How To Connect Bluetooth Headphones To a Mac

From the beginning of time until just a few years ago, we have all worn a set of wired headphones and believed that this is how things will always be done. They are, after all, the most user-friendly technology available: simply plug them in, turn them on, and go.

However, with the growth of Bluetooth headphone options and the elimination of headphone jacks from almost all of the newest smartphones, wired headphones appear to be making less and less of a comeback every day.

Fortunately, wireless technology is excellent. They are portable. They are adaptable. They are simple to connect to your iPhone, Mac, or vehicle. Like your phone, they can be charged overnight so they can run all day.

Unfortunately, the improper setting could result in frequent disconnections and the music pauses when using Bluetooth headphones with a Mac. 

Here, we’ll show you how to correctly pair your AirPods with your Mac and manage other audio equipment at the same time.

How To Pair Bluetooth Headphones To Mac

You can connect Bluetooth headphones to Mac for the first time by following these simple instructions:

1. Go to System Preferences by clicking the Apple menu on your Mac.

2. Turn Bluetooth on by navigating to the Bluetooth menu. All nearby Bluetooth devices ought now to be visible.

3. Check to see if your headphones are powered on and in discoverable mode. To make a new connection, click Connect.

4. Now, your Bluetooth earbuds ought to show up on the list. To make a new connection, click Connect.

5. Right-click on your current device and select Connect if you want to reconnect it.

Once you’ve managed to successfully pair Bluetooth headphones with Mac for the first time, they ought to remain paired or reconnect whenever you leave and return to the Bluetooth range (about 33 feet or 10 meters).

Through the Sound menu in System Preferences, you can adjust headphones to your preferences as well. For instance, you can opt to “Show volume in the menu bar” and adjust the stereo balance between the right and left under the Output tab.

Why Bluetooth Headphones Aren’t Working With Mac

There are a few typical issues that we must investigate:

1. There is some configuration required because Bluetooth headphones won’t connect to a Mac right out of the box.

2. It’s not the same as pairing Bluetooth headphones with an iPhone or your car’s audio system.

3. Specific settings that address issues like how to use multiple audio outputs and connect two Bluetooth headphones to one Mac

4. AirPods will be used as an example throughout the post, but any other model of Bluetooth headphones can be connected similarly.

Fixing Problems With Bluetooth Headphones

Sometimes after completing the setup procedures, your headphones either connect unsuccessfully or connect before abruptly detaching.

This is quite unpleasant, but you can fix it by either wiping Mac’s preference settings clean or resetting the headphones. Here’s how to resolve every known problem:

1. Try restarting your Bluetooth headphones.

A quick reset should fix the issue if you’re having trouble connecting your Bluetooth headphones to any of your other devices, including your Mac, iPhone, and car audio system.

Consult the user manual for your device for reset procedures. How to restart AirPods is as follows:

• Place the earbuds into the case while leaving the lid open. 
• Hold down the setup button while waiting for the light to go from amber to white (around 10 seconds)

Your earbuds should now have all of their settings reset, and you can connect them once more by following the steps outlined above. If the issue still exists, your Mac’s preferences might be the cause.

2. Reset sounds preferences on Mac

Make sure your Mac is running macOS Sierra or a later version first (macOS High Sierra or Mojave). If not, update to the most recent version by navigating to System Preferences > Software Update or, if you’re upgrading from a previous version, by visiting the App Store.

3. A Bluetooth headset that is connected but not playing any sounds

On rare occasions, even after successfully pairing Bluetooth headphones with a Mac, there may be silence. You can resolve this in a few different ways.

Make sure your Mac’s audio output is set to your headphones:

1. Select Sound under System Preferences.

2. Locate your headphones in the list under the Output tab, then double-click on them to activate them.

If that also didn’t work:

1. Reset your headphones using the aforementioned instructions.

2. Select Bluetooth under System Preferences. 

3. your headphones with the right mouse button, select “Remove,” and then confirm

The issue should go away after reconnecting your Bluetooth headphones to your Mac once more.

How To Remove Bluetooth Headphones From a Mac

There are simply two steps required to unplug your headphones from your Mac.

1. The Bluetooth icon can be seen in your menu bar.

2. Locate your headphones in the list of Bluetooth devices that are linked and disconnect them by clicking the blue symbol next to their name:

Additionally, you can disconnect via System Preferences. If you don’t want the Bluetooth symbol in your Menu bar, use this technique as your default.

Similar to how you connect wireless headphones to a MacBook, you must go to the Apple menu > System Preferences… > Bluetooth, locate your headphones in the list of connected Bluetooth devices there, and then two-finger click on the device you wish to disconnect from. Then, select Disconnect from the drop-down menu.

As an alternative, you can use the toggle to switch off Bluetooth, which will instantly disconnect all of your Bluetooth-enabled devices.

Conclusion

Any Bluetooth headphones should now work without a hitch with your Mac. Hopefully, you can also resolve any connectivity issues you might experience so you can continue listening without interruption!

The steps I have mentioned are very easy to follow and there is more information about different issues you face after or while using the headphones. We believe that this blog will be helpful to you and you will find your solution here.