How to Connect Airpods to iPhone

If you are setting up your AirPods for the first time or you want to connect them to another iPhone, the process is simple. But, like with any Bluetooth device, you might have trouble connecting your AirPods to an iPhone. Here's how to connect your AirPods to your iPhone and what to do if they won't work. 

How to connect your AirPods to an iPhone

Make sure your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS and that your AirPods are charged before you start. But they don't have to be fully charged to connect to an iPhone.

Your Bluetooth is probably already on, but you might want to check again. To do this, open the Settings app, tap Bluetooth, and make sure the slider is turned on by swiping the button to the right.

1. Go to the Home screen of your iPhone and make sure the screen is on before you move on to the next step.

2. Do one of the following, depending on which model of AirPods you have:

AirPods (2nd or 3rd generation) or AirPods Pro:

Open the charging case and hold it close to the iPhone while the AirPods are in it. If the pairing instructions don't show up, press and hold the button on the case's back for a few seconds.

AirPods Max:

Take the AirPods Max out of their case and put them close to the iPhone. If you don't see the pairing instructions, hold the headphones close to the iPhone and press the Noise Control button on the right earcup.

3. if these AirPods have already been connected to another iPhone, you will see Not Your AirPods message. To continue, tap Connect.

4. Do what it says on the screen. When you're done, tap the "Done" button.

5. Your AirPods will be automatically added to your iCloud profile on all your other Apple devices with the same Apple ID, like your iPad and MacBook. You won't have to pair the AirPods again.

If you're signed in to iCloud, your AirPods are automatically set up with any of your supported devices that are also signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID.

How to fix AirPods won't connect 

Fix #1: Turn Bluetooth on and off

The easiest thing to do is sometimes to turn Bluetooth off, wait a few seconds, and then turn it back on. This will often reset your iPhone's Bluetooth settings, letting you connect your AirPods.

Go to Settings > Bluetooth and tap the slider next to Bluetooth to turn off Bluetooth. When the slider is in the green position, Bluetooth is on. You can also quickly turn Bluetooth on or off by tapping the Bluetooth icon in the Control Center of your iPhone.

Fix #2: Turn off the Low Power mode

When the AirPods are in Low Power mode, some users say they have trouble connecting to them. This setting is meant to keep your iPhone running longer when the battery is low, but some features might not work until this setting is turned off or the iPhone is charged to more than 80 percent.

Go to Settings > Battery and tap the slider next to Low Power Mode to turn off Low Power mode on your iPhone. When the slider is gray, it means it is turned off. You can also tap the yellow battery icon in the Control Center of your iPhone to turn it off.

Fix #3: Switch the audio output on your iPhone to your AirPods

If your AirPods are connected to an iPhone but you can't hear anything, it's possible that your music is coming from another Bluetooth device. Just switch the audio output on your iPhone, and you should be able to hear music from your AirPods.

Open the Control Center on your iPhone and tap the AirPlay button to change how the sound comes out. This is the triangle-shaped button in the upper right corner of your screen that has circles coming out of the top. Last, choose your AirPods from the list to change how the sound comes out.

Fix #4: Disconnect other Bluetooth devices from your iPhone

If you have more than one Bluetooth headphone, speaker, or other audio devices, your iPhone may want to connect to them before it connects to your AirPods. You might have to turn off other devices before you can connect your AirPods to your iPhone.

Go to Settings > Bluetooth and tap the I to the right of the name of the Bluetooth device you want to remove from your iPhone. Then choose Unplug or Forget This Device. If you choose to forget the device, the next time you want to connect it, you will have to set it up from scratch.

Fix #5: Reset your AirPods

If nothing else works, you might try putting your AirPods back to their original settings. This will also remove your AirPods from all the other devices on your iCloud account. If you lose them, you won't be able to use Find My to find them.

Go to Settings > Bluetooth and tap the I to the right of your AirPods' name. This will reset them. Scroll down and tap "Forget this Device." Then, tap Forget Device and select Forget this device in the window that appears.

RELATED: How to reset Airpods

Fix #6: Update your iPhone

Apple says that if you want to connect AirPods to an iPhone, you should use the most up-to-date software. The AirPods Pro only work with iPhones that have iOS 13.2 or later. iOS 12.2 and later can be used with AirPods 2. iOS 10 and later can be used with AirPods 1.

Go to Settings > General > Software Update to update your iPhone. Here, you can see what version of iOS you are using. Tap Download and Install if there is an update you can get. And charge your iPhone while the update is happening.