How To Connect AirPods To Your MacBook

It is not an exaggeration to say Apple AirPods is one of the best things Apple ever created for iPhones. Apple has designed their TWS earbuds specifically for iPhone and wants their owners to pair them with only iPhones.

But they are Bluetooth earbuds and can be used with other Apple Bluetooth devices like the MacBook or any other non-Apple device. Sometimes a user wants to enjoy a movie or other entertainment media and wants to use AirPods.

If you are in a similar situation and wonder how to connect AirPods to MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, do not worry. You will be able to connect your AirPods with your device with this guide.

It is true that AirPods work great with iPhones, providing excellent music streaming, and can use Siri on the go.

Connecting AirPods to MacBook Pro or Air might prove a little tricky, but it is doable, and any person can do it in a matter of few minutes.

We will be discussing a few workarounds that will connect AirPods with your MacBook.

If you are familiar with how to interconnect Apple devices and are still unable to connect AirPods to the MacBook, you will be able to connect them to your MacBook in no time with the help of this guide. Without wasting any precious time, let us get to the guide.

Check Whether Your AirPods Are Connected To Your MacBook Or Not?

Before getting into the guide, we will first make sure that whether the AirPods are connected to your MacBook or not. If they are connected, and you are unable to hear any sound from AirPods, it is a different query.

If they are connected to your MacBook but are not working correctly, you might need to remove them from Bluetooth devices. To do that:

Before getting into the guide, we will first make sure that whether the AirPods are connected to your MacBook or not. If they are connected, and you are unable to hear any sound from AirPods, it is a different query.

If they are connected to your MacBook but are not working correctly, you might need to remove them from Bluetooth devices. To do that:

• On your Mac, click the Apple logo on the top left of your screen to open the Apple Menu.
• Then select “System Preferences…”
• Then select Bluetooth from the menu.
• In the new window, you will see the total number of Bluetooth devices connected to your Macbook. If they are not connected to your Mac, remove them from the list.
• Click on AirPods and click the X mark right next to AirPods, and they will be removed from the list.

Now you will have to connect back the AirPods to the Device. You can do that by:

• Put the AirPods back into the charging case.
• Keep the lid of the case open and place them near your MacBook.
• Click the Apple icon again on the top, select “System Preferences,” and then select “Bluetooth”.
• Connect your AirPods to your MacBook to check if they are connecting or not.

If they are not connecting, keep following the guide for reliable workarounds that will get the AirPods working in no time.

Fun Fact:

Apple has indeed designed the AirPods specifically for iPhone and can also work with other Apple devices like devices with macOS, iPads. They work best with iPhones as you can listen to music, use Siri on the go.

However, they have the standard Bluetooth technology. It means they can connect to any device supporting Bluetooth technology, whether it is an Android device or Windows PC. They can also connect to smart TVs having Android and standard Bluetooth technology.

In short, you can use AirPods with diverse Bluetooth-supported devices.

• Related: Force Quit On A Mac: 5+ Methods To Do It The Right Way!

How To Connect AirPods To MacBook

If you have purchased AirPods for the first time are wondering, “How do I connect my AirPods to my MacBook” or you are an AirPods veteran and are having trouble connecting AirPods to your Mac, do not worry, with the help of this guide, you can easily connect AirPods to your MacBook in no time.

Without wasting any more of your time, you can connect AirPods to MacBook Pro or Air with two different methods:

Method 1- Connect Your AirPods To A Mac If You Don’t Use Them On An iPhone

It is hard to find people who have purchased AirPods to use with Mac instead of iPhones or iPods. However, it is also possible for people to own AirPods separately for their MacBooks. If you are of the latter type, you can still connect the AirPods to your MacBook anyways.

It is not necessary to pair the AirPods with iPhone first before they can connect to a MacBook. You can easily pair your AirPods to a Mac if you do not use them on an iPhone.

To connect the AirPods to a MacBook including, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, here is what you need to do:

• If you are not using your AirPods, open the lid of the charging case, do not remove the AirPods.
• On the backside, there will be a small round button, press and hold it for a few seconds until the lights on the case start to blink.
• On your MacBook, press the Apple icon on the top to open Apple Menu.
• Then select “System Preferences…”
• In the “System Preferences…” window, find and select “Bluetooth”.
• From that list find, the desired AirPods that you want to connect to your Mac.
• Select the AirPods and press “Connect”.
• After completing the connection, the AirPods will appear on the top of the devices list.

Method 2- Connect Your AirPods To Your Mac If You Already Use Them On Your iPhone

If you already use your AirPods with your iPhone and you want to use them with your MacBook for any work or just for entertainment purposes, connecting AirPods, in this case, is a breeze if your Mac has the same Apple ID as your iPhone.

If you have a different Apple ID on your MacBook than your iPhone due to any reason, unfortunately, as of now, there is no way you can pair your AirPods to a device with a different Apple ID, while the device is associated with iPhone’s Apple ID.

If you have the same Apple ID on both of your Apple devices, you can connect them by following the steps mentioned down below:

• Put your AirPods inside the charging case if you are using them. If you are not, leave them in the case and open the lid of the case, do not take out the AirPods.
• Open your Mac, select the Volume icon on the top of the menu bar.
• Under the “Output Device:” find and select “AirPods”.
• If you use your AirPods with your iPhone, your AirPods will appear under the “Output Device:” section.
• Select your AirPods and with for the device to complete the connection.

In Case The AirPods Failing To Connect?

There is a chance that the AirPods do not appear on the list. This could be due to many factors. We will try to find and resolve the issue with a few reliable workarounds. So, no need to worry.

If your AirPods are failing to connect to your Mac due to unknown reasons, try using each of the following workarounds mentioned below.

