Connecting Bluetooth Wireless Headphones with iOS and Android

Technology does not stand still. There are more and more useful and portable gadgets designed to make a person’s life easier. The same applies to devices for listening to various audio files – headphones. If you used to have to regularly untangle the wires to finally connect them to your phone or computer, now you can easily connect devices via Bluetooth. This procedure is simple and quite intuitive, but beginners may still have questions. In this guide, we’ll show you how to connect wireless headphones to your iOS or Android smartphone.

Connecting a headset to an Android smartphone

Regardless of the model of your wireless headset, the connection procedure is standard. First take the device out of the box and see if there is a charging indicator. Sometimes this is a flashing light or other light indicator, although there are usually no special indications.

You can check the battery in another way. If the model only charges, connect the gadget to the charging pad and follow the light signals. In this case, something must definitely be flashing on the device. This is done for the convenience of users and ensures that you are not charging the gadget for too long. As a rule, the instructions or on the box indicate exactly how the indicator should flash. For example, a high intensity indicates a low battery charge and an even glow indicates a 100% battery.

Without enough charge, the first connection can fail, so this is where you should start.

After all the preparations, turn on Bluetooth on your phone. This function is usually located in the settings or in the main pop-up menu. Now you can activate the headset. Absolutely on all models there is a corresponding power button. Sometimes it needs to be held down to make the device available for pairing.

Open the menu on your phone with all devices that are suitable for Bluetooth connection and select the headphones there. It is important that the gadget is sometimes called differently than it is written on the box. You may see a combination of numbers and letters or otherwise. Often the name is spelled out in the instructions, so if you don’t see what you expect in the available devices, don’t panic. If the manual is not to hand, turn off the headphones and check which name is missing.

Also, new devices do not always appear on the phone automatically. Refresh the list by selecting “Search for devices”.

Click on the name of the headset and the gadgets will connect. Additional permission may be required. Immediately after pairing, “Connected” will appear next to the device name. You will also likely see the battery level in the pop-up menu.

If the device has a case, do not rush to take out the headphones. Often the connection process goes through the “case”, and without it, Bluetooth simply does not see the new device.

How to connect headphones to iPhone

The process of connecting “ears” with Apple gadgets is not much different from the Android version. First make sure your device is charged and then turn on your headphones and Bluetooth in your phone’s settings.

Select new hardware from the list and allow the connection. Sometimes on the “iPhone”, you need to check the box separately for new connections. You can do this in the same Bluetooth submenu where available devices are listed.

If you decide to use AirPods – Apple’s recommended headphones, there are a number of features to consider. Update your phone to the latest firmware first. For example, the Pro version of the gadget only works with iOS above version 13.2, the second generation only connects to a device with iOS 12.2 and above. Second, each earbud and case has its own charge, which must be taken into account when using it. For example, if one of the headphones is empty, it can be charged via a case without a socket.

When connecting, open the housing, but do not remove the devices. Press and hold the small button on the case so that the gadget switches to the new connection mode. If Siri is not set up, you will be prompted to do so after connecting.

Connecting AirPods to an Android smartphone

Connecting to a non-native device is no different from a normal device, but without an iPhone, some features remain inaccessible. In particular, you cannot use:

• Siri
• interruption of the audio recording after removing the earmold from the ear;
• charging control and energy management of the smartphone.

For convenience, you can download some additional programs. AirBattery or Assistant Trigger help you detect if you’ve put your headphones in your ear to automatically stream audio. You can also see the remaining charge of the devices.

What to do if the headphones do not connect?

There are no specific recommendations here. If you’ve done everything right, but the connection doesn’t work, try repeating the procedure. Turn your headphones off and on and put them back into pairing mode. Do the same with Bluetooth on your phone.

Also put the headphones in the case, if you have them, and keep the gadget as close to the smartphone as possible.

Check the firmware again – sometimes the reason is in it.

If the headphones were connected before but suddenly stopped, check if they are already paired with another device. If none of this helps, select your headphones from the Bluetooth submenu and click “Forgot device”. This will reload all saved settings and resolve the issue.

To check if there is a real problem, you can try connecting another device to your smartphone or connect headphones to another phone. The reason for the malfunction may be interference from other gadgets, especially if there are other Bluetooth connections nearby.

Restart your headphones. Usually, every single device has at least one mechanical or touch button that is responsible for switching music in a playlist or answering a call. Try clamping them on two sets of headphones to reboot the devices.

What to do if only one earbud is connected?

Many of the tips from the previous section also apply in this case. The only thing that can be advised as an additional solution is to check the sound distribution. Select connected headphones to see their settings. Some models have a slider that controls the volume to the right or left. By default it should be in the middle.

If everything is fine but the problem persists, restart the device or look for a physical defect.

What to do if the sound is gone after updating the phone?

First, open the paired device’s settings and verify that the headphones work for both calls and music. Sometimes new firmware resets the user settings.

You can also “roll back” the phone to factory settings. As a rule, this helps with most software errors that occur after updates.

Don’t forget to reboot and reconnect your headphones and phone.

Keep in mind that the problem could be physical. For example, penetrating water or a hard blow. Think about what has happened to headphones lately. It may be worth contacting a service center.