Listening to music via Bluetooth isn’t as simple as plugging in a pair of headphones and playing audio from your device. Yet Bluetooth headphones and earbuds offer a wireless connection that’s ultimately more convenient and comfortable. Plus, an increasing number of devices today lack analog audio outputs and only support Bluetooth.
If you have a pair of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds you’d like to connect to your Windows 11 PC (the steps are mostly identical for Windows 10), here’s what you need to do to get connected.
Get your headphones in pairing mode
When you’re connecting your Bluetooth headphones or earbuds to your PC for the first time, make sure they’re in pairing mode. The process varies from device to device, so you may need to consult your product’s manual for specific instructions.
Generally, you’ll have to long-press a pairing button somewhere on the headphones or the earbuds’ charging case. In some cases, this might entail holding down the power button for a few seconds or opening the case.
When your device is in pairing mode, it typically indicates this with a quickly blinking light or an audio note.
Method 1: Quick settings panel
Turn on Bluetooth
You’ll need to confirm that Bluetooth is enabled on your PC. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to click on the quick settings shortcut in the corner of the screen (between the date/time and arrow). This will pull up a menu with various toggle settings.
Look for the tile with the Bluetooth icon (it may also say “Not connected”). If it is gray or says “Off,” Bluetooth is disabled. If it is highlighted in blue, Bluetooth is enabled.
Pair your headphones
From the same Quick Settings shortcut menu, click on the arrow in the Bluetooth tile. A window displaying available Bluetooth devices will appear.
If your headphones or earbuds are still in pairing mode, they should show up on this menu. Click on your device and wait for your PC to establish a connection, which should only take a few seconds.
If your device doesn’t appear, double-check that it is still in pairing mode. Bluetooth headphones and earbuds will often time out of pairing if a connection isn’t made immediately.
If this process doesn’t work for you, refer to the Troubleshooting section at the end of this article or try the second method below, which can sometimes be more reliable.
Method 2: Windows Settings menus
Enable Bluetooth
You can also activate Bluetooth by pressing the Windows key, navigating to Settings, selecting Bluetooth & devices on the left-rail menu, and then ensuring the toggle for Bluetooth is set to On.
Pair your headphones
From this menu, you can select Add Device. This will bring up a new menu asking you if you want to pair a Bluetooth device, a wireless display or dock, or everything else. Select Bluetooth.
This will result in a new menu displaying various devices available for pairing. With your headphones in pairing mode, they should appear in this menu, identified by a headphone icon next to their name. Click on them and wait for your PC to establish a connection. Once connected, you should be ready to rock.
If this doesn’t work, scroll down for another option.
Troubleshooting
Bluetooth is convenient, but it can be fussy. A lot can go wrong if the stars don’t align perfectly in the process. Based on years of experience with troubleshooting problems, here are some helpful tips if something isn’t quite working.
Headphones aren’t showing up
Double-check that your device is still in pairing mode. Sometimes, headphones will time out if they’ve been in pairing mode for a while and no connection has been made.
Found the headphones, but Windows won’t connect
Start the discoverability process again to make sure the headphones are actively in pairing mode. Sometimes they’ll appear but won’t pair unless they’re refreshed.
Next, even if the name of the device is correct, make sure that the icon next to it is a pair of headphones. I’ve encountered many audio devices displaying a different icon, including a Bluetooth signal that’s not used for establishing an audio connection.
Finally, check to ensure that your headphones or earbuds are not already connected to your phone, speaker or another computer. If there’s an established connection elsewhere, you may need to disconnect your headphones or earbuds first before connecting them to your Windows PC.
Windows says ‘Connecting’ but then fails
Sometimes, Windows may fail to connect to your headphones or earbuds without explanation. I often try various methods to establish a connection, including toggling Bluetooth on and off again.
Connected once, but won’t connect again
Generally, you can connect easily to your Bluetooth headphones after they’ve been initially paired with your PC. Windows often will automatically reconnect when you turn your headphones on.
That said, some headphones can only store a limited number of paired devices in their memory. If you’ve connected them to another device after pairing them with your PC, you may need to repeat the pairing process.
Paired and connected, but not playing sound
If everything looks correct but you’re not getting any audio, first make sure your PC’s volume is up.
If your headphones support Bluetooth Multipoint (simultaneous connections to multiple devices), a different device may have priority. Again, make sure all other devices are disconnected.
If you’ve done all of the above and audio still isn’t coming through your headphones, you’ll want to check your PC’s audio settings to ensure your Bluetooth headphones are set as the output device.
You can verify this by clicking on the Quick Settings panel. To the right of the volume slider is an icon for sound output devices. Make sure your headphones are on the list and that they are selected.
If all else fails
Sometimes, connections fail. I’ve paired headphones that Windows just doesn’t register as an audio device or connect to properly. Disconnecting them, forgetting them and re-pairing can often work, as can turning Bluetooth on and off again.
If your headphones and computer both have wired audio jacks, that trusty audio cable can be the simplest way to connect, even if it leaves Bluetooth out of the picture entirely.
