How to Pair Bluetooth Headphones and Earphones – 2024

Whether you’re new to the world of wireless audio or looking to pick up a few tricks, here’s how to connect your Bluetooth headphones and earphones to your phone and other devices.

How Do You Pair Bluetooth Headphones?

If you haven’t yet joined the wireless headphone/earphone revolution, perhaps you’re starting to feel as if the tech world is forcing you to, with many new phones shipping without 3.5mm headphone jacks. But is wireless audio only suited for tech-savvy people, or can anyone pick up a pair of Bluetooth headphones and start enjoying some tunes? The good news is, it’s actually really simple to use Bluetooth headphones—all you need to do is connect them and you’re good to go. And if you can use a cell phone, you can connect a pair of wireless headphones. We’re here to help.

Connecting Headphones via Bluetooth

While the actual buttons you press (and for how long) can vary depending on the headphones, the pairing process is always as simple as follows: First, go to the settings menu on your phone and tap on the Bluetooth menu. In the Bluetooth menu, you want to make sure that Bluetooth is turned on. Then go to your headphones or earphones and press the Bluetooth pairing button. If you’re not sure which button that is, your manual will tell you if there’s a dedicated Bluetooth button or if the power button doubles as the Bluetooth button. Some headphones automatically go into pairing mode when they’re powered up.

Once you’ve held down the button responsible for pairing for a long enough time (usually a few seconds), the LEDs on the headphones should begin blinking to indicate they’re ready to pair with your phone or other device. Now go back to your phone, and on the same screen you used to turn on the Bluetooth functionality, you should see the name of your headphones listed. Tap that, and you should be paired within seconds. If this doesn’t work (though it should), just try the whole process again.

If you don’t see your headphones listed, that’s because manufacturers sometimes use abbreviated nicknames for their products, or genuinely head-scratching codenames, or exceptionally vague names that use the manufacturer’s name but not the product name. Typically, however, you’ll see the actual product name on the list of available pairable products. You may also notice other products that you can pair—your computer might show up, or the phone of the person sitting next to you. As long as you don’t tap on those device names, you won’t pair with them.

Once you’re paired, simply start playing music—it’ll now be streaming through your headphones or earphones, and depending on the controls on your particular pair, you’ll be able to toggle playback, track navigation, volume, and manage phone calls, directly through the headphones. You can also summon Siri and other voice assistants with most pairs.

If you have an iPhone, some headphones equipped with Apple’s W1 chip, like Air Pods or Beats X, are even easier to pair. You don’t even have to go to the Bluetooth menu—an on-screen notification appears when the earphones are close to your phone and they pair almost instantly.

So, the bottom line is: No matter whether they’re wireless in-ears, headphones, or true wireless models, pairing via Bluetooth is easy. The whole process takes about ten seconds.

Reconnecting Headphones

This part can be a little tricky. Most Bluetooth headphones we test will automatically re-pair with the device they were most recently paired with (such as your phone) when powered up, provided that the phone is available for pairing and in Bluetooth range (which, by the way, is around 30 feet). However, it’s not uncommon for a device to need to be manually re-paired every time you power it back up again. Is this annoying? Yes. But it’s not difficult to manage.

Simply open up the Bluetooth menu on your phone and search for the name of the headphones you wish to pair. You usually don’t have to put the headphones in pairing mode in order to reconnect them after you’ve gone through the initial pairing process.

Unpairing (or Forgetting) Bluetooth Headphones

There are multiple reasons you might want to unpair your headphones from your phone or other connected device. Maybe you’re having some issues connecting and the headphones don’t seem to be cooperating—it happens, and like so many tech-related issues, the answer is often to reboot and try again. Except in this case, you may wish to not only reboot your headphones, but to also erase them from your Bluetooth device list and start the pairing process anew.

On an iPhone, tap the “i” icon next to the name of the headphones to pull up a screen with the option to Forget This Device. Tap it, and it’ll be removed from your list. The process varies across different Android devices, but generally follows a similar pattern. The next time you put your headphones in pairing mode, they’ll show up again on your phone’s menu.

It’s also worth noting that just about all of the advice above can be applied to pairing Bluetooth speakers as well.

Picking the Best Bluetooth Headphones

Now that you know how to pair Bluetooth headphones, it’s time to get out there and buy a pair. Check out our headphones product guide for the latest reviews. Once you’ve found the perfect pair, read up on our 5 easy tips to extend the life of your headphones and 6 ways you’re using your headphones wrong.

What to Look For in a Bluetooth Headset

If you’re driving, shopping, exercising, working, or even just hanging out around the house, a Bluetooth headset allows you to answer the phone and control some of your phone’s features and functions without having to constantly have it in hand. A Bluetooth headset also helps those working at a desk, as you don’t have to be tethered to your laptop by that dreadful cord when you’re sitting in a meeting.

