The ‘Wireless, Effortless and Magical’ pair of earbuds allow users to connect AirPods to Mac, iPhones, Android devices and essentially any Bluetooth enabled device that a regular pair of wired earphones could connect to. The AirPods were first launched on December 13 2016 as a simple pair of Bluetooth earbuds went on to become Apple’s most popular accessory. The pair of truly wireless Bluetooth earbuds by Apple went on to become the subject of many memes, a topic of contention among critics for being too expensive, while Apple fanboys considered them the next big thing.
As the 3.5mm jack vanished in thin air, a problem Apple introduced with their new iPhone 7 which launched in September 2016 that came without a headphone jack. A solution was needed, which came to be the truly wireless Bluetooth earbuds, the AirPods. The users can connect AirPods to Mac, iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices for ease of use and simple and easy ways to connect with the devices hence keeping the users confined in the Apple Ecosystem.
Here are the top 4 ways to connect AirPods to Mac devices.
The success of the AirPods which started as wireless earbuds in 2016 gave rise to its successors, which were the AirPods 2nd generation, AirPods Pro, and the wireless headphones the AirPods Max.
There are many ways and intricacies that are involved to connect AirPods to Mac devices. Follow the step-by-step guide on the different ways to connect your AirPods to Mac devices.
1) Method 1: The Easiest way
One of the easiest ways to connect AirPods to Mac devices is by simply making sure that you have connected the AirPods to your iPhone.
You have to make sure that you have logged into iCloud from the same Apple ID both in your iPhone and your Mac device. Now chances are your AirPods would be ready to be connected to your Mac device. You can check so by doing the following
Step 1- Go into System Preferences
Step 2- Click on Apple ID and check if your iPhone has been mentioned under the Devices Column
Step 3- Make sure that the ‘ Hands Off ‘ setting has been turned on by clicking on General and clicking on the checkmark next to “Allow Handoff between this Mac and your Cloud Devices”.
Step 4- To get the Volume Icon on your menu bar click on ‘Sound’ under the System Preferences and click on the checkmark next to “Show volume in menu bar”.
Step 5- Open the lid of your AirPods case
Step 6- Now click on the Volume icon in the menu bar.
Step 7- Under ‘ Output Device’ you’ll be able to see your AirPods. Simply click on it to connect AirPods with the Mac device of your choice.
2) Method 2
Before you begin this method to connect AirPods to Mac devices, make sure that they are not connected to your iPhone.
Step 1- Open the lid of your case with the AirPods still inside them.
Step 2- Now locate the setup button which will be a circular button on the back of your AirPods case.
Step 3- Press and hold the setup button until the status light on your AirPods case turns white and starts to blink. Your AirPods are now in pairing mode.
Step 4- Now open ‘System Preferences’ on your Mac device.
Step 5- Click on the Bluetooth icon
Step 6- Now turn the Bluetooth on
Step 7- Now you will see a list of devices that are available to be connected. Locate your AirPods
Step 8- Once located, double click on your AirPods to connect.
Now your AirPods are connected to a Mac device and ready to use.
Method 3
This method is almost the easiest way to connect AirPods to Mac. However, for this method to work, it is to be noted that there are a few prior requirements that need to be met.
1)You have to ensure that you have the macOS Big Sur Version 11.6 (or higher) which is the 17th release, as the current version of the macOS is installed on your Mac device.
2)You have to make sure that you have logged into iCloud from the same Apple ID both in your iPhone and your Mac device
To check the above-mentioned prerequisites, here are the steps.
(1)How to check your macOS version
Step 1- Click on the Apple logo on the top left-hand side of your screen.
Step 2- Once you click on the logo, a drop-down menu will open. Click on the ‘ About this Mac ‘
Step 3- Once you click on the ‘About this Mac’ option, the details about your Mac will show up. These will include the name of the macOS, the version of the macOS, and other important information like processor, model of the Mac, the memory, and other information about your Mac
Step 4- If the macOS version is up to date, then you are ready to go, however, if not then you can try and look for a software update. You can do so by
- Clicking on the Apple icon
- Clicking on System Preferences
- Then locate and click on ‘Software Update’
- Once you click on the ‘Software Update’ icon you’ll be able to see if any newer version of the macOS is available for you to download.
(2) To make sure that you have logged into iCloud from the same Apple id in your mac and your iPhone you can perform the following steps.
Step1- Go into System Preferences
Step 2- Click on Apple ID and check if your iPhone has been mentioned under the Devices Column
Step 3- Make sure that the ‘ Hands Off ‘ setting has been turned on by clicking on General and clicking on the checkmark next to ” Allow Handoff between this Mac and your Cloud Devices.
Now the prerequisites for this method have been met. You just simply have to:-
Step 1- Go ahead and open the lid of your case with the AirPods already in the case.
Step 2- Now a pop-up would be shown on the top right side of the screen of your mac device which would say that your AirPods are nearby
Step 3- Now all you need to do is hover over it and click on the button which says ‘Connect’ and you can go ahead to connect the AirPods to mac.
Also Read: Easy ways to create an Apple id
Method 4 – Lighting to 3.5 mm cable
To connect AirPods to Mac the methods mentioned above will get your job done. While the Bluetooth and wireless methods to connect AirPods to Mac also work on the AirPods Max. However, we can connect these AirPods to Mac by another method, which is by using a cable.
For this method to connect AirPods to Mac devices, we will need a Lighting to 3.5 mm cable.
Step 1- Plug in the Lightning end of the cable into the AirPods Max
Step 2- Locate the 3.5mm jack on the Mac device that you have and plug in the end of the cable into the 3.5 mm port.
The wired method to connect your AirPods to Mac is now completed and you can enjoy your music on your AirPods Max.
Conclusion
By introducing a problem and also bringing in the solution, Apple did a great job at essentially making the category of wireless earbuds and dominating in it through their AirPods. The top 4 methods to connect AirPods to Mac devices mentioned above is a complete guide on the usage of the AirPods with a Mac Device. Certain tips and tricks mentioned on how to connect AirPods to Mac devices and the overall ease of use will help you get the most out of your AirPods and make complete use of the seamless Apple ecosystem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1) Where can I find the Status Light on my AirPods?
The status light for the AirPods Generation 1 can be found inside the case when the lid of the case is open. However, for Generation 2 and AirPods Pro, the status light is seen on the outside of the case. In the case of the AirPods Max, the status light can be found next to the charging port on the bottom part of the right earcup.
Q2) How do I connect my AirPods Max to my mac device and where can I find the setup button?
The AirPods Max which are full-sized headphones can also be connected to Mac using the same methods mentioned above, however, it is to be noted that the ‘Setup button’ on the AirPods max is located on top of the right ear cup of the headphones.
Q3) I failed to connect AirPods to Mac devices even after using the methods mentioned above. What else can I do?
You can Factory Reset your AirPods by trying to locate the setup button on your AirPods and press and hold it for more than 15 seconds and wait for the amber light to appear and then the white light to blink. Doing this would reset your AirPods and you could try connecting them again.
Q4) My AirPods are connected to the Mac however, the sound is coming from the Mac. What do I do?
Make sure you connect AirPods to Mac successfully. Then make sure that the output device selected is the AirPods.
Q5)How do I know if my AirPods are compatible with my Mac device?
To check the compatibility of your AirPods with Mac devices, check out these links to the official Apple website mentioning the list of all the compatible Macs.
https://support.apple.com/kb/SP750?locale=en_IN
https://www.apple.com/in/airpods-2nd-generation/specs/
https://www.apple.com/in/airpods-pro/specs/
https://www.apple.com/in/airpods-max/specs/