How to Connect AirPods to Android Devices, Windows Laptops, and Macs

The AirPods are a great device for listening to the audio, making calls, and connecting with Siri. You can pair them to Apple devices, Android devices, and Windows laptops.

The AirPods have a W1 chip that makes pairing to other devices easy. The AirPods can be paired with any device that is running iOS 10 or higher and has Bluetooth 4.0 or higher.

It is important to note that the AirPods cannot be used as a standalone device, they need an iCloud account and an Apple device in order to work properly.

Hence, if you want to connect AirPods with Android devices, Windows laptops, and other non-Apple devices, you need to create an Apple ID.

Once you have an Apple ID, you can follow the guide below to connect AirPods to Android devices, Windows laptops, and Macs. 

How to Connect AirPods to Macs

Before we get started with connecting AirPods to your Mac, make sure you have the correct macOS version for your AirPods model.

AirPods models	macOS version
AirPods 1st Gen	Sierra or later
AirPods 2nd Gen	Mojave 10.14.4 or later
AirPods 3rd Gen	Monterey 12 or later
AirPods Pro	Catalina 10.15.1 or later

To find out what version of macOS you have, go to the Apple menu and select About This Mac. If your macOS version falls short of the minimum, click Software Update to upgrade.

There are two easy methods to connect AirPods to your Mac:

Method 1: Sign in to iCloud with the same Apple ID

If you previously connected your AirPods to an iPhone with the same Apple ID as your Mac, your AirPods will be paired automatically with your Mac.

Insert your AirPods into your ears and activate Bluetooth on your Mac. Then, from the list of discovered devices, select your AirPods.

Method 2: Manual pair

If your AirPods don’t appear in the Bluetooth devices list, try to hard reset and then pair them manually.

1 Click the Apple menu and select System Preferences.

2 Click Bluetooth and turn it on.

3 Open the case lid with the AirPods still sitting inside.

4 Press and hold the button on the back of the AirPods case. 

5 Wait until the status led turns white and release the button.

6 Select your AirPods and click Connect.