The basic connection process

To connect AirPods to a Mac or Windows laptop, you open your AirPods case near the laptop, hold the setup button on the back of the case for a few seconds until the light flashes white, then select the AirPods from your laptop's Bluetooth menu. On a Mac, this menu is in the top-right corner; on Windows, it's in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar. The pairing usually takes under a minute.

The first time you connect AirPods to any device, they enter pairing mode automatically when you open the case. After that first pairing, they will reconnect to that device whenever Bluetooth is on and the AirPods are in range — typically 30 to 40 feet indoors. If you want to connect the same AirPods to a different laptop, you'll need to hold the setup button again to make them discoverable.

Key Takeaways

  • Open your AirPods case near your laptop and hold the setup button on the back until the light flashes white, then select them from your Bluetooth settings.
  • On a Mac, click the Bluetooth icon in the top-right corner; on Windows, click the Bluetooth icon in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar.
  • After the first pairing, your AirPods will reconnect automatically whenever Bluetooth is on and they are in range.
  • If your AirPods don't appear in the Bluetooth menu, make sure Bluetooth is turned on and try holding the setup button for 15 seconds instead of a few seconds.

Connecting to a Mac

On a Mac, click the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar at the top-right of your screen. If you don't see it, go to System Settings, click Bluetooth, and toggle it on. Once Bluetooth is on, open your AirPods case near the Mac and hold the setup button on the back of the case until the light flashes white. Your AirPods should appear in the Bluetooth menu within a few seconds. Click them to connect.

After pairing, your AirPods will show as "Connected" in the Bluetooth menu. You can now use them for audio from your Mac. If you have multiple Apple devices signed into the same iCloud account, your AirPods may switch between them automatically when you start playing audio on a different device — this is called Handoff. You can turn this off in System Settings under Bluetooth if you prefer to control which device uses the AirPods manually.

Connecting to a Windows laptop

On Windows, click the Bluetooth icon in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar, next to the volume and network icons. If you don't see it, go to Settings, click Bluetooth & devices, and toggle Bluetooth on. Once Bluetooth is on, open your AirPods case near the Windows laptop and hold the setup button on the back until the light flashes white. Your AirPods should appear in the Bluetooth menu. Click them and then click "Pair" to connect.

Windows may take slightly longer to recognize AirPods than a Mac does — up to 30 seconds is normal. After pairing, your AirPods will show as "Connected" in the Bluetooth menu. Unlike on Mac, Windows does not automatically switch AirPods between devices, so you will need to manually disconnect them from one device and reconnect them to another if you want to use them with a different computer.

What to do if your AirPods don't appear

If your AirPods don't show up in the Bluetooth menu, first check that Bluetooth is actually turned on. Then try holding the setup button on the back of the AirPods case for 15 seconds instead of a few seconds — this forces them into pairing mode even if they were previously paired with another device. Wait 10 seconds after releasing the button, then check the Bluetooth menu again.

If they still don't appear, try restarting your laptop's Bluetooth. On a Mac, turn Bluetooth off in the menu bar, wait 5 seconds, and turn it back on. On Windows, go to Settings, click Bluetooth & devices, toggle Bluetooth off, wait 5 seconds, and toggle it back on. Then repeat the pairing steps. If your AirPods still won't connect after this, try resetting them by holding the setup button for 15 seconds until the light flashes amber, then white — this erases all previous pairings and lets you start fresh.

Using AirPods once they're connected

Once connected, your AirPods will automatically play audio from your laptop. You can control volume using your laptop's volume keys or the volume slider in your system settings. To pause or play audio, tap either AirPod once. To skip to the next track, tap twice. To go back to the previous track, tap three times. To set up voice commands, double-tap and hold — this opens Siri on a Mac or your default voice assistant on Windows.

You can check the battery level of your AirPods on a Mac by clicking the Bluetooth icon and looking next to the AirPods name — it will show the charge percentage. On Windows, the battery level appears in the Bluetooth menu or in the Windows Settings under Bluetooth & devices. If your AirPods are low on battery, the light in the case will turn red when you open it.

Switching AirPods between devices

If you want to use the same AirPods with a different laptop, you don't need to unpair them from the first one. straightforward hold the setup button on the back of the AirPods case for 15 seconds until the light flashes white, then pair them with the new laptop using the steps above. The AirPods will now connect to the new device. They will still remember the first laptop, and you can switch back by holding the setup button again and selecting them from the first laptop's Bluetooth menu.

If you want to permanently remove AirPods from a laptop so they don't reconnect automatically, go to your Bluetooth settings, find the AirPods in the list of paired devices, and click the option to forget or unpair them. On a Mac, this is usually an "X" or "Remove" button next to the AirPods name. On Windows, it's a "Remove device" button in the Bluetooth settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my AirPods keep disconnecting from my laptop?

AirPods may disconnect if Bluetooth is turned off, if they run out of battery, or if they move out of range. Check that Bluetooth is on and that your AirPods have charge. If they disconnect frequently even when in range and charged, try forgetting them from your laptop's Bluetooth settings and pairing them again from scratch.

Can I use AirPods with both a Mac and a Windows laptop at the same time?

No, AirPods can only connect to one device at a time. If you want to switch between a Mac and a Windows laptop, you'll need to hold the setup button to put them back in pairing mode and select them from the other device's Bluetooth menu. They cannot automatically switch between a Mac and a Windows computer the way they can between two Apple devices.

Do I need to do anything special to use AirPods with video calls on my laptop?

Once your AirPods are connected, most video call apps like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams will automatically detect them as your audio input and output. You may need to check your app's audio settings to confirm the AirPods are selected, but usually no extra setup is required.

What if my AirPods are paired with my phone and I want to use them with my laptop instead?

Hold the setup button on the back of the AirPods case for 15 seconds until the light flashes white. Then select them from your laptop's Bluetooth menu. They will now connect to the laptop. When you want to use them with your phone again, just open the Bluetooth settings on your phone and select the AirPods — they will reconnect automatically.