Apple-designed AirPods are easy to quickly pair with your iPhone, so you can listen wirelessly to music and podcasts or tune into meetings on the go. If you’ve yet to try these little gems, you’re in for a treat, but first, let’s go over how to connect AirPods to iPhone so that you don’t miss a beat.
Pairing your iPhone with your Airpods is a simple process, but not without occasional glitches. As with all Bluetooth devices, it’s good to have a few troubleshooting skills in your back pocket when you need them. From pairing your AirPods to a brand-new iPhone to fixing common problems, here’s everything you need to know about how to connect AirPods to iPhone.
If this is the first time connecting your AirPods with your iPhone, you will need to set it up by using your Apple ID. Once you are connected, you can automatically pair your AirPods with any device where you have signed in with your Apple ID and password.
Here’s how to make your initial connection between your AirPods and your iPhone. You can also use these steps any time you need to manually connect your AirPods to your iPhone.
Your AirPods automatically switch between all your Apple devices, provided that you’re using the same Apple ID with all of them. For example, if you are chatting with a friend on your iPhone and decide to listen to a podcast on your Mac when you are finished, your AirPods will switch automatically to your Mac.
When you need to make or answer a phone call, your AirPods will automatically switch back to your iPhone.
Automatic switching between devices is a great feature, but your AirPods can only be linked to one Apple ID at a time, which means you can’t switch between devices that aren’t connected to your account.
AirPods can be used on all of your devices, making it incredibly easy to take calls, listen to music, or dictate notes without having to manually switch between your devices.
If, for some reason, your AirPods aren’t switching between your iPhone and Mac, you may need to delete old cache files. A tool like CleanMyMac X can quickly clean up your cache files so that you can restart your Mac, connect your AirPods, and get on with your day.
Developed by MacPaw, CleanMyMac X is notarized by Apple and safe to use on macOS.
Since you are setting up your AirPods, here is another thing you’d probably want to do — connect your divide to Find My. It’s pretty simple; just follow these steps:
You may also need to ensure that Find My network is switched on if ‘Show in Find My’ is not there. You can do it by going to Settings > Apple ID > Find My > Find My iPhone and toggling the switcher next to ‘Find My network’ to on.
In most scenarios, your iPhone and AirPods will connect behind the scenes without you having to take a single step. As will most technological advancements, these high-tech advancements work great until they don’t.
If your AirPods fail to connect, you will have to take additional steps to rectify the situation. These troubleshooting tips will start with the basics, moving through several steps, from charging and cleaning the AirPods to updating firmware and performing a reset.
If you pop in your earbuds to play your favorite song, and you can’t hear anything, it may simply be that your music is playing over another Bluetooth device. Perhaps a spare set of headphones tucked away in a closet?
You can easily fix this issue by switching the audio output on your phone. Open the Control Center on your iPhone and tap the AirPlay button at the top-right corner of your screen. The icon looks like a triangle with concentric circles coming out of the top.
To switch the audio output, simply choose your AirPods from the list.
If your AirPods are refusing to connect to your iPhone, check the AirPods’ battery status. With your AirPods inside, open the charging case lid. The status light will tell you how much battery life is left on your AirPods.
A green light means your AirPods are fully charged. Amber indicates less than fully charged, and if you don’t see the light at all, it means that the batteries have run out of juice and need to be recharged.
Next, clean the sensors and charging case with a cloth, toothbrush, or cotton swab dampened with alcohol. You can also pick out stubborn lint and debris from the charging port with a toothpick.
If you’ve charged and cleaned your AirPods, but they still won’t connect to your iPhone, try resetting them.
Your AirPods may be experiencing connectivity issues because another app is connected to your phone’s Bluetooth and keeping the AirPods from pairing with your iPhone. To see if you have apps that are interfering with your Bluetooth’s ability to connect to AirPods, follow these steps:
Your inability to connect your AirPods to your iPhone may mean that your iPhone needs to be restarted. Hold down either of the volume buttons as well as the iPhone power button simultaneously until the power slider appears. Drag your finger across the slider to turn off your iPhone, which will take about 30 seconds.
Now press and hold your iPhone’s power button until the Apple logo appears and your phone restarts, and try to connect your AirPods.
The more Bluetooth devices you connect to, the longer your connection list becomes. That’s because this information is stored on your iPhone, reducing the storage capacity in the cache, which can sometimes cause issues with connecting additional Bluetooth devices.
You can easily remove Bluetooth connections that you are no longer using by following these steps:
Low Power Mode on your iPhone can limit the functionality of your phone and may interfere with Bluetooth connections. If your iPhone is using Low Power Mode, plug it in to charge it above 80% or manually turn off Low Power Mode before trying to connect your AirPods to your iPhone.
To disable Low Power Mode, go to Settings > Battery and toggle off Low Power Mode. The slider will turn gray.
If you’ve tried all these tips and you still can’t connect AirPods to your iPhone, it’s time to contact Apple Support or bring your device to an Apple Authorized Service Provider.