. Often you just need to long press the power button for 10+ seconds until the LED flashes or you hear a tone.
Unpair Other Bluetooth Devices
Too many paired devices can interfere with new connections. Go to Bluetooth settings and manually unpair all other Bluetooth devices, then try to reconnect your headphones.
Reset the Mac Bluetooth Module
For persistent issues, you may need to reset the Mac’s Bluetooth module itself:
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Open the Terminal app and enter:
sudo pkill bluetoothd -
Press enter and enter your password. This will reset the Bluetooth module.
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Reboot your Mac and try re-pairing the headphones.
Update Bluetooth Drivers and Software
Make sure both your Mac operating system and Bluetooth headphone firmware are fully updated:
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Update your Mac OS to the latest version.
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Check your headphone manufacturer’s website for any new firmware updates.
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Update your Bluetooth drivers from the device manufacturer.
This will rule out any compatibility bugs between the two systems.
Check Bluetooth Version Compatibility
Make sure your Mac and headphones use a compatible Bluetooth version. For example, Bluetooth 5 headphones may have issues with older Macs that only support Bluetooth 4.0. Check both specifications to make sure they match up.
With some targeted troubleshooting, you should be able to get temperamental Bluetooth headphones paired and working properly with your Mac.
Tips for Using Bluetooth Headphones with a Mac
Once connected, keep these tips in mind for the best wireless experience:
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Keep your headphones within 30 feet for stable connectivity.
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If you face interference, move away from WiFi routers and other electronics.
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Charge your headphones fully before longer listening sessions.
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Switch between paired devices seamlessly using the headphones’ controls.
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Update your headphones periodically for new firmware enhancements.
Seamlessly Switch Bluetooth Headphones Between Your Devices
A great perk of Bluetooth headphones is being able to easily switch between different paired devices.
Here’s how to seamlessly switch your Bluetooth headphones from your Mac to your iPhone, for example:
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On your Mac, go to Bluetooth settings and select Disconnect for your headphones.
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On your iPhone, go to Bluetooth, select your headphones from “My Devices” and choose Connect.
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The headphones will switch over from your Mac to your iPhone!
No need to re-pair each time. Just connect and disconnect between devices as needed.
Pair Multiple Bluetooth Headphones Simultaneously
Did you know you can connect multiple Bluetooth headphones to a single Mac? Here’s how:
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Go to System Preferences > Sharing.
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Check the box for Internet Sharing.
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Choose Bluetooth PAN from the “Share your connection from” dropdown.
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Pair another set of Bluetooth headphones.
Your Mac will now stream audio to both sets of headphones simultaneously! Useful when you want to share listening with a friend.
Enjoy Wireless Freedom with Your Paired Bluetooth Headphones
Pairing your Bluetooth headphones with your Mac opens up a whole new world of wireless listening freedom.
Follow our detailed, step-by-step guide to get your headphones seamlessly connected to your Mac.
Troubleshoot any issues with our key tips to banish Bluetooth headaches for good.
Before you know it, you’ll be rocking out wire-free with your favorite tunes and media. So go on, cut the cord and connect! Your ears will thank you.
Pair your headphones
Once the Bluetooth option expands, youll see a sidebar that displays any current devices connected via Bluetooth. If you havent connected any devices before, the box will be empty.
Now its time to get your headset involved. Depending on the make and model, there will be a pairing button on either the charging case, usually the situation for earbuds, or on the Bluetooth headphones themselves. If you dont know where the pairing button is, do a quick Google search or look in the manual if you still have it.
Press down on the button until you see the name of your device pop up in the box to the right. Once you see your devices name, Christinas AirPods, for example, toggle the “Connect” option.
From there, youll be connected and good to go! No more having private meetings with your boss on speaker for the whole office to hear.
Go to Apple’s System Preferences
First, leave your headphones to the side. Well get to those in a moment. In the upper left-hand corner of your Mac, select the Apple icon, and select the System Preferences option from the dropdown menu.
How To Connect Bluetooth Headphones To a Macbook
How to connect Bluetooth headphones to MacBook Air?
Open System Preferences > Bluetooth > choose the headphones’ name and select Connect. Unpair devices by going to System Preferences > Bluetooth > select X next to device name > Remove. This article teaches you how to connect Bluetooth headphones to MacBook and other Mac devices and what to do if you can’t connect the headset correctly.
How do I connect a Bluetooth headset to my Mac?
Make your headset discoverable to your Mac (see the documentation that came with your headset). On your Mac, click the Bluetooth status icon in the menu bar, then choose the headset you want to use. Note: If the Bluetooth status icon isn’t shown in the menu bar, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Control Center in the sidebar.
How to connect Bose headphones to Mac?
Click Bluetooth . Click Turn Bluetooth On. In macOS 13 Ventura, the Turn Bluetooth On button has been replaced by a toggle next to the Bluetooth option. Turn the toggle on (it will appear blue) to turn on Bluetooth. How do I connect Bose headphones to my Mac?
How do I Turn on Bluetooth on my Mac?
On your Mac, click the Bluetooth status icon in the menu bar, then choose the headset you want to use. Note: If the Bluetooth status icon isn’t shown in the menu bar, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Control Center in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) Click the pop-up menu next to Bluetooth, then choose Show in Menu Bar.