When picking out a Bluetooth headset, there are several factors to consider. In addition to choosing a headset that looks and feels good while you’re wearing it, you also want to make sure it fits your needs. Factors like battery life, compatibility, pairing, sound quality, noise cancellation, water resistance, and cost all come into play. We put together an in-depth guide, including just about everything you need to know to choose the right Bluetooth headset for you.

Bluetooth Headphones Vs. Bluetooth Headsets

If you’re primarily interested in music playback, you’ll want a good pair of the best wireless headphones. Headphones don’t necessarily provide a microphone for speech, while a headset always has a microphone. Headphones are optimized for sound quality, so you can get the best possible listening experience.

A headset is optimized for conversation, so you can talk on your phone (or another Bluetooth device) hands-free. Headsets often have other controls, like a button to answer calls, so you can use your phone’s voice assistant. Features like noise cancellation help promote the best environment for conversing back and forth, and a headset’s engineering focuses on the listener and the speaker.

Styles: Headband, Neckband, Or Earpiece

Headband style headsets are often larger and heavier than the other Bluetooth headset styles. They’ll typically have an ear cuff that goes on the ear with a speaker for listening, and a microphone that protrudes out for speaking. The headband portion goes around the top of the head and then rests against the opposite side. The headband style is often the preferred style for business professionals who work at a desk.

If a headband style isn’t comfortable for you, but still you want the stability of a band, you may want to go with a neckband style, which wraps around the back of the neck. Some neckbands have short wires that connect to earbuds that go into the ears, and other neckbands are foldable for easier storage. Many runners and gym-goers prefer the neckband style.

If you want a smaller, less noticeable Bluetooth headset, go with an earpiece or in-ear style headset. These types of headsets are very small—often around two to three inches in size—and they may wrap around one ear. Instead of having an ear cuff that rests on the outside of the ear, they usually have an ear cushion you gently place in your ear canal. This type of headset is more versatile, and the style is ideal for gym-goers, business professionals, and regular day-to-day users.

Battery Life

Battery life is perhaps the most important factor to consider when choosing a Bluetooth headset, especially when you’re using your headset on-the-go. There are four main battery life numbers you need to pay attention to: mAH (which stands for milliampere hours), charge time, talk time, and standby time.

When you look at mAh for a battery, it’s basically just a formula that calculates battery storage capacity. It’s the product of the time a battery lasts times the discharge current. So, a 1,000 mAh battery in a headset that draws 50 milliamps of power would last for 20 hours (1,000 divided by 50 milliamps equals 20 hours).

Charge time represents how long the headset takes to reach a full charge. Most Bluetooth headsets should take between one and five hours to reach a full charge. Talk time represents how long you can use the Bluetooth headset in calls and meetings before a single battery charge runs out, and standby time represents how long the headset can sit off of the charger without being used and still maintain a single battery charge. Sometimes, you’ll also see a metric for music time, which represents how long you can listen to music on a single charge.

Talk time and standby time will vary widely by the manufacturer, the type and style of headset, and the features it offers. The price of the unit doesn’t necessarily have an impact on its battery life. For instance, the New Bee earpiece Bluetooth headset sells for less than $20, but it provides 24 hours of talk time and about 60 days of standby time. However, the Jabra Steel retails for around $100, but it has six hours of talk time and around 10 days of standby time.

Charging Stands, Charging Cases, And Backup Batteries

Some headsets offer charging accessories that can help manage battery life. If you’re worried about running out of battery, you may want to look at a headset that comes with a charging stand, a charging case, or a backup battery.

Some headband style headsets may include a charging station or stand where you can rest your headset when it’s not in use. You may also be able to purchase a compatible charging stand after the fact. For instance, Plantronics offers its Plantronics Spare charging stand, which is compatible with its Voyager Focus UC headset. If you’re using your headset primarily at a desk, charging stands can be particularly helpful because they allow you to keep the device charging when you get off of a call.

You may also see charging cases. The case can extend the battery life by adding additional on-the-go charges. You may get ten hours of talk time on a single charge, but the charging case lets you charge the device three more times without having to connect to an electrical outlet.

While not as common, a handful of headsets (like the Aminy UFO) come with two batteries. This allows you to charge one battery while you use the other.

Compatibility And Connectivity

Before choosing a Bluetooth headset, you’ll want to make sure it’ll connect seamlessly to all of the devices you need it to. Take note of the Bluetooth version. Most headsets will be either Bluetooth version 4.1, 4,2, or 5.0. In the product’s description, it’ll also sometimes indicate which devices it works with. However, most headsets will work with most modern phones and Bluetooth compatible laptops/PCs, as modern Bluetooth versions are backwards compatible.

If you plan on using your headset on multiple devices, you’ll want to make sure the headset can connect to more than one device. The product should indicate that it connects to more than one device, or it may say it has a multi-pairing feature that allows you to use it with more than one device at a time. For instance, the Jabra Steel can connect to up to eight devices, and it can connect to two devices simultaneously with its multi-use feature.