Step 1- Reset The AirPods & Bluetooth

We will start the troubleshooting with the simplest and efficient solution by resetting the AirPods and Bluetooth of your MacBook device. Resetting devices and software sometimes do wonders and fix even the most irritating issues.

You can also try fixing the unable to connect the issue with your AirPods by resetting them. If you have not reset your AirPods before, here is how you can do that:

• Put your AirPods inside the charging case.
• On the backside of the AirPods, find a small round button.
• Press and hold it for a few seconds until the status light starts to flash.
• Hold the button for almost 15 seconds.
• Your AirPods will reset.

Now, it is time to reset the Bluetooth module on your Mac. To reset the Bluetooth module, here is what you need to do:

• On the top of the menu bar, find and select the Bluetooth icon while holding Shift + Option (Alt) keys on your Mac’s keyboard. (If you do not have a Bluetooth icon on the menu, check the “Show Bluetooth in menu bar” option in System Preferences… > Bluetooth).
• From the menu, hover the mouse cursor on “Debug” and select “Reset the Bluetooth module”.
• Restart your MacBook and try connecting your AirPods with your MacBook again.

Step 2- Reboot The Devices

If restarting the Bluetooth module or the AirPods is still causing the connection issues between two devices, then the next workaround that you can try is rebooting the devices. There might be some issues with your Mac, whether it’s the Mac or the operating system.

Restarting will clear the memory and will help the operating system restore the original image after a fresh boot. After a fresh boot, the operating system will install the pending installations, and potentially it might perform better than before restarting.

There are many ways through which you can reboot your Mac. Here is the fastest way to restart:

• Press the Apple icon on the menu bar on the top.
• Select “Restart” from the menu.
• Wait for the Mac to restart.

You can also restart your Mac by the keyboard. Here is how you can do that:

• Press the “Control + Eject” buttons on your Mac. (The eject button is located on the top right corner of your Mac).
• A new popup window will appear, select “Restart” from the window and wait for your system to restart.

After restarting your Mac, restart your AirPods by:

• Put your AirPods inside the charging case.
• On the backside of the AirPods, find a small round button.
• Press and hold it for a few seconds until the status light starts to flash.
• Hold the button for almost 15 seconds.

Try reconnecting the two devices again. They should connect. If not, we still have a couple of workarounds that we can try.

Step 3- Make Sure That Your MacOS Is Up To Date

There is a high chance that your MacOS might not be up to date, which could be the culprit behind the connection issue in-between your Mac and AirPods. If you are using 2nd gen AirPods, make sure your Mac is updated with macOS Mojave 10.14.4 or later.

If you have previous gen of the macOS, you might not be able to connect your AirPods with your Mac. You can check for software updates on your MacBook relatively easily. Follow the steps down below to check for any pending macOS update:

• On your MacBook, press the Apple icon on the top to open Apple Menu.
• Then select “System Preferences…”
• From the System Preferences window, find and select “Software Update”.
• Select “Upgrade now” if there is a pending update.
• You can also select the “Automatically keep my Mac up to date” right beside the “Advanced…” button. It will automatically download and update your Mac time next time an update arrives.
• Complete the download and installation of the update.
• Restart your Mac and try connecting your AirPods with your MacBook.

Step 4- Make Sure AirPods Are Set As The Output Device

There is a chance your AirPods are connected to your Mac but are not selected as an output device. This means that your system is using the selected output device as the source of audio output.

This is not an issue with Mac. It happens to Windows PC as well. The user will have to specify the operating system which device to use as an output media. If you have multiple devices selected, the operating system will not know which device to use for output.

This is why the output device option exists in Windows or macOS. To check whether your AirPods are set as the output device:

• Open your Mac, select the Volume icon on the top of the menu bar.
• Under the “Output Device:” find and select “AirPods”.
• If you use your AirPods with your iPhone, your AirPods will appear under the “Output Device:” section.
• If you have anything but AirPods selected as the output device, you will not hear a single thing in your AirPods.
• Make sure a tick appears on the left of AirPods. This will indicate your AirPods are selected as the output device.

After selecting AirPods as an output device, try listening to some sound to check whether your Airpods are working or not.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1- Why can’t I connect my AirPods to my Macbook?

Ans: It could be due to many reasons. The main reason that most people face when they are unable to connect their AirPods with their MacBook is due to the older version of macOS than recommended version. Make sure your macOS is up to date with the latest version.

Then you will be able to use your AirPods with your Mac.

Q2- What is the fastest way to connect AirPods to MacBook?

Ans: You can easily connect AirPods to your Mac is by going to the Apple icon > System Preferences…> Bluetooth > Your AirPods. If your macOS is up to date and it is using the same Apple ID as your iPhone, you will find your AirPods in the list of devices ready to connect after selecting Bluetooth.

Q3- How do I connect my AirPods to my laptop?

Ans: You can connect your AirPods to your laptop by turning on the Bluetooth on your laptop, also open the lid of the charging case of your AirPods (do not take the AirPods out of the case), and press and hold the setup button on the back for a few seconds until the status light flashes white.

Find the AirPods in the list of Bluetooth devices on your laptop, select them, and you are done!

Q4- How do I switch between iPhone and Mac AirPods?

Ans: You can switch between iPhone and Mac AirPods if both of the devices are using the same Apple ID and macOS update to Big Sur, iPhone update with iOS 14, and iPad with iPadOS 14 or later. Select AirPods from the list of Bluetooth devices in the Bluetooth settings on each device.

You can also turn off automatically switching between devices from the settings of your iPhone.

Q5- Can AirPods connect to 2 devices?

Ans: No, it is not possible to connect AirPods to two different devices simultaneously. You can use them with only one device at a time. You will have to manually change the connection of AirPods with your desired device.