AirPods Not Connecting To Mac? Here’s The Real Fix.

If your Mac or AirPods have updated, it may affect the way they connect to other devices. By forgetting AirPods as a device on your Mac altogether, you can start over like new. This gives your AirPods an opportunity to make a new, clean connection to your Mac.

1. Click the Apple logo in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
2. Open System Preferences on your Mac.
3. Click Bluetooth.
4. Click once on your AirPods under Devices in the Bluetooth menu.
5. Click the circular “x” button that appears when you scroll over your AirPods.
6. Click Remove when the confirmation alert appears on the screen.
7. Wait a few minutes, then try to reconnect your AirPods to your Mac.

Restarting your Mac gives it a chance to have a fresh start, which can sometimes resolve minor technical issues or software glitches.

1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper left-hand corner of your Mac’s screen.
2. Click Restart in the drop-down menu.
3. Click Restart when the confirmation alert appears in the center of your Mac’s display.
4. Your Mac will restart itself. This process can take a few minutes so be patient!

Fortunately, when your AirPods are not connecting to your Mac automatically, you can still pair them manually via Bluetooth.

1. Make sure you’ve turned on Bluetooth on your Mac.
2. Open your AirPods charging case.
3. Open System Preferences.
4. Click Bluetooth.
5. Under your list of devices, double-click on your AirPods.

Sometimes, your Mac may be connected to a different output device, which may make it appear that your AirPods are not connecting to your Mac. The fix may be as simple as clicking on your AirPods under the list of your Mac’s output devices.

1. Make sure your AirPods are in range of your Mac and that the charging case is open. If you have AirPods Max, make sure they are outside the Smart Case.
2. Make sure you’ve turned on Bluetooth on your Mac.
3. Click the Apple logo in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
4. Open System Preferences.
5. Click Sound.
6. Click on the Output tab.
7. Select your AirPods.

If your iPhone isn’t logged into your iCloud account, you’ll have to put your AirPods into Bluetooth pairing mode.

1. Put your AirPods into the Charging Case.
2. Keep the lid of your Charging Case open.
3. Press and hold the setup button on the back of the Charging Case.
4. When the status light begins to flash white, your AirPods are in Bluetooth pairing mode.

Charging your AirPods ensures that they will have enough battery life to function properly. AirPods are charged using the Charging Case.

1. Put your AirPods in the Charging Case.
2. When your AirPods are in the Charging Case, the Status light will indicate the amount of charge your AirPods have.
3. The Status light will turn green when your AirPods are fully charged.

It may be a mouthful, but the Charging Case needs to be charged in order to charge your AirPods.

1. Plug a Lightning cable into the Lightning connector on your Charging Case.
2. Plug the other end of the Lightning cable into a USB port or wall charger.
3. It may take a few hours to fully charge your Charging Case.

At this point, Apple is the only place in town that can repair AirPods. So, if your AirPods are broken, you have only one question to ask yourself: Do I visit the Genius Bar at an Apple Store to repair my AirPods or do I use Apple’s mail-in repair service?

How To Repair Your AirPods At The Genius Bar In An Apple Store

1. Visit Apple’s website to make an appointment at the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store.
2. Make sure to check in at the Genius Bar when you arrive.

How To Repair Your AirPods Using Apple’s Mail-In Repair Service

1. Visit Apple’s online support website to set up a mail-in repair or get phone support.

It may seem simple, but resetting your AirPods may fix minor software bugs such as connectivity issues or a quickly draining battery. Like resetting an iPhone, resetting your AirPods gives them a “fresh start.”

1. Press and hold the setup button on the back of your Charging Case.
2. Release the setup button when status light flashes amber a few times, then flashes white.
3. Your AirPods have been reset.
4. Connect your AirPods to your device, just like you did when you set them up the first time.

Bluetooth is the technology that allows your Mac to wirelessly connect to other devices like headphones and keyboards. Bluetooth needs to be turned on before you can connect your Mac to Bluetooth devices.

1. Click the Apple logo in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
2. Click System Preferences.
3. Click Bluetooth.
4. Click Turn On Bluetooth.
5. When Bluetooth is on, your Mac will say Bluetooth: On.