Struggling to get your fancy new bluetooth headphones connected to your computer? Whatever operating system you’re using, this guide will show you how to connect bluetooth headphones and start listening to your favourite songs in no time.
This guide can also be used to connect bluetooth speakers to your computers.
Windows
There a few different types of Windows PC operating systems, and each has a different method for connecting bluetooth headphones. Don’t worry though, we’ve covered them all in this post. It’s important to check that your Windows computer supports a bluetooth connection before you start trying to connect devices. You can do this by looking up your computer’s model number.
If your computer doesn’t support bluetooth, fear not! Getting yourself a bluetooth dongle that plugs into the usb portwill allow you to connect bluetooth headphones just as easily.
Windows 10
If you’re using the latest Windows 10, then make sure to follow this section to get your bluetooth up and running.
1 – Make sure your bluetooth headphones are turned on and in pairing mode
Have a look at your headphones’ instructions to see how to do this (usually holding down the power button makes your headphones ready to connect, but it’s different on some devices). Often the headphones will have a nice flashing light to let you know you’re in pairing mode.
2 – Turn on bluetooth
Click on your Start button, then head to Settings, then click Devices, then click Bluetooth & other devices. Once here you can switch your bluetooth on. You can also get to here via the control panel.
3 – Connect your headphones
Stay in the same Bluetooth & other devices section but now click Add bluetooth or other device, and then click Bluetooth. You should see the device window and be able to choose your bluetooth headphones, click the bluetooth headphones and you’ll connect straight away.
Next time you turn on your headphones, they should automatically connect. If you want to disconnect your headphones in the future, you can do so by hitting the windows key and heading to the device manager.
Windows 7
1 – Make sure your bluetooth headphones are turned on and in pairing mode
Have a look at your headphones’ instructions to see how to do this (usually holding down the power button puts the device connect mode, but it’s different on some devices). Often the headphones will have a nice flashing light to let you know you’re in pairing mode. This step is sometimes called “making your device discoverable”.
2 – Go to devices and printers
This can be found by clicking the Start button, and then selecting Devices and Printers from the menu bar. Here you’ll see your device list and be able to see any devices that you’ve paired in the past.
3 – Add your headphones
Click Add a Device. Your bluetooth headset or headphones will show up there and to connect to the bluetooth just click on your device and press Next. Then you should be good to go!
Windows 8
If you have a windows PC that runs Windows 8.1 or 8 then this section is for you.
1 – Make sure your bluetooth headphones are turned on and in pairing mode
Have a look at your headphones’ instructions to see how to do this (usually holding down the power button puts the device ready to bluetooth connect, but it’s different on some devices). Often the headphones will have a nice flashing light to let you know you’re ready to go.
2 – Open up the options panel and hit search
Move your cursor to the right hand edge of your home screen. The options panel will appear. Select the Search icon (the icon looks like a magnifying glass). In the drop down menu that pops up, click Settings.
3 – Search for Bluetooth
Once you’ve opened up Settings, go back to the search box and type in “Bluetooth”. In the left hand column, select Add bluetooth device. Now you should be able to see your bluetooth devices.
4 – Pair your bluetooth headphones
To complete the pairing of your bluetooth headphones, just click on your audio device in the devices list to connect with bluetooth.
Mac OS
Nearly all Apple Mac products connect to bluetooth headphones in the same way. Follow these steps if your using a Mac and want to get your bluetooth headphones connected pronto!
1 – Get your bluetooth headphones ready to pair
You may need to have a look at the instructions that came with your headphones to find out how to put them in pairing mode. It’s usually done by holding down the power button for a few seconds. Your Mac might tell you to put your headphones in “discovery mode”, this is just the same as putting them in pairing.
2 – Open System Preferences
Click on the little Apple icon in the top right corner of your screen, then select System Preferences from the drop down menu. Once the Preferences menu bar loads up, you’ll want to click Bluetooth icon.
3 – Select your head phones from the Bluetooth window
When the Bluetooth pop up window appears, you should be able to see your Bluetooth headphones in the device select section. To connect to them, hover over your headphones and hit connect. After a few seconds the headphones should be fully connected and ready to use. This is the easy way to connect bluetooth headphones on a Mac.
Your headphones should automatically reconnect to your Mac as a default device when you next switch them on. If you want to disconnect them in the future, just head to your bluetooth preferences as we did above, then right click on your headphones and select Forget.
Connect bluetooth headphones to an android smartphone
Connecting your bluetooth headphones to an Android smartphone is very simple and quick. First, open your smartphone settings, select bluetooth and head to the Connected Devices section. Next, tap Pair New Device. If you can’t see your headphones then you need to make sure that they’re discoverable with bluetooth on and ready to be paired.
After you’ve done that just tap on your headphones to get connected to your smartphone.
Bluetooth Headphones FAQs and Trouble shooting
What are bluetooth headphones?
These types of headphones connect to your devices wirelessly using a piece of technology called Bluetooth. The advantage of these types of headsets is that you aren’t attached to your devices and free to walk around whilst listening to music apps or watching Netflix. Bluetooth was first invented in 1989, however the technology is regularly updated and improved. The latest and best version of bluetooth is Bluetooth 5.2.
Why won’t my headphones connect to my laptop?
If you’ve followed one of the guides above but still can’t seem to get your headphones to connect to your computer or laptops, then you’re probably just running into a simple bluetooth connection issue. If you can’t see your bluetooth headphones on your in your bluetooth settings then your headphones are most likely not ready to be paired.
Check the headphone manufacturers manual again to ensure that you’re following the correct steps. Usually you have to hold down the power button to make your headphones discoverable.
What if my device needs a passkey?
Some headphones that are bluetooth or other device might require a passkey input to pair. Once you’ve checked the code the device pairing should just continue as normal.
It’s a good idea to make sure that you note down the model number of your headphones before you throw the box away. The model number can usually help you find a website to help with any issues you may have when trying to connect.
How do I connect my Bluetooth headphones to my PC Windows 10?
Take a look at the guide for this in the above section. If you run into trouble trying to connect bluetooth headphones, come back to have a look through the troubleshooting section.
How do I connect my wireless headphones without Bluetooth?
If your computer isn’t equipped with bluetooth (you can check this by Googling your computer’s model number or checking on your computer manufacturer webpage), then you’ll need to buy an external dongle to connect bluetooth headphones. These dongle accessories usually just plug into one of your usb ports and you complete the pairing process by heading into your device’s settings. Research your dongle’s model name if you need more information or product support and assistance.
How do I change the volume level of my bluetooth headphones?
If you’ve managed to connect bluetooth headphones but struggling to hear through your headphones, or the audio from the headphones is far too loud, you’ll want to adjust the level so that it’s comfortable. You can sometimes change the sound on the headphone hardware itself if it has buttons on the side. If not, double click on the speaker icon or volume icon on the menu bar. This will open up the volume mixer where you can adjust the loudness of your headphones driver. Just drag the slider until you’re comfortable.