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Are you having trouble connecting AirPods to your Mac? If so, you’re not alone. Shortly following the launch of the wireless headphones last year, users began reporting issues with pairing AirPods to their Macs. Some users found they were unable to connect AirPods to a Mac at all, while others could pair the devices once but experienced difficulties reconnecting them the next time they used their Mac. Regardless of your specific experience, this article will explain why it’s been challenging for some Mac users to connect their AirPods and offer five easy steps that may help fix your connection issues moving forward. Read on for more information and tips on how to troubleshoot and resolve any issues you encounter when attempting to pair your AirPods with a Mac computer.
Double check your Mac’s Bluetooth settings.
First, make sure that your Mac is set to allow Bluetooth connections. If Bluetooth isn’t enabled on your Mac, you won’t be able to connect any Bluetooth devices to your computer. To view your Mac’s current Bluetooth settings, click the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of your screen and select System Preferences. Under Hardware, select Bluetooth. If Bluetooth is off, click the Turn Bluetooth On button and select Turn On Bluetooth While Using This Mac. If Bluetooth is on but you’re still unable to connect your AirPods, you may need to update your computer’s Bluetooth drivers. Updating your Mac’s drivers ensures that your computer recognizes any devices you attempt to connect to it and is able to communicate with those devices as quickly and efficiently as possible. Select Update Bluetooth Drivers and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update. If updating your Bluetooth drivers doesn’t resolve your connection issues, proceed to the next section for additional troubleshooting steps.
Disable iCloud Services
Some AirPod users have reported success by turning off iCloud services and then reconnecting their AirPods to their Macs. To temporarily turn off iCloud services, open the iCloud settings pane in System Preferences and click Turn Off iCloud While Using This Mac. While iCloud is turned off, you won’t be able to access your calendar or use Siri. You also won’t be able to access any iCloud-based apps, such as Mail, Notes, and Photos. You’ll also be unable to back up your Mac while iCloud is disabled. However, after you’ve successfully connected your AirPods to your Mac, you can re-enable iCloud by opening System Preferences and clicking Turn On iCloud.
Reset Your Mac’s Network Settings
If updating your Mac’s Bluetooth drivers and disabling iCloud services doesn’t resolve your connection issues, resetting your network settings may be the next step in resolving your connection issues. To reset your network settings, open the Network pane in System Preferences and click the Reset Network Settings button. Click Reset Network Settings to proceed with the reset. The reset process will take a few minutes. When your network settings are reset, your Mac will forget all saved Wi-Fi passwords and will reset all network configuration settings to their original factory settings. You will need to reenter any saved Wi-Fi passwords and reconfigure all network settings after the reset is complete. When you’ve completed the reset, attempt to pair your AirPods with your Mac. If the reset doesn’t resolve your connection issues, proceed to the next section for additional troubleshooting steps.
Try a Different Pair of Headphones
If the above troubleshooting steps don’t resolve your connection issues, you may want to try connecting a different pair of headphones to your Mac. If you successfully connect a different pair of headphones to your Mac, you’ll know that the issue is with your AirPods, not your Mac. If you don’t have another pair of headphones, you can try connecting them to your Mac. You can also connect your Mac to your computer’s built-in speakers. This will allow you to test your Mac’s speakers and confirm that they aren’t experiencing issues that would prevent you from connecting your AirPods to your Mac. Once you’ve confirmed that your Mac’s speakers and headphone ports are working, you can try connecting your AirPods again. If connecting a different pair of headphones or connecting your Mac to your computer’s built-in speakers doesn’t resolve your connection issues, proceed to the next section for additional troubleshooting steps.
Reinstall the AirPods’ software.
If you’ve attempted all of the above troubleshooting steps and are still unable to connect your AirPods to your Mac, you can try reinstalling the wireless headphones’ software. To reinstall the AirPods’ software, open the AirPods case and remove one of the headphones. Next, hold down the AirPods button for 10 seconds. Once you’ve completed the steps above, wait five minutes, and then close your case and put the AirPods back in. You’ll immediately see a pop-up message that includes a link to download and install the latest version of the AirPods’ software. To verify that your AirPods are successfully connected to your Mac, open the Bluetooth pane in System Preferences and select your AirPods from the list of connected devices below the Bluetooth section.
Conclusion
If you’ve followed the seven steps outlined above and are still unable to connect your AirPods to your Mac, you may need to contact Apple Support for further assistance. Depending on your specific issue, Apple Support may be able to resolve your issues over the phone or provide you with a case number that will allow you to access online support resources. If you’ve tried all of the above steps and are still experiencing issues connecting your AirPods to your Mac, you may need to wait for a software update or patch that will resolve your connection issues. When Apple releases an update or patch, it will likely include a fix for any issues that have prevented users from connecting their AirPods to their Macs. Although AirPods are a fantastic product, they aren’t perfect. As with any new device, there will likely be a handful of issues that arise once the devices are in the hands of real users. In this article, we explored seven easy steps that may help resolve any issues you encounter when attempting to connect your AirPods to your Mac computer.