Bluetooth Range

How far is the Bluetooth range? This number indicates how far you can travel away from the device to which the headset is connected, and still experience clear audio. If the range is up to 10 meters, this means you can go up to 10 meters away from your phone or laptop before you start to experience connection issues. Keep in mind this is an “up to” number, and obstructions like walls, floors, and appliances may impact the range. If you’re planning on traveling to a different room than your device when you’re using your headset, look for a headset with a longer range.

Sound Quality

With headphones, you’ll often see metrics that measure sound quality like sensitivity (which measures sound efficiency), frequency response (which measures the speakers’ ability to produce low and high tones), and impedance (which measures resistance). You’re less likely to see these metrics with headsets because the focus is less on music playback and more on battery life, call quality, features, and overall performance.

Noise-Canceling

There are two main types of noise-canceling in the context of Bluetooth headsets: Noise-cancelling in the headphone (speaker) and noise-canceling in the microphone. The first type of noise-canceling—in the speaker—helps block out background noise in the vicinity of the person wearing the headset, so they can better hear music or speech without disturbances from background noise. The second type—noise cancelling in the microphone—blocks out noise for the person on the other end of the call, so they can hear your speech over background sounds like planes flying by, people talking in the background, or a television.

Most Bluetooth headsets, even budget headsets, will have some type of noise-canceling technology in the microphone. This is an important feature for those who are using a headset for business, or for those who are using a headset out in public areas.

Active Vs. Passive Noise-Canceling

If a headset has active noise cancellation, this means the headset uses sound waves to help counteract, or cancel out, background noises.

Passive noise cancellation means the headset uses hardware (extra padding, tighter seals, etc.) to reduce background noises.

If noise cancellation is an important feature for you, and you need your conversations to be as clear and noise-free as possible, look carefully at the product’s noise-canceling technology. Look at how it cancels out noise, and not just whether or not it has noise-canceling.

Water Resistance

Water resistance is less common on headband style headsets, as the headband style is more often used indoors by a business professional at a desk. However, for neckband and earpiece style Bluetooth headsets, water resistance is becoming more of a common feature.

If the product is water resistant, this means it can usually tolerate rain, sweat, spills, and splashes. The product will indicate water resistance in the description of if it has this feature. It should also indicate a water resistance rating (something like IPX5 or IPX8). This indicates the degree of water resistance a device features—an IPX5 rated headset can withstand water jets from any direction, for instance, while one with an IPX8 rating is protected from being immersed in water of more than three meters in depth. Some devices will be rated with a pair of numbers, in which case the first number indicates particle protection, shielding it from dust and dirt, and the second indicating water resistance. In both cases, IP stands for Ingress Protection.

Some headsets may also be shockproof, which means the headset won’t easily break if you drop the device. If you’re planning on using your headset outdoors or during periods of heavy activity, this may be important for you.

Brands And Manufacturers

With some devices, like phones and laptops, the brand is significant. Going with a trusted brand typically leads to a better experience. With Bluetooth headsets, this isn’t necessarily the case, and you can find quality headsets from big-name brands like Astrosoar, Plantronics, and Sennheiser, as well as from brands you’ve never heard of.

Accessories

Headband-style headsets may not come with too many accessories outside of a charging cable, but in-ear style headsets often come with a variety of accessories like extra ear cushions, ear hooks, charging cables, and carrying cases. Neckband style headsets also typically come with accessories like a charging cable, carrying case, and extra ear gels. Look for accessories that promote comfort and flexibility.

Different sizes of ear cushions can be important because there’s nothing worse than having a headset that doesn’t fit properly. If your headset is too big for your ear, it won’t feel comfortable, and it may even fall out while you’re running errands or working out. An ear hook can provide additional support, and help the headset stay in place. It helps to have both a left and right ear hook, so you can choose which side feels better for you.

Conclusion

When you’re shopping for a Bluetooth headset, you’ll find hundreds of different types and styles from a number of different brands. It can be tough to sort through all the fluff and find a quality product that fits your needs, but if you choose a headset with a long battery life, good noise cancellation, water resistance, and the right features and accessories, you should find a headset that’s right for you.

If the headset is for working at a home at a desk, you’ll probably be happy with a comfortable headband unit with a reliable connection, good noise cancellation, and a long enough range to travel into the kitchen for a snack. If you’re looking for a headset you can use at the gym, focus more on factors like stability and making sure the headset will comfortably remain in place during heavy activity. Gym enthusiasts may want a headset with some range, so they can leave their phone in a locker or bag. For outdoor users, durability and battery life may be important factors—water resistance ratings, shock proofing, and battery life.

Finding the right Bluetooth headset is less about cost and brand and more about features and reputation. We have some great options listed above.