How to connect AirPods to PC: Windows 10, Windows 11

Apple AirPods are one of the most popular choices for wireless earbuds and a main reason for this is their ease of use, seamless connectivity with the Apple ecosystem and impressive sound quality. Whilst AirPods were designed for Apple devices, they are also compatible with Windows and Android. In this article we will provide a step-by-step guide to help you pair your AirPods with a Windows PC.

Prerequisites

The following guide is compatible with both Windows 10 and Windows 11 PC's, there should be no difference in the method. Before beginning, there are several prerequisites before trying to connect your AirPods to your Windows PC: the computer needs bluetooth connectivity, and the AirPods need to be charged and ready to use.

Step 1: Turn on Bluetooth on your Windows PC

The first step in connecting your AirPods to your Windows 10 PC is to make sure that Bluetooth is turned on. To do this, click on the Start button and select "Settings." In the Settings menu, select "Devices" and then "Bluetooth & other devices." Turn on the Bluetooth toggle to enable Bluetooth on your PC.

Step 2: Put your AirPods in pairing mode

Firstly, in order to connect your AirPods to your Windows PC, you will need to initiate the pairing mode. To do this, take the AirPods out of the AirPods charging case and turn them on. Next, you will need to press and hold the button of the back of the charging case until the LED light begins to flash white.

Step 3: Connect your AirPods to your Windows PC

Now that the pairing mode has been triggered, return to your PC and select "Add Bluetooth or other device" in the Bluetooth menu. In the Add a device window, select "Bluetooth". Your PC should now begin searching for available Bluetooth devices that it can connect to. Your AirPods should now appear in the list of available devices.

Note: The steps are the same if you'd like to connect AirPods Pro to PC.

When they do, select them to connect with them. You may be prompted to enter the AirPod's passcode, by default this is "0000", although you may have changed it. If this is the case, enter the passcode you have assigned. The AirPods should now be connected. As you can see, connecting AirPods to a Windows PC is fairly straightforward, albeit not as simple as connecting AirPods to Apple devices.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any further issues while trying to connect your AirPods to your Windows PC and the above method does not initially work, here are several troubleshooting tips:

Verify that your AirPods are charged and turned on. If in doubt, fully charge them.
Verify that your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC has Bluetooth connectivity, and make sure that has been turned on.
Bring your AirPods and your PC physically closer to each other to increase the Bluetooth connectivity between the two devices.
You can also try restarting both your AirPods and your Windows PC before trying the above method again.

What to do if your AirPods lose connection to PC?

Now that you have connected your AirPods to your PC, they should automatically connect each time that you take them out of the charging case. If this doesn't happen, and you have already paired your AirPods with a PC, don't worry, you can easily reconnect them.

Click on Start button and go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & Other Devices.
Scroll down to the Audio section and find your AirPods there. Click Connect to re-establish the connection. The connection should be redone now and you should hear a sound confirmation in your AirPods.