How to Pair Headphones to Macbook (Easy Guide!)

How to Pair Headphones to Macbook? The MacBook Pro comes standard with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connections. Because most people listen to music on their MacBook, this article will show you how to connect Bluetooth headphones to your MacBook Pro.

How to Pair Headphones to Macbook
How to Pair Headphones to Macbook

When it comes to enjoying quality ambiance, a successful connection means that nothing can stop you. Problems encountered when connecting your Bluetooth headphones will also be addressed, with a few pointers on how to solve them.

Setting up Bluetooth devices on a MacBook

There are numerous factors to consider before connecting any Bluetooth device. The intended device's signal strength should be sufficient to reach your MacBook Pro. This strength varies depending on the device, with some Bluetooth headphones reaching a radius of about 10 meters.

Smaller devices, such as the Apple magic mouse, may not work over distances greater than 5 – 6 meters. This is due to the fact that the transmitters and receivers on these devices differ.

 

Check to see if your MacBook Pro has Bluetooth technology. In most cases, modern computers include Bluetooth hardware. If the hardware component is intact but Bluetooth is still not active, you should look online for missing Bluetooth drivers. If it still does not work, make an appointment with your Apple specialist.

Apple's Bluetooth wireless connection has made it incredibly simple to connect Apple gadgets to your MacBook, including the Magic Mouse, wireless keyboard, and Bluetooth or wireless Mac headphones. Because focusing on each Bluetooth device would be too time-consuming, we will concentrate on Bluetooth headphones.

Using Bluetooth Headphones with a MacBook Pro

Follow the steps below to connect your Bluetooth headphones to your MacBook Pro.

1. Preferences for the launch system

2. Continue by selecting Bluetooth.

3. To add a new device, click the plus sign.

4. Check that your Bluetooth headphones are turned on and in pairing mode.

5. If Bluetooth is enabled, your Bluetooth headphones should be visible in the Bluetooth setup assistant.

6. After successfully checking for discoverability, choose your displayed Bluetooth Headphones.

7. If prompted, enter the passkey, which is usually a four-digit sequence (0000)

To complete the process, click Continue. Depending on the newly paired device's stereo capabilities, a dialogue box may appear for further input. The headset and headphone options are displayed on some Bluetooth headphones.

Alternative Video: How To Connect Bluetooth Headphones To a Macbook

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You will now be returned to the Bluetooth devices window. The newly paired Bluetooth headphone should appear in the left pane, along with its status. It should be noted, however, that the state would read ‘disconnected,' which is entirely natural. Follow the general procedures outlined below to set your Bluetooth headphones as the default audio device for your MacBook Pro.

  • Navigate to and start the system preferences.
  • Choose the Sounds icon.
  • Select your newly paired Bluetooth headset by clicking on the output.
  • Then, select the headset by clicking on input.
  • You will eventually have to sample a track from your computer to see if the pairing was successful.
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If it was not successful, don't worry; here are a few issues and solutions that users around the world have encountered.

  • Some users have reported that their Apple Magic mouse does not scroll.
  • Wireless keyboards have also been reported to malfunction when connected via Bluetooth.
  • Bluetooth headphones produced no sound despite successful pairing. In this case, the device may not have been properly paired, or your MacBook may have slid into ‘power conservation mode,' though in most cases, the Bluetooth headphones are left to boom out their audio.
  • The cursor on your wireless mouse will occasionally flicker on the screen. In most cases, this is caused by too many radio waves interfering with Bluetooth frequencies. Bluetooth uses the 2.4GHz ISM band, which is also used by baby monitors, microwave ovens, telephones, and other household devices.
How to Connect Bluetooth Headphones to Your Macbook Pro or iMac
How to Pair Headphones to Macbook

Some devices retained their ‘connected' status in the OS X menu bar under the Bluetooth icon. Here are some ideas to help you counter this attempt:

  • Delete the file labelled com.apple.Bluetooth.plist. This file is typically found in HD/Library/Preferences.
  • Try turning off Bluetooth on your MacBook Pro. This is accomplished by selecting the ‘turn Bluetooth off' button from the menu bar after clicking on the Bluetooth icon.
  • Remove the plugs from any USB-connected devices, such as Wacom tablets, mice, and keyboards.
  • Shut down your computer completely.
  • Turn off any Bluetooth devices that aren't working properly.
  • Start up your MacBook Pro.
  • Reactivate your Bluetooth wireless connection.
  • Restart the pairing process for the device. To accomplish this, return to the previous procedure.

If you follow all of the steps exactly, your device should start working right away.

How to Troubleshoot Bluetooth Headphones

Going through the setup steps may result in your headphones not connecting or connecting and then abruptly disconnecting. This is extremely inconvenient, but it is easily resolved by either resetting the headphones or purging preference settings on your Mac. Here's how to resolve all known problems:

Start your Bluetooth headphones again.

If you are unable to connect your Bluetooth headphones not only to your Mac but also to any other device you own (iPhone or car audio), a simple reset should resolve the issue.

Check your device's manual for reset instructions. Here's how to reactivate your AirPods:

Place the earphones in the case while keeping the lid open.

