The basic connection process
To connect AirPods to your Mac, you turn on Bluetooth on both devices and then select your AirPods from the list of available devices. Your Mac will remember them after the first connection, so the next time you turn on your AirPods near your Mac, they will connect automatically.
The whole process takes about two minutes the first time. After that, connection happens in the background without any action from you — as long as your AirPods are charged and within Bluetooth range (roughly 30 feet in an open room).
Key Takeaways
- Open System Settings on your Mac, go to Bluetooth, and make sure Bluetooth is turned on before you start.
- Put your AirPods in their case, open the case lid while holding the AirPods near your Mac, and hold the setup button on the back of the case until the light flashes white.
- Your AirPods will appear in the Bluetooth list on your Mac within a few seconds — click them to connect.
- Once connected, your Mac will automatically switch to your AirPods as the audio output device, and they will reconnect on their own each time you use them.
- If your AirPods do not appear in the Bluetooth list, restart both your Mac and your AirPods, then try again.
Turn on Bluetooth on your Mac
Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Settings. In the left sidebar, click Bluetooth. You should see a toggle switch at the top that says "Bluetooth" — make sure it is turned on (the switch will be blue or green).
If Bluetooth is already on, you are ready to move to the next step. If it was off, wait a few seconds for your Mac to scan for nearby devices before you proceed.
Put your AirPods in pairing mode
Take your AirPods out of your ears and place them back in their charging case. Close the lid, then open it again. You should see a small button on the back of the case — hold it down for about 15 seconds until the light on the front of the case starts flashing white. This white flash means your AirPods are in pairing mode and ready to connect to a new device.
Keep your AirPods case close to your Mac while the light is flashing. The pairing mode only lasts about a minute, so if the light stops flashing before you see your AirPods appear on your Mac, close the case and try again.
Select your AirPods in the Bluetooth menu
Look at the Bluetooth window that is still open on your Mac. Within a few seconds of putting your AirPods in pairing mode, you should see them appear in the list of available devices. They will show up with the name "AirPods" or "Your Name's AirPods" (if you have customized the name). Click on them once to connect.
Your Mac will show a small checkmark next to your AirPods once they are connected. At the same time, you may hear a chime through your AirPods or see a notification on your Mac screen confirming the connection. Your AirPods are now paired with your Mac.
Check that audio is routing to your AirPods
Once your AirPods are connected, your Mac should automatically send audio to them instead of the built-in speakers. To confirm this, click the volume icon in the top-right corner of your menu bar (it looks like a speaker). A menu will drop down showing the current audio output device — it should say "AirPods" or show your AirPods' name.
If the menu shows a different device (like "Internal Speakers"), click on your AirPods to switch the audio output. From now on, your Mac will remember this choice and route audio to your AirPods automatically whenever they are connected and nearby.
Reconnecting your AirPods on future uses
The next time you want to use your AirPods with your Mac, straightforward take them out of the case and put them in your ears. Your Mac will detect them and connect automatically within a few seconds — you do not need to open System Settings or do anything else. The connection happens in the background.
If your AirPods do not connect automatically, open the Bluetooth menu in System Settings and check that they appear in the list. If they do, click them to reconnect. If they do not appear at all, put them back in the case, close it, open it again, and hold the setup button until the light flashes white, then try the connection process from the beginning.
What to do if your AirPods do not appear in Bluetooth
If you have held the setup button for 15 seconds and the light is flashing white, but your AirPods still do not show up in the Bluetooth list on your Mac, restart both devices. On your Mac, click the Apple menu and select Restart. While your Mac is restarting, put your AirPods back in the case and leave them there for 30 seconds, then take them out and try pairing again.
If this does not work, make sure your Mac is running a recent version of macOS. Click the Apple menu, select System Settings, then click General and Software Update. Install any updates that are available, restart your Mac, and try connecting your AirPods again. Older versions of macOS sometimes have trouble recognizing newer AirPods models.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the same AirPods with multiple Macs?
Yes. Once you have paired your AirPods with one Mac, you can pair them with another Mac by following the same steps. Your AirPods will remember both Macs and will connect to whichever one you are using. If both Macs are on at the same time, your AirPods may connect to the one you used most recently — you can manually switch by opening Bluetooth settings on the Mac you want to use.
Why do my AirPods keep disconnecting from my Mac?
AirPods disconnect when they are out of Bluetooth range (more than 30 feet away), when the battery is very low, or when they connect to another device (like your iPhone). If they disconnect while you are close to your Mac and the battery is charged, restart your Mac and your AirPods, then reconnect. If the problem continues, forget the AirPods from your Mac's Bluetooth settings and pair them again from scratch.
How do I forget my AirPods from my Mac so I can pair them fresh?
Open System Settings, click Bluetooth, find your AirPods in the list, and click the small information icon (an "i" in a circle) next to their name. Click "Forget This Device" and confirm. Your AirPods are now unpaired. Put them back in the case, hold the setup button until the light flashes white, and pair them again as if it were the first time.
Do I need to do anything special if I have multiple pairs of AirPods?
Each pair of AirPods is treated as a separate device by your Mac. You can pair multiple pairs by following the connection steps for each one. Your Mac will show all of them in the Bluetooth list, and you can switch between them by clicking whichever pair you want to use in the volume menu or Bluetooth settings.
Will my AirPods automatically switch between my Mac and iPhone?
If your AirPods are paired with both devices and both are signed into the same iCloud account, they may switch automatically when you start using audio on one device. However, this does not always work smoothly. To may support your AirPods stay connected to your Mac, you can manually select them in the volume menu on your Mac, or put them back in the case and take them out again near your Mac to force reconnection.