Bluetooth earbuds won't connect: fix it in 3 steps

4 min read

Bluetooth earbuds won't connect: fix it in 3 steps

Your earbuds won't connect to your phone, laptop, or tablet. We hear this sometimes. Almost always, we can help you get your earbuds connected to your device again.

In this article

How to reconnect your earbuds

Let's start with what matters most: the solution. You want to get your earbuds connected again right away.

🔊🔇Does 1 earbud turn on while the other doesn't? Follow this step-by-step guide.

Step 1: check the Bluetooth connection

Make sure Bluetooth is on on the device you're trying to connect to.

Turn on Bluetooth on your phone

I know: you've probably checked this already. Still, we need to mention it, because sometimes this really is the problem.

🔌 Also important: make sure the charging case is charged. When earbuds won't connect, or won't disconnect when you put them back in the case, the case battery is often empty.

Step 2: find your earbuds or headphones (on your device)

Can't find your earbuds at all on your phone or laptop? They're probably already connected to another nearby device. That could be your laptop, tablet, or another phone.

First, charge the charging case (the light on the case should be on) and put the earbuds inside. Sure your earbuds are charged? Move on to the solution below.

Solution: Turn off Bluetooth on the device you don't want to use (such as your laptop) and reconnect the earbuds to your phone. Your earbuds are connected, but to the wrong device, such as your laptop or tablet, while you're checking your phone's Bluetooth settings. Remember: earbuds or headphones always connect to the last connected device that has Bluetooth turned on.

Say you used your Bluetooth earbuds or headphones with your laptop yesterday. Today, you want to use your earbuds with your phone. You turn them on, and they connect straight to your laptop. Meanwhile, you're looking at your phone: "Why aren't my earbuds showing up in my Bluetooth settings?" Because they're already connected to your laptop.

Earbuds are already connected to a laptop

To fix this, turn off Bluetooth on your laptop. Your earbuds will go straight back into pairing mode (they'll look for a new connection). And there you go: your wireless earbuds or headphones are now connected to your phone.

Connected, but no sound? See our guide to fixing it.

Can't find your earbuds, even though they aren't connected to another device?

Then there's just 1 solution left: a factory reset.

Solution: a factory reset (restoring the factory settings) can work wonders here. It makes your earbuds forget all connections.

After that, your earbuds will connect to your phone or laptop again.

Step 3: fix a failed connection

Do you see "Can't connect to Bluetooth device" or a similar message? Often, there's only one solution: solution 2 below.

Solution: Reset your earbuds. Your earbuds' connection is probably conflicting with another Bluetooth connection, causing it to fail. Sometimes, the earbuds won't even show up on your phone.

How you perform a factory reset (restoring the factory settings) depends on your earbuds or headphones. Check the user manual.

Earbuds won't connect to each other (won't pair)

We often hear that earbuds won't connect to each other. That's frustrating. But first, we need to work out exactly what's wrong. What are your earbuds or Bluetooth headphones doing that makes you think they aren't connecting to each other?

Do you mean that one earbud has no sound or isn't working? See our guide to that problem.

For example, does your phone show two separate Bluetooth connections for your earbuds, one ending in R and the other in L? Then something is indeed wrong with the connection.

1 earbud shows 2 connections labeled L and R

In that case, reset your earbuds. How you do this depends on the earbuds.

Earbuds won't connect to a laptop

We often hear from people who can't connect their earbuds to a laptop or MacBook. Before you try the solutions below, I'd like you to check one thing:

Are they already connected to your phone? If so, they won't show up in your laptop's Bluetooth settings.

Solution: turn off Bluetooth on your phone (and any other devices your earbuds are connected to). Put your earbuds into pairing mode. Usually, you do this by putting them in the case, closing the lid, waiting, opening the lid, and taking them out > they're now in pairing mode. Then connect them to your laptop.

Didn't work? Try the steps below.

Earbuds won't connect to a laptop

Can't connect your earbuds to your laptop? Open your Bluetooth settings in Windows. Turn on Bluetooth. Find the headset you want to connect and click 'Connect'.

Often, earbuds or Bluetooth headphones don't show up among a laptop's available devices. In that case, you need to force the earbuds into pairing mode. Here's how:

  1. Put the earbuds in the charging case.
  2. Turn off Bluetooth on your phone (otherwise, they'll automatically connect to your phone in the next step).
  3. Open the lid again and connect your earbuds on your laptop (go to Settings > Bluetooth > connect the earbuds).

 

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