Connect Beats Pill to your phone or computer in three steps

Turn on your Beats Pill by pressing the power button on the back for two seconds until the LED light flashes white. Open the Bluetooth settings on your phone or computer, find "Beats Pill" in the list of available devices, and tap or click it. The speaker will beep twice when the connection is complete, and the LED will turn solid white.

The first time you pair a device, this process takes about 30 seconds. After that, your Beats Pill will automatically reconnect to the same phone or computer whenever you turn it on, as long as Bluetooth is enabled. If you want to connect to a different device, you'll need to put the speaker back into pairing mode by holding the power button for five seconds until the light flashes white again.

If the speaker doesn't appear in your Bluetooth list, make sure it's fully charged — a low battery can prevent pairing. Also check that your phone or computer's Bluetooth is turned on and that you're within 30 feet of the speaker. If it still doesn't show up, restart both devices and try again.

Key Takeaways

  • Press the power button for two seconds to turn on the Beats Pill, then look for it in your device's Bluetooth settings.
  • The speaker automatically reconnects to devices it has paired with before, so you only need to manually select it the first time.
  • To switch to a new device, hold the power button for five seconds to put the speaker back into pairing mode.
  • A low battery or disabled Bluetooth on your phone or computer is the most common reason pairing fails.
  • The Beats Pill works with any phone, tablet, or computer that has Bluetooth — you don't need any special app to pair it.

What to do if the speaker won't show up in Bluetooth settings

Start by checking the battery. Plug the Beats Pill into a USB-C cable for at least 15 minutes. A speaker with less than 10 percent battery often won't broadcast its Bluetooth signal, even though it still powers on. While it charges, make sure your phone or computer's Bluetooth is actually turned on — this is the most common overlooked step.

Next, restart both devices. Turn off the Beats Pill completely by holding the power button for three seconds, then turn it back on. On your phone or computer, toggle Bluetooth off, wait five seconds, and toggle it back on. Now try to pair again. If the speaker still doesn't appear, forget any old "Beats Pill" entries in your Bluetooth settings and start fresh — older pairing records sometimes prevent new connections.

If you're still stuck after these steps, reset the speaker to factory settings. Hold the power button and the volume-down button together for ten seconds until the LED flashes red and white. This erases all previous pairings and lets you start over. After a factory reset, the speaker will appear in Bluetooth settings as if it were brand new.

Connecting to multiple devices

The Beats Pill can remember up to eight different devices, but it only connects to one at a time. Once you've paired it with your phone, tablet, and computer, the speaker will automatically reconnect to whichever device you used it with most recently. If you want to switch to a different device, just open that device's Bluetooth settings and select "Beats Pill" from the list.

If the speaker is currently connected to your phone and you want to use it with your computer instead, you don't need to do anything special — just open your computer's Bluetooth settings and tap the speaker's name. The connection will switch over within a few seconds. The speaker will disconnect from your phone automatically.

To remove a device from the speaker's memory — for example, if you sell your old phone — hold the power button for five seconds to enter pairing mode, then hold it for another five seconds while in pairing mode. The LED will flash red to signal that all pairings have been erased. You can then pair it with new devices as needed.

Why the connection keeps dropping

If your Beats Pill disconnects frequently, the most common cause is that your phone or computer is moving out of Bluetooth range. Bluetooth typically works reliably up to 30 feet in open space, but walls, metal objects, and other wireless devices can reduce that distance. Try keeping your phone closer to the speaker, or move the speaker to a more central location in your room.

Interference from other wireless devices can also cause drops. Microwaves, Wi-Fi routers, and other Bluetooth speakers all use the same 2.4 GHz frequency. If you're experiencing frequent disconnections, try moving your Beats Pill away from these devices, or turn off Wi-Fi on your phone temporarily to see if that helps.

A low battery on the speaker itself will also cause connection problems. If the LED is dim or flickering, charge the Beats Pill for at least 30 minutes. Outdated software on your phone or computer can sometimes cause compatibility issues too — check for system updates and install them if available. After updating, restart your device and try pairing again.

Connecting Beats Pill to a car's Bluetooth system

The process is the same as connecting to any other device. Put your Beats Pill into pairing mode by pressing the power button for two seconds, then open your car's Bluetooth settings through the infotainment system. Select "Beats Pill" from the list of available devices. Most cars will ask you to confirm the pairing on both the speaker and the car's screen.

Once paired, the speaker will automatically reconnect to your car's system whenever you get in and turn on the ignition, as long as Bluetooth is enabled. If you want to use the speaker with your phone instead, just open your phone's Bluetooth settings and select the speaker — it will disconnect from the car automatically.

Some car systems have trouble with multiple Bluetooth devices trying to connect at once. If your phone and your Beats Pill are both attempting to connect when you start the car, the car might connect to your phone instead of the speaker. To avoid this, turn off Bluetooth on your phone before you get in the car, or manually disconnect your phone from the car's system before trying to connect the speaker.

Using the Beats Pill with voice assistants

Once your Beats Pill is connected to your phone, you can use Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa just as you normally would. The speaker will play the voice assistant's responses through its speakers. You don't need to do anything special — the voice assistant uses your phone's microphone to listen, not the speaker's microphone.

If you want to control music playback using voice commands, make sure your music app is set to play through the Beats Pill. On most phones, you can tap the speaker icon in your music app to choose which device plays the audio. After you select the Beats Pill, voice commands to play, pause, or skip tracks will work through the speaker.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to read an app to pair my Beats Pill?

No. The Beats Pill pairs through standard Bluetooth, which is built into every phone and computer. You can use the speaker when ready after pairing without installing anything. Beats does offer an optional app for iOS and Android that lets you adjust bass and treble settings, but it's not required to use the speaker.

Why does my Beats Pill keep connecting to the wrong device?

The speaker automatically connects to the device it was most recently paired with. If you want it to connect to a different device instead, open that device's Bluetooth settings and select the speaker manually. You can also forget the speaker from your other devices' Bluetooth settings so it stops trying to reconnect to them.

Can I connect my Beats Pill to two devices at the same time?

No. The Beats Pill only plays audio from one device at a time. However, it can remember multiple devices and switch between them. To switch, just open the Bluetooth settings on the device you want to use and select the speaker — it will disconnect from the previous device automatically.

What should I do if my Beats Pill is stuck in pairing mode?

If the LED keeps flashing white and won't stop, hold the power button for three seconds to turn the speaker off completely. Wait five seconds, then turn it back on normally by pressing the power button for two seconds. The speaker should now be in normal mode instead of pairing mode.

Is there a password or PIN for pairing the Beats Pill?

No. Beats Pill uses standard Bluetooth pairing, which doesn't require a password or PIN. straightforward select it from your device's Bluetooth list and it will connect. If a pairing code appears on your screen, just confirm it — you don't need to enter anything.