Hold down the setup button until the light changes from amber to white (around 10 seconds)

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All of your earphones' settings should have been reset, and you should be able to connect them again using the standard procedure outlined above. If the problem persists, it could be related to your Mac's preferences.

Reset Mac sound preferences

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How to Pair Headphones to Macbook

To begin, ensure that your Mac is running macOS Sierra or later (macOS High Sierra or Mojave). If not, go to System Preferences > Software Update or use the App Store to upgrade if you're upgrading from a previous version.

If nothing else has worked, try resetting your Mac's sound preferences. To accomplish this:

Select Go > Go to Folder… from the menu bar and enter /Library/Preferences.

Find and delete the following preference files from the long list: com.apple.preferences.plist and com.apple.soundpref.plist.

By removing preferences from the library, your Mac is forced to recreate them from scratch, avoiding any bugs or incorrect algorithms that could have interfered with your Bluetooth headphones setup. If that doesn't work, you can try restarting the audio process:

  • Open Activity Monitor by selecting it from the Applications folder.
  • Find the process called coreaudiod in the CPU tab.
  • Close Activity Monitor and exit the process.

There is no audio from a paired and connected Bluetooth headset.

When you connect Bluetooth headphones to your Mac, you may occasionally hear no sound. You have a few options for dealing with this.

Check that your Mac's audio output is set to headphones:

  • Go to System Preferences > Sound.
  • Locate your headphones in the Output tab and double-click to activate them.

If that didn't work:

  • Reset your headphones as directed above.
  • Go to System Preferences > Bluetooth.
  • Right-click your headphones, select Remove, and confirm.

You must reconnect your Bluetooth headphones to your Mac once more, and the problem should be resolved.

Can't connect two Bluetooth headphones that Mac recognizes

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How to Pair Headphones to Macbook (Easy Guide!) 5

The beauty of Mac's Bluetooth menu is that it allows you to add any number of Bluetooth-enabled devices, from keyboards to headphones. However, it is possible that it will malfunction and prevent you from adding two wireless headphones at the same time.

To resolve this issue, simply follow the steps outlined in the preceding section:

  • Reset each pair of headphones
  • Remove them from the Bluetooth menu on Mac.
  • Reconnect your headphones.
  • If you want to use multiple audio outputs, such as headphones, at the same time, some magic tricks are required.

How to use multiple audio outputs at the same time

Most Mac users believe that their audio output can only be played through one device at a time, whether it's internal speakers, Bluetooth headphones, or another amplifier. However, using a handy built-in utility called Audio MIDI Setup, it is possible to play audio on multiple devices at the same time. What you must do is as follows:

  • Launch Audio MIDI Setup from the Applications menu.
  • Select Create Multi-Output Device from the drop-down menu at the bottom left.
  • Check all the Bluetooth devices you need to play at the same time in the new option that appears.
  • Select the Multi-Output Device in the Output tab from the Sound menu in System Preferences. All sounds will now be played simultaneously by both devices.
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Conclusion on How to Pair Headphones to Macbook

Some users have reported Bluetooth issues after upgrading their operating systems. For instance, upgrading to Leopard from a previous version of OS x. To restore full stereo functionality, delete the device from the Bluetooth device window of the system preferences.

To achieve this, navigate to the headset in the existing device list and then click on the ‘minus’ sign to remove it from the list completely. Follow the instructions for configuring a new gadget on your MacBook Pro.

Connect your Bluetooth headphones to your MacBook right away to immerse yourself in amazing ambiance. The beauty of Apple Bluetooth technology is that it allows you to connect multiple devices to a single computer. According to Apple's official communication, this integration is limited to a maximum of seven devices.

In most cases, people connect three to four devices at a time. What else do you need besides your mouse, keyboard, and Bluetooth headphones? However, this will be heavily reliant on Bluetooth traffic from paired devices. The more Bluetooth traffic there is, the fewer gadgets will ‘fit' with your MacBook.

FAQs About Pairing Headphones to Macbook

Why aren't my Bluetooth headphones working with my Mac?

Select Apple > System Preferences, then Bluetooth. Check to see if your headset is among the devices listed. If your headset isn't listed, reconnect with it again. For information on connecting your headset to your Mac, consult the documentation that came with it.

How do I pair my headset with my MacBook Pro?

To connect a 3.5 mm headset to your Apple MacBook or MacBook Pro, find the “Audio line out” minijack on the side of your computer and plug the headset's connector into it. Your Mac will detect the headset and make it available to applications automatically.

Why aren't Bluetooth detecting devices?

Go to Settings > System > Advanced > Reset Options > Reset Wi-Fi, Mobile, and Bluetooth on Android phones. To unpair all of your iOS and iPadOS devices, go to Settings > Bluetooth, select the info icon, and select Forget This Device for each device, then restart your phone or tablet.

Trina Oralde

I'm a tech writer and contributor who covers the latest in gadgets and technology. I keep my finger on the pulse of the tech world, so you don't have to. Stay up-to-date on the latest with me!

 

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