How to Connect Bluetooth Headphones to Any Device in 2026

Written by Evan Grant in Guides

Pairing Bluetooth headphones is the same basic routine on almost every device: put the headphones in pairing mode, open the device’s Bluetooth menu, and select the headphones from the list. The menus just look a little different from one device to the next. This guide walks you through the general steps for computers, phones, consoles, TVs, and VR headsets, and links to our detailed step-by-step guides for each one.

Before You Start

Three things to get right before you pair:

  • Put your headphones in pairing mode. Most headphones enter pairing mode when you press and hold the power or Bluetooth button for a few seconds, often with a flashing LED or a voice prompt. If your headphones turn on but do not appear in the device list, they are probably not in pairing mode yet — check the manual for the exact button.
  • Turn the device’s Bluetooth on. Open your device’s settings and make sure Bluetooth is switched on. If Bluetooth is off, nothing will appear in the list of available devices.
  • Forget and re-pair if it was paired before. Headphones that were previously paired with another device (your phone, for example) may reconnect to that device automatically instead of pairing with the new one. Go into the old device’s Bluetooth settings, select the headphones, and choose “Forget” or “Unpair.” Then put the headphones back in pairing mode and try again.

Connect by Device

Laptop (Windows)

On a Windows laptop, open Settings and go to Bluetooth & devices (or Devices > Bluetooth & other devices on Windows 10), then choose “Add device” or “Add Bluetooth or other device.” Pick Bluetooth from the list, then select your headphones when they appear.

For the full walkthrough: how to connect Bluetooth headphones to a laptop.

 

Windows 10 PC

Click Start and open Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices. Make sure Bluetooth is on, click “Add Bluetooth or other device,” choose Bluetooth, then pick your headphones from the list of available devices and follow any on-screen prompts.

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For the full walkthrough: how to connect Bluetooth headphones to Windows 10.

Mac

Click the Apple menu and open System Settings (System Preferences on older macOS versions), then open Bluetooth and make sure it is turned on. Put your headphones in pairing mode, wait for them to appear in the devices list, and click Connect next to their name.

For the full walkthrough: how to connect Bluetooth headphones to a Mac.

MacBook Pro

Connecting to a MacBook Pro works the same way as any Mac: turn Bluetooth on in System Settings (or System Preferences), put your headphones in pairing mode, select them from the Bluetooth device list, and click Connect.

For the full walkthrough: how to connect headphones to a MacBook Pro.

PS4

On the PS4 home screen, go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth Devices. Put your headphones in pairing mode, wait for their name to appear in the list, and select them (enter the passcode, often 0000, if asked). Note that the PS4 only works with certain Bluetooth devices, so some headphones need a USB Bluetooth adapter to connect.

For the full walkthrough: how to connect Bluetooth headphones to a PS4.

PS5

The PS5 does not pair with Bluetooth headphones directly. The usual workaround is a USB Bluetooth audio adapter: plug it into one of the PS5’s USB ports, put the adapter and your headphones in pairing mode, and let them connect to each other. Then set the PS5’s audio output to the adapter under Settings > Sound if needed.

For the full walkthrough: how to connect Bluetooth headphones to a PS5.

Xbox One

Xbox consoles do not support Bluetooth audio directly. The common workaround is a Bluetooth transmitter plugged into the controller’s 3.5mm headset jack: plug it in, put the transmitter in pairing mode, put your headphones in pairing mode, and pair the two together. Alternatively, pair your headphones with your phone or tablet and use the Xbox app’s remote play feature for game audio.

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For the full walkthrough: how to pair Bluetooth headphones to Xbox One.

Xbox Series X

Like the Xbox One, the Series X has no built-in Bluetooth audio. Use a Bluetooth transmitter in the controller’s 3.5mm jack — pair the transmitter to your headphones — or route game audio through the Xbox app on a phone or tablet that your headphones are paired with.

For the full walkthrough: how to connect Bluetooth headphones to Xbox Series X.

Roku TV

The easiest route on most Roku devices is the Roku mobile app’s Private Listening feature. Install the Roku app on your phone, connect the app to your Roku, pair your Bluetooth headphones with your phone, and tap the headphones icon in the app to route the TV audio to them. Some Roku TVs and Roku audio products also pair with Bluetooth devices directly through their settings.

For the full walkthrough: how to connect Bluetooth headphones to a Roku TV.

Oculus Quest 2

Open Settings on the headset, go to Devices (or Bluetooth, depending on the software version), and select Pair next to Bluetooth Pairing. Put your headphones in pairing mode and select them from the list of available devices.

For the full walkthrough: how to connect Bluetooth headphones to Oculus Quest 2.

Samsung TV

On Samsung TVs with Bluetooth built in, open Settings > Sound > Sound Output > Bluetooth Speaker List. Put your headphones in pairing mode, then select them from the list and confirm the pairing.

For the full walkthrough: how to connect headphones to a Samsung TV.

TV (Wired Option)

If your TV has a 3.5mm headphone jack — or your soundbar, AV receiver, or cable box does — you can simply plug wired headphones straight in. A wired connection avoids Bluetooth pairing entirely and has no wireless latency.

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For the full walkthrough: how to connect wired headphones to a TV.

Connect by Brand

Different brands use different buttons to enter pairing mode. Our brand-specific guides cover the exact steps:

Troubleshooting

Sound Delay or Lip-Sync Issues

Bluetooth audio always has some latency because the sound is encoded on the source device and decoded inside the headphones. That is why dialogue can look out of sync with the picture. Radio-frequency (RF) wireless headphones — which connect through their own base station rather than Bluetooth — tend to have noticeably lower latency, so they are often a better fit for TV and gaming where timing matters.

See our full guide: how to fix sound delay in Bluetooth headphones.

Connected but No Sound

If your headphones show as connected but you hear nothing, the usual fixes are: check the volume and mute, make sure the headphones are selected as the audio output device, disconnect them from other devices, and forget and re-pair. Here are the steps in detail: AirPods connected but no sound.

Only One Side Works

Sound from only one earbud is often a pairing problem between the two buds themselves. Place both buds back in the charging case, take them out again, and re-pair; if that fails, reset the earbuds and pair from scratch. Full steps here: how to fix Bluetooth headphones when only one side works.

Evan Grant

A Musician, headphones lover, boyfriend and also the lead Editor of ElectricFieldsFestival, Evan Grant is the guy who runs this site. He's a great Roger Federer fan and is always up for a game of Tennis.

 

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