How to Connect AirPods to Mac? [The Ultimate 2024’s Guide]

Apple’s AirPods have become ubiquitous in recent years, and for good reason: they offer great sound quality and convenience.

But what happens when you want to connect them to your Mac?

In this guide, we’ll show you how to connect AirPods to Mac in a few easy steps, along with showing you how to connect two pairs of AirPods to one Mac and providing some tips on troubleshooting common problems that may occur when syncing AirPods with a Mac.

How to Connect AirPods to Mac? 

Before you go on to syncing AirPods to your Mac, you must keep in mind that different AirPods are compatible with different Mac versions:

• First-generation AirPods require macOS Sierra and later versions

• Second-generation AirPods require macOS Mojave 10.14.4 and later versions.

• Third-generation AirPods require macOS Monetary or later versions. 
• AirPods Pro requires macOS Catalina 10.15.1 or a later version.

Assuming version compatibility checks out, there are two ways of connecting AirPods to Macbook, depending on whether you’re already using your AirPods on your iPhone or not.

1. Connecting AirPods to Your Mac if They’re Not Previously Synced to Your iPhone

The first thing you need to do is make sure that your AirPods are in their charging case and that the case is charged. Once that’s handled, here are the next steps:

1. Make sure to turn on the Bluetooth on your Mac. Then, access System preferences on your Mac device and click on Bluetooth.
2. Once you’ve done that, open the lid of the AirPods case and press and hold the button on the back until it flashes white.
3. Find the AirPods on the Bluetooth list and click “Connect” to finish connecting your AirPods to your Mac.

Once you connect your AirPods to Mac, you can use them just like any other pair of headphones, including some of the best wireless earbuds currently available on the market.

You can adjust the volume, play or pause music, and even skip tracks by double-tapping on either AirPod.

2. Connecting AirPods to Your Mac That Is Already Synced With Your iPhone

Before pairing AirPods with Macbook, you need to make sure that:

1. You’re using the same Apple ID both on your Mac and iPhone.
2. Check if the Handoff feature on your Mac is turned on by accessing System Preferences and navigating to General to see if there’s a checkmark next to “Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices.”
3. The volume icon must be visible in the menu bar. If not, go to System Preferences and allow the “Show volume in menu bar” section.

Like in the previous example, to pair AirPods with Mac, open the AirPods lid without taking the earbuds out, and navigate to the volume icon and select it. If you see AirPods in the Output Device section, this means your Mac and earbuds are already synced, and all you need to do now is connect your AirPods to your Macbook by clicking on the AirPods in the Output Device menu.

Connecting Two Pairs of AirPods to One Macbook Air

According to Apple claims, you can simultaneously connect up to seven devices using Bluetooth on your Mac. However, Bluetooth’s performance is likely to decrease significantly, especially if you also use a wireless keyboard and mouse, so it’s best to use a maximum of three to four devices at the same time.

To connect two pairs of AirPods to Macbook Air, you need to use the Audio MIDI Setup, which allows you to play audio on two devices by taking one of the devices as a master device and using it to transmit audio to other devices.

To access the MIDI Setup, open Finder and select Utilities before clicking on “+” to create a Multi-Output Device. Next, click on the check box next to both AirPods, checking one of the AirPods in the Master Device box and the other in the Drift Correction box.

To finish pairing two sets of AirPods with Macbook Air, navigate to System Preferences, select Sound, access Multi-Output Device, and play sound on both AirPods.

Key Takeaways 

Why Are My AirPods Not Connecting?

If you’ve followed all the instructions on how to connect AirPods to Macbook but your AirPods are still not connecting to your Mac— don’t worry, we got you covered! Here are some things you can do to address connectivity issues:

• You can try restarting your Mac or taking steps to reset your AirPods.

• If the AirPods are paired to your Mac and already on the list of Bluetooth devices but you still can’t connect the two, remove them and then pair the AirPods with Macbook again.

To remove the AirPods from the Bluetooth list, find the “x” located on their right.

• You may want to check the software on your Mac is up to date, as this could also be the reason why your AirPods are not connecting to the device. Learn if your software needs an update by clicking on the Apple logo and selecting “About this Mac.”

If all else fails, you may need to contact Apple Support for more information on how to connect your AirPods to your Mac.

Conclusion 

Apple devices are known to offer great connectivity and flexibility, and the Apple AirPods are no exception. You can use the same AirPods for both your Mac and iPhone, provided both devices share the same Apple ID. Apple users can also connect two pairs of AirPods to the same Macbook and enjoy listening to music or binging a series with a friend.

Overall, connecting AirPods to Macbook or any other Apple device is quite straightforward, and can be done just by following some simple guidelines.