How to Turn On Shokz Headphones
The power button is the volume up button, which is why people cannot find it. Here are the hold times, pairing, charging fixes and the fit that matters.
Hold the volume up button, which doubles as the power button on most Shokz models, for about two seconds until you hear “welcome to Shokz”. To pair instead, hold the same button for around five to seven seconds from off, past the power on prompt, until you hear “pairing” and the light flashes red and blue. That extra hold is the step most people miss.
Shokz models put the power function on the volume up button rather than giving it a dedicated one, which is why the button is not where people look.
Finding the button
On OpenRun, OpenRun Pro, OpenMove and similar models, the two buttons sit on the underside of the right hand unit, behind your ear. The rear one is volume up and doubles as power.
On OpenFit and the open ear earbud style models, the buds power on when you take them out of the case.
Everything is announced out loud, so a voice prompt confirms it worked and silence usually means the battery is flat.
Powering on and pairing
To power on: hold volume up for about two seconds until you hear the welcome prompt and the light comes on.
To pair: start from off, hold volume up for five to seven seconds, keeping hold past the welcome prompt, until you hear “pairing” and the indicator flashes red and blue alternately. Then select the Shokz entry in your device’s Bluetooth list.
To power off: hold volume up for around three seconds until you hear “power off”.
The distinction between the two hold lengths is the whole thing. Two seconds powers on and connects to the last device. Five to seven seconds from off goes into pairing mode.
Two devices at once
Most current Shokz models support multipoint, holding two connections so audio follows whichever device is playing.
Pair the first device normally. Then power the headphones off, enter pairing mode again, and pair the second. Both stay connected afterward.
On some models you enter a specific multipoint pairing mode by holding volume up and volume down together for a few seconds, and the headphones announce it. Check which your model uses, since the two approaches differ.
This is genuinely useful on bone conduction headphones, since the typical user is switching between a phone for calls and a watch or computer for audio.
When nothing happens
Charge for 30 minutes first. A deeply discharged battery will not respond to a button press at all and may show no charging light for several minutes. This accounts for most Shokz that appear dead.
Check the charging contacts. Shokz use a proprietary magnetic charging cable with two pins, and sweat residue on the contacts is a common cause of a unit that will not charge. Clean both the headphone contacts and the cable pins with a dry cloth, or a cotton bud barely dampened with isopropyl alcohol, dried fully before connecting.
Use the supplied cable. The magnetic connector is model specific and generic replacements frequently do not fit properly or do not carry the right current.
Try a different USB port or adapter, preferring a wall adapter over a computer port.
Reset them. On most models, hold volume up and volume down together for around ten seconds with the headphones off, until the light flashes. Then delete the Shokz from your phone’s Bluetooth list and pair from scratch.
When they power on but will not connect
Another device has claimed them, which is the most common cause. Turn Bluetooth off on every phone, tablet, laptop and watch nearby.
They are not actually in pairing mode. Hold longer and listen for the spoken pairing prompt rather than watching the light.
A stale pairing on the phone side. Remove the Shokz from that device’s Bluetooth list and pair again, since clearing one side only leaves the problem.
The stored pairing list is full, which produces erratic behavior. Resetting clears it.
Firmware behind, which the Shokz app handles and which fixes several connection issues.
Getting the fit right
Worth covering because bone conduction depends on it in a way conventional headphones do not.
The transducers should rest on the bone just in front of your ear canal, not on the soft tissue below or on the ear itself. Slide the band forward until they sit on the hard ridge.
Bass is the first casualty of poor placement. If they sound thin, the transducers are usually sitting too low or too far back rather than needing more volume.
With glasses, put the Shokz on first and the glasses over the band, which keeps the transducers in contact.
Wipe them down after exercise, since sweat on the charging contacts is what eventually causes charging problems.
Frequently asked questions
How do you turn on Shokz headphones?
Hold the volume up button, which doubles as the power button on most models and sits on the underside of the right hand unit, for about two seconds until you hear the welcome prompt. There is no separate power button, which is why people often cannot find it. Holding for five to seven seconds from off enters pairing mode instead.
How do I put Shokz in pairing mode?
Start with them switched off and hold volume up for five to seven seconds, keeping hold past the welcome prompt, until you hear “pairing” and the light flashes red and blue alternately. Then select the Shokz entry in your device’s Bluetooth list. Two seconds powers them on without entering pairing, which is the usual mistake.
Why won’t my Shokz charge?
Sweat residue on the magnetic charging contacts is the most common cause, so clean both the headphone contacts and the cable pins with a dry cloth or a barely dampened cotton bud. Use the supplied cable, since the connector is model specific and generic replacements often do not fit or carry the right current. Then leave it charging for 30 minutes.
How do I reset Shokz headphones?
On most models, hold volume up and volume down together for around ten seconds with the headphones switched off, until the light flashes. Afterward, remove the Shokz from the Bluetooth list on every device that has paired with them, since a device holding old credentials keeps trying to reconnect and the reset appears not to have worked.