Trouble Connecting AirPods to a Mac? Here’s the Fastest Way to Pair Them – CNET [CNET]

It takes less than a minute.

AirPods tout many convenient features, including noise cancelation and spatial audio. One of the other major perks: seamlessly connecting to other Apple devices, like your iPhone or Mac.

If you have an iCloud account, Apple has made it easy to pair your MacBook and AirPods — whether they’re the third-gen AirPods or second-gen AirPods Pro — super quickly.

Your AirPods will automatically connect to your Mac

If you’ve already set up your AirPods with your iPhone, and your Mac is signed into iCloud with the same Apple ID, then you should be good to go. To check, place your AirPods in your ears and confirm that either the Bluetooth or volume drop-down menu from the Mac’s menu bar. Then choose AirPods from the list. 

You can also go to System Settings, then Bluetooth, and find your AirPods in the list.

To quote Guns N’ Roses, “it’s so easy.”

What if my AirPods don’t pair on their own?

If you don’t see your AirPods listed, there are a few things you can do. 

1. Charge your AirPods. Make sure those little guys have all the power they need.
2. Open Bluetooth preferences on your Mac. You can either go to the Bluetooth drop-down menu from the menu bar and select Bluetooth Settings, or go to the Apple menu, select System Settings and click Bluetooth. (Alternatively, you can click on System Settings, then Bluetooth.)
3. Double-check that Bluetooth is on.
4. Put both AirPods in their charging case and open the lid.
5. Press and hold the setup button on the back of the AirPods’ case until the status light flashes white.
6. Go back to the Bluetooth settings window on your Mac and select AirPods from the Devices list.
7. Finally, click Connect.

If you’d like to follow along or see us connect a pair of AirPods step by step, check out the video below: 

If sound still plays from your Mac speakers, check either the Bluetooth or volume drop-down menu in the menu bar and make sure your AirPods are selected as the output.

Now you can listen to music from your phone or Mac without changing headphones. And that’s how the world is meant to work.