How to connect your AirPods to a computer
Getting started with your AirPods can be tricky, since they only pair with iOS devices by default. Luckily, using some third-party software, you can connect your AirPods to your computer so you can listen to music and charge them at the same time! Here’s how it works.
Step 1: Download Apple’s free Find My iPhone app
Plug in the computer you’re trying to sync with and open the Find My iPhone app on that computer. Tap on Choose a Device, then find and select the device under the heading of Other Devices. Find the headphone icons for each earphone located on your left side in order to confirm that they are connected properly.
To ensure that you’ve correctly paired your AirPods, make sure the Connected status is marked as Yes. If it is not synced, tap on the icon labeled iPad/iPhone/iPod touch (link). Tap Next and enter your Apple ID password or use Touch ID if available.
Step 2: Find out where you last used your phone and check the battery percentage
When you turn on Find My iPhone, it will automatically ask you if you want to play a sound on the last device it saw. If your phone is nearby and still has some battery life, this is usually the best bet. Simply play the sound and wait for someone to find your phone and hand it back! You can also check the battery percentage of your phone before playing the sound. To do so, open Settings > Battery > scroll down until you see Last used.
Step 3: Click on Play Sound
Click on Play Sound and hold the button on the back of the Apple earbuds until they emit a single chime. A pop-up window will appear with a Play sound option that has been clicked. Make sure it is not set for all sounds, just for this application.
Fiddle with the volume slider at the bottom left of the screen to find a comfortable level for your ears and then click OK. That’s it! You have now connected your AirPods to your Mac or PC computer!
Step 4: Open Bluetooth settings
Open the Bluetooth settings by clicking on the start button or by pressing Ctrl+Shift+B together on Windows computers, CMD+SHIFT+B together on Mac computers.
You should see your AirPods listed as a device with connection status Not Connected or Disconnected. If it’s set to Disconnected then click on the small arrow next to the words and select Reconnect Device.
Step 5: Switch on Bluetooth
To start, make sure you have Bluetooth enabled on your Mac. Then, go ahead and click the volume button on the left side of the AirPods case and wait for it to turn white. Once that happens, click Connect under the menu bar at the top of your screen in System Preferences. And finally, select AirPods from the list that pops up. If you’re not able to see AirPods as an option, it’s possible that there is another device already connected or connected but inactive. You can always disconnect devices by clicking the small x next to their name.
As soon as you see Connected appear next to your AirPods’ name, press Play on your iPhone or double-click one of the buttons on either bud until they both play music!
Step 6: Look for your missing AirPods in the list of nearby devices
If you still can’t find your AirPods in the list of nearby devices, try the Find My Device page or check the Find My iPhone app. You can also sign out of iCloud and iTunes on your Mac or PC and then sign back in, or uninstall and reinstall iTunes. Still no luck? Your last resort is to restore your device as a new one using the option in Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
Step 7: Follow the instructions when prompted
Launch Airfoil by double-clicking the icon, and it will immediately prompt you for input. Select the appropriate input device from the dropdown menu on the left side of the dialog box that pops up and make sure Bluetooth is selected in case you have multiple available inputs. Once you’ve made these selections, click Connect, wait for your laptop or desktop’s input signal to show up on the right side of the window, and then click Play.
Conclusion
Overall, it is an easy process and takes less than five minutes. You will have no problem connecting your AirPods to your computer in order to charge or for any other purposes. After you have successfully connected your AirPods to the computer, they should be recognized and work just as they would on any other device.
