How to Bluetooth Beats Headphones to Any Device
Five second hold on the power button works everywhere, and iPhones get a one tap route. Here is each method plus the fixes when pairing fails.
Hold the Beats power button for around five seconds until the light flashes, then select them in your device’s Bluetooth list. On an iPhone there is a faster route: hold the powered on Beats near the unlocked phone and tap Connect on the card that slides up. That one tap method only works on Apple hardware, and the button method works everywhere.
Beats are standard Bluetooth headphones, and the assumption that they only work with Apple devices is the main thing that stops people trying.
The universal method
- Start with the Beats switched off.
- Press and hold the power button for around five seconds, until the indicator light flashes.
- Open Bluetooth settings on the device you want to pair.
- Select the Beats entry from the available devices list.
- Wait for it to show as connected rather than only paired.
On Beats earbuds, put both buds in the case, open the lid and hold the system button on the case for around five seconds until the light flashes.
This works with Android phones, Windows laptops, Macs, tablets, televisions and games consoles with Bluetooth.
The Apple one tap method
Beats models containing an Apple chip support the same instant pairing AirPods use.
Unlock the iPhone, hold the powered on Beats within a couple of inches of it, and a card slides up from the bottom of the screen. Tap Connect.
The pairing is then shared with every device signed into the same Apple account, so a Mac and an iPad get it without any further action. That is the real benefit rather than the speed of the initial setup.
If the card does not appear, unlock the phone, check Bluetooth is on, and hold the Beats closer. Turning Bluetooth off and on again usually triggers it.
What Android users get
More than people expect. Beats publishes an Android app handling firmware updates, battery display, control customisation and, on supported models, a one tap pairing experience similar to the Apple one.
Sound quality is unaffected by the platform. Android supports AAC and often additional codecs.
What you do not get is automatic switching between Apple devices, Find My integration and hands free Siri, all of which depend on the Apple chip talking to Apple software.
Connecting to specific devices
Windows. Settings, Bluetooth and devices, Add device, Bluetooth, then select the Beats. Afterward open Sound settings and select them under Output, since Windows pairs the device and then leaves audio playing through the laptop speakers.
Mac. System Settings, Bluetooth, Connect. If already associated with your Apple account they appear in the sound menu without pairing mode at all.
Smart TV. Look for Bluetooth under sound or accessibility settings. Expect 100 to 200 milliseconds of audio delay unless the set offers a lip sync adjustment.
Nintendo Switch. System Settings, Bluetooth Audio, Pair Device, with the Beats in pairing mode.
PlayStation 5. Does not support standard Bluetooth headphones without an adapter, so a USB Bluetooth transmitter at USD 20 to 40 is the workaround.
Two devices at once
Several Beats models support multipoint, holding connections to two devices so audio follows whichever is playing.
Pair the first, put the Beats back into pairing mode and pair the second. Both stay connected.
On Apple hardware signed into the same account, automatic switching handles this differently by moving the connection to whichever device you start using. Convenient, and also why a laptop occasionally goes silent because a phone rang. It can be disabled per device in Bluetooth settings.
When pairing fails
Another device has them. The most common cause by a wide margin. Turn Bluetooth off on everything else nearby.
Not actually in pairing mode. Hold longer and confirm the light is flashing rather than solid.
A stale pairing. Remove the Beats from that device’s Bluetooth list, then pair again from scratch. Clearing one side only leaves the problem.
Flat battery. Charge for 30 minutes before troubleshooting anything else, since a deeply discharged battery will not respond to the button and may show no light for several minutes. Our guide on charging Beats headphones covers it.
Reset them. On most over-ear models, hold the power and volume down buttons together for around ten seconds until the light flashes. On earbuds, hold the case button for around fifteen seconds with the buds inside. Then delete the Beats from every device that has paired with them before pairing again.
Our guide on pairing Beats with any device covers the platform specific detail.
Frequently asked questions
How do I put Beats headphones in pairing mode?
Start with them switched off and hold the power button for around five seconds until the indicator light flashes. On earbuds, place both buds in the case, open the lid and hold the system button on the case for around five seconds. Then select the Beats in your device’s Bluetooth list.
Do Beats work with Android and Windows?
Yes, fully. Beats are standard Bluetooth headphones, and there is also a Beats app on Android for firmware updates and settings. What you give up outside Apple hardware is automatic device switching, Find My integration and hands free Siri, all of which need the Apple chip communicating with Apple software.
Why won’t my Beats connect?
Usually another device has already claimed them, so turn Bluetooth off on every phone and laptop nearby. If that does not work, remove the Beats from the device’s Bluetooth list and pair from scratch. A flat battery is the other common cause, and it needs 30 minutes on charge before it will respond to the button at all.
How do I reset Beats headphones?
On most over-ear models, hold the power and volume down buttons together for around ten seconds until the light flashes. On earbuds, hold the case button for around fifteen seconds with both buds inside. Afterward, remove the Beats from the Bluetooth list on every device that has paired with them, or the reset will appear not to have worked.