How to Connect Bose Headphones to an iPad
Pairing mode, then Settings, Bluetooth, and under a minute. Here is the reconnection problem you will hit afterward, and what iPads do not support.
Put the Bose headphones into pairing mode, then open Settings, Bluetooth on the iPad and tap the Bose entry under Other Devices. On slider models that means holding the switch toward the Bluetooth symbol, and on button models holding the Bluetooth button, until the light blinks blue. The whole thing takes under a minute once the headphones are actually in pairing mode.
The Bose app is not required for pairing. It is worth installing for firmware updates and for managing several saved devices.
The steps
- Turn the headphones on and wait for the startup prompt.
- Enter pairing mode. Slide and hold the power switch toward the Bluetooth symbol, or press and hold the Bluetooth button, until the light blinks blue and a voice says ready to connect.
- On the iPad, open Settings, then Bluetooth, and make sure Bluetooth is on.
- Wait for the Bose entry under Other Devices and tap it.
- Wait for it to move into My Devices showing Connected.
After the first pairing they reconnect automatically whenever both are on and in range.
The problem you will actually hit
Another device claiming them, which is the most common cause of a Bose headphone that refuses to appear on the iPad.
An iPhone, a laptop or a work phone that has paired before will grab the connection the instant the headphones power on, and from the iPad’s point of view they simply never show up.
Turn Bluetooth off on everything else in the building, or disconnect from within the Bose app, which is faster once installed.
If the iPad shows them as connected but audio still plays through the iPad speakers, open Control Center, tap the AirPlay icon in the audio card and select the headphones as the output.
Which Bose app
Newer headphones and smart speakers use Bose Music. Older SoundLink and QuietComfort models use Bose Connect. Having both installed causes confusion about which device appears where, so keep only the one your product needs.
Firmware updates are the reason worth installing either, since connection reliability improves in updates and there is no other route to apply them.
The app also holds the settings that live in the headphones: cancellation level, button shortcuts and equalizer.
Using an iPad and a phone together
Most current Bose models hold two Bluetooth connections at once.
Pair the iPad first, put the headphones back into pairing mode and pair the phone. Both remain connected, and audio follows whichever is playing with calls taking priority.
The usual annoyance is an iPad going silent mid video because a phone notification claimed the connection. Managing the active devices in the Bose app is faster than going through Bluetooth settings each time.
This is not Apple’s automatic switching, which is an Apple silicon feature third party headphones cannot replicate. Bose multipoint holds both connections rather than moving between them, which is arguably more predictable.
Codecs, settled
iPads use AAC and have never supported the aptX family or LDAC, so every Bluetooth headphone connects using AAC or the older SBC.
Apple’s AAC encoder is efficient and well regarded, so this is not a sound quality problem. It does mean any codec support a Bose model lists for Android is inactive here and should not affect what you pay.
Lossless audio is unavailable over Bluetooth on any headphone including Apple’s own, since no current Bluetooth codec carries it. Lossless on an iPad requires a wired connection.
Battery level appears in the iPad’s Batteries widget once connected, without needing the app.
Wired, which most iPads now need an adapter for
Most Bose over-ear models include a 2.5 mm or 3.5 mm socket and ship with a cable, which removes pairing from the equation.
Current iPads have no headphone jack, so you need a USB-C to 3.5 mm adapter at USD 9 to 15. Make sure it is an active adapter with a converter inside rather than a passive cable, since USB-C carries no analog audio on iPads.
Apple’s own adapter contains a competent converter and enables lossless playback from Apple Music.
Active cancellation still works over a cable on models that support it, though some require the headphones to be switched on. Our guide on whether iPads have a headphone jack covers which models still do.
When it still will not connect
Delete the headphones from the iPad by tapping the information icon in the Bluetooth list and choosing Forget This Device, then pair from scratch. Clearing only the headphone side leaves the problem.
Confirm the light is blinking blue rather than solid or white, which tells you pairing mode is actually engaged.
Clear the headphones’ own pairing list if it is full, since Bose models store a limited number of devices and drop the oldest, which produces erratic behavior.
Update firmware through the app with the headphones connected to another device.
If none of that works, our guide on resetting Bose headphones covers the factory reset procedure by model.
Frequently asked questions
How do I pair Bose headphones with an iPad?
Put the headphones into pairing mode by holding the Bluetooth button or sliding the power switch toward the Bluetooth symbol until the light blinks blue. Then open Settings, Bluetooth on the iPad and tap the Bose entry under Other Devices. It moves into My Devices showing Connected, and the headphones announce it. No app is required.
Why won’t my Bose headphones connect to my iPad?
Usually another device has already claimed them, since Bose headphones reconnect automatically to anything they have paired with before. Turn Bluetooth off on every phone and laptop nearby, then try again. If the iPad shows them connected but plays through its own speakers, select the headphones from the AirPlay icon in Control Center.
Can Bose headphones connect to an iPad and iPhone at once?
Most current models can, using multipoint. Pair the iPad first, then put the headphones back into pairing mode and pair the iPhone, and both stay connected with audio following whichever is playing. This is not Apple’s automatic switching, which requires an Apple chip in the headphones and cannot be replicated by third party models.
Do Bose headphones support high resolution audio on an iPad?
Not over Bluetooth. iPads use AAC and have never supported aptX or LDAC, and no current Bluetooth codec carries lossless audio on any headphone including Apple’s own. A wired connection through a USB-C to 3.5 mm adapter is the only route to lossless playback from Apple Music on an iPad.