How to connect any Bluetooth headphones to your Mac: Quick guide

Connecting any type of Bluetooth device to a Mac is just about one of the easiest tasks to do — headphones included — once you get the hang of it, at least. In a few clicks, you can connect your headphones and immerse yourself in some music or call a friend over FaceTime. There are a handful of ways you can do so, but in my experience, one of the quickest is through the Control Center or the menu bar.

If you’re new to Apple or need a little help learning how to connect Bluetooth headphones to Mac, I’ve got you covered below.

How do you connect Bluetooth headphones to a Mac?

If you’ve just gotten a new pair of headphones like me, the first thing you’ll want to do is make sure they’re charged. Then, follow these steps to pair them with your Mac:

1. Put your headphones in pairing mode. This typically involves holding down the Bluetooth or power button until a light flashes. In case you have AirPods, you need to press and hold the button on your case and wait until the light starts to blink white.
2. Go to the Apple menu >  Choose System Settings.
3. Click Bluetooth
4. Find your headphones in the list of devices. Move the pointer to the device name and click Connect.

Whenever you pair your headphones to your Mac, keep your devices in good range. Some headphones also require you to turn on discoverability, so remember to do that, too.

Connecting Bluetooth headphones using Control Center

If you’re a Control Center user, you can seamlessly use it to access your Bluetooth devices, too. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Control Center icon in your menu bar (the icon with two toggle switches).
2. Click Bluetooth > Turn it on,  and you’ll see the Bluetooth list pop up.
3. Connect to your headphones.

How to connect AirPods to Mac

When you figure out how to connect earbuds to a Mac, you can connect pretty much any type of headphones to your computer, AirPods included. As of February 2025, there are four AirPods generations, as well as the over-the-ear AirPods Max. For all AirPods, the connection process is pretty much the same.

To connect AirPods to Mac:

1. Put AirPods into the case and then open the lid.
2. Next, press and hold the back button of your case till you see the light flashes white.
3. Go to the Apple menu on Mac > Choose System Settings.
4. Click Bluetooth and find your AirPods from the list.

If you have AirPods Max, do the following:

1. Press and hold the noise control button until the status light flashes white. Don’t confuse it with the volume control button.
2. Go to the Apple menu > Choose System Settings.
3. Click Bluetooth and choose your AirPods Max from the list.

Check out the detailed guide if you want to connect AirPods to different devices.

How do you disconnect Bluetooth headphones from your Mac?

Now you know how to pair Bluetooth headphones with a Mac, but how do you disconnect them? If you simply need to disconnect them for now, this is how:

1. Click on the Bluetooth icon in the Control Center.
2. Click on the headphones in the list you want to disconnect.
3. Listen for a disconnection and watch the icon go from blue to grey to signify disconnection.

If you want to permanently forget the device:

1. Go to the Apple menu > System Settings > Bluetooth
2. Click on the information icon next to the headphones.
3. Click Forget This Device.
4. Confirm with Forget Device.

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