Quick SupportBluetooth pairing is the same dance on every device: put the thing you’re connecting into pairing mode, then tell the computer or phone to look for it. Nearly every “it won’t connect” call we get is one of those two halves being skipped — usually the first.
First: Put the Device Into Pairing Mode
This is the step everyone misses. Turning a Bluetooth device on is not the same as making it discoverable.
- Headphones and earbuds: hold the power button (or the button on the case) for about five seconds until the light flashes — usually blue, sometimes blue and red alternating. A steady light means it’s on but not looking for anything. Earbuds normally need to be in the case with the lid open.
- Keyboards and mice: look for a small button underneath, often labelled with the Bluetooth symbol or “Connect”. Hold it until a light flashes. Some have a slider switch with a Bluetooth position.
- Speakers: usually a dedicated Bluetooth button; hold it until you hear a tone or the light flashes.
Pairing mode times out after a minute or two. If you’ve been fiddling with the phone for a while, put the device back into pairing mode before trying again.
Which device are you connecting to?
Pick one and we'll show just those steps. You can switch any time.
Windows 11 — Pairing a Keyboard or Mouse
The same steps work for headphones; the keyboard and mouse are just the ones we get asked about most on a PC.
- Open Settings — press the Windows key and type Bluetooth, or click Start → Settings → Bluetooth & devices.
- Make sure the Bluetooth toggle at the top is On. If it isn’t there at all, skip to When Windows has no Bluetooth below.
- Click Add device, then Bluetooth.
- Put the keyboard or mouse into pairing mode (see above) and wait for it to appear in the list. It can take ten or fifteen seconds.
- Click it. A keyboard may show a PIN on screen — type it on the new keyboard and press Enter. A mouse just connects.
Quick way next time: the Bluetooth icon in the tray at the bottom right (you may need to click the little up-arrow first) → Add a Bluetooth device.
Headphones on Windows
Same steps. Once they’re connected, click the speaker icon in the tray and check the output is set to your headphones, not the monitor or the laptop’s own speakers — Windows doesn’t always switch automatically, and “paired but silent” is nearly always this.
It Was Working Yesterday
- Turn the device off and on. Genuinely fixes most of them.
- In Bluetooth & devices, click the three dots on the device → Remove device, then pair it again from scratch.
- Laptops: check airplane mode isn’t on (it kills Bluetooth too).
- Mice and keyboards run on batteries. Flat batteries look exactly like a Bluetooth problem.
When Windows Has No Bluetooth
Most desktop PCs don’t have Bluetooth built in — it’s a laptop thing. The fix is a USB Bluetooth adapter, about the size of a fingernail, and we keep them on the shelf at both stores. Plug it in, give Windows a minute to install it, and the Bluetooth toggle appears in Settings.
macOS — Pairing Headphones
Works the same for a keyboard, mouse or trackpad — see the note at the end.
- Click the Apple menu (top left) → System Settings → Bluetooth in the sidebar. On older Macs it’s System Preferences → Bluetooth.
- Check Bluetooth is switched on.
- Put the headphones into pairing mode (see above). They’ll appear under Nearby Devices — give it fifteen seconds or so.
- Click Connect next to them.
Quick way next time: the Control Centre icon in the menu bar (two little toggles, top right) → Bluetooth → click the headphones.
No Sound Coming Out
Connected but silent is usually the Mac still sending sound to its own speakers. Hold the Option key while clicking the speaker icon in the menu bar and pick the headphones under Output. (If the speaker icon isn’t showing, System Settings → Control Centre → Sound → Always show in menu bar.)
Keyboards, Mice and Trackpads
Exactly the same steps. An Apple keyboard or Magic Mouse pairs even faster if you plug it into the Mac with its charging cable once — it pairs itself in the background and you can unplug it after.
It Was Working Yesterday
- Switch Bluetooth off and on from the menu bar. It’s a surprisingly good fix on a Mac.
- In System Settings → Bluetooth, hover over the device, click the ⓘ → Forget This Device, then pair again.
- Headphones that also live on your iPhone will sometimes have jumped to the phone. Turn Bluetooth off on the phone for a moment and connect from the Mac.
iPhone & iPad — Pairing a Keyboard or Mouse
Headphones follow the same steps. AirPods are the exception — they pair themselves the moment you open the case near the phone.
- Open Settings → Bluetooth.
- Make sure the toggle is on (green). Stay on this screen — the phone only searches while it’s open.
- Put the keyboard or mouse into pairing mode (see above). It appears under Other Devices after a few seconds.
- Tap it. A keyboard may ask for a PIN — type it on the new keyboard and press Return.
A mouse on an iPad gives you a round pointer. On an iPhone it works too, but you’ll need to switch it on first: Settings → Accessibility → Touch → AssistiveTouch.
Headphones on iPhone
Same steps. If they’re connected but the sound is still coming out of the phone, swipe down from the top right for Control Centre, press and hold the music panel, tap the AirPlay icon (circles with a triangle) and pick the headphones.
It Was Working Yesterday
- In Settings → Bluetooth tap the ⓘ next to the device → Forget This Device, then pair again. This clears more problems than it should.
- Check the device isn’t already connected to something else in the house — most headphones only talk to one thing at a time, and your iPad or laptop may have grabbed them first.
- Restart the phone. Yes, really.
Android — Pairing Headphones
Samsung, Google Pixel, Oppo, Motorola — the menus are worded slightly differently but sit in the same place. Keyboards and mice pair the same way.
- Open Settings → Connected devices (Samsung calls it Connections) → Bluetooth.
- Make sure it’s switched on.
- Tap Pair new device (on Samsung, the phone just starts scanning — look under Available devices).
- Put the headphones into pairing mode (see above). They appear in the list after a few seconds.
- Tap them, then Pair. If a box pops up about contacts or messages, that’s for car kits — you can say no for headphones.
Quick way next time: swipe down from the top of the screen, press and hold the Bluetooth tile.
Headphones Connected but Silent
Pull down the notification shade and look for the media player — most Androids show a small output button (a speaker or headphones icon) on it. Tap it and pick the headphones. On Samsung it’s the Media output button in the quick panel.
Keyboards and Mice
Same steps. A mouse gives you a pointer straight away, no setting needed.
It Was Working Yesterday
- In the Bluetooth list, tap the gear (or the device name) → Forget / Unpair, then pair again.
- Turn Bluetooth off and on from the quick panel.
- Check nothing else in the house has connected to them first — laptop, tablet, the kids.
- Battery-saver modes on some phones switch Bluetooth off in the background. Charge the phone and try again.
Two Things That Catch Everyone
One connection at a time. Most headphones and earbuds will only connect to one device at once. If they were last used with your laptop and it’s on somewhere in the house, it may have snatched them before your phone got a look in. Turn Bluetooth off on the other device, or turn it off entirely, then try again.
“Paired” isn’t “connected”. Paired means the two have met and remember each other. Connected means they’re talking right now. A device can be paired, in the list, and still doing nothing — tap it in the list to connect, and if it refuses, forget it and pair from scratch.
Still Won’t Pair?
Bring it in — both halves, the device and the phone or computer — and we’ll sort it at the counter. Genuinely no charge for that. If the device turns out to be faulty, we’ll tell you before you spend anything on it. And if your desktop PC just doesn’t have Bluetooth, the adapter is on the shelf and takes about a minute.
You’ve now done something a surprising number of people pay a technician for. Feel free to look smug.