How to connect AirPods to Mac
To connect AirPods to Mac, you often don’t need to pair them at all: AirPods set up with your iPhone are ready on every Mac signed in to the same Apple Account. Others are paired once over Bluetooth. This guide covers both, how to switch sound between the AirPods and the Mac’s speakers and what to do if the AirPods don’t show up.
If your AirPods already work with your iPhone
AirPods set up with an iPhone are ready on every Mac signed in to the same Apple Account. Just choose them as the sound output:
- Put the AirPods in your ears.
- Click Control Center in the menu bar, then click Sound and choose your AirPods.
How to connect AirPods to Mac for the first time
- Choose Apple menu › System Settings and click Bluetooth in the sidebar. Make sure Bluetooth is on.
- Put both AirPods in the charging case and open the lid.
- Press and hold the setup button on the back of the case until the status light flashes white. On AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3, whose case has no button, double-tap the front of the case instead. On AirPods Max, hold the noise control button.
- In the list of devices in Bluetooth settings, hold the pointer over your AirPods and click Connect.
Newer AirPods need a recent macOS: AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C need macOS Sonoma or later, AirPods 4 need Sequoia, AirPods Pro 3 need Tahoe.
How to switch sound between AirPods and the Mac’s speakers
If the AirPods are connected but sound still comes from the Mac, click Control Center in the menu bar, then Sound, and choose the AirPods. To go back, choose the Mac’s speakers in the same list.
Once connected, your AirPods have their own item in the System Settings sidebar, under their name. There you change their controls and whether they connect to this Mac automatically or only when they were last connected to it.
If AirPods don’t show up on your Mac
- Check that Bluetooth is on in System Settings › Bluetooth.
- Put the AirPods in the case for a while to charge, then open the lid next to the Mac and repeat the pairing steps.
- For automatic connection, the Mac and iPhone must be signed in to the same Apple Account.
- Update macOS: new AirPods models don’t work with older systems.
- If they connected before but don’t now, Control-click the AirPods in the Bluetooth list, choose Forget, then connect them again from the start.
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Questions and answers
How do I connect AirPods to my Mac?
Open System Settings › Bluetooth, open the AirPods case and hold the setup button until the light flashes white (double-tap the front on AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3), then click Connect next to the AirPods.
Why does sound still play from the Mac’s speakers?
The AirPods are connected but not chosen as the output. Click Control Center › Sound in the menu bar and choose them.
Can I use AirPods with a Mac signed in to another Apple Account?
Yes. Pair them in System Settings › Bluetooth as described above. They just won’t switch between devices automatically.