For decades, the method by which we connect our computers to headphones has been a simple process: turn on the headphones and press a button on your computer, or select “Playback Devices” from the Start menu. Most recent laptops and desktop PCs have Bluetooth functionality built right in—and it’s easy to set up your new devices that way.
But if you’re an older laptop owner who may not be familiar with Windows 10’s built-in Bluetooth features or want to use them with other types of headphones and speakers, there are several steps you can take before connecting your device for the first time:
Turn on your Bluetooth headphones.
To connect Bluetooth headphones to your laptop, you’ll need to turn on the Bluetooth feature on your headphones. This can be done by following the instructions in their user manual or by asking someone who knows how to use them. If you don’t know how to turn on your Bluetooth headphones and need help, there are several resources available:
- Google search “how do I turn on my [brand]?”
- Check out our guide here!
Enable the Bluetooth feature on your computer.
To enable the Bluetooth feature on your computer, go to the control panel and select Network and Internet Settings.
Next, click on the Bluetooth icon in the right-hand corner of your desktop or taskbar. If it doesn’t show up as an option, try restarting your computer by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete (or Close/Restart) while holding down these keys simultaneously.
Make sure that your Bluetooth devices are in pairing mode.
- Make sure that your Bluetooth devices are in pairing mode. To do this, press the power button on both of your Bluetooth devices at the same time for about 30 seconds. When you see a message stating “Pairing – Connected,” press the buttons again to pair them together.
- If you don’t see your headphones listed, try turning them off and on again, or uninstalling and reinstalling the Bluetooth software (if applicable).
Set up your headphones in Windows 10.
To make the connection, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app (it’s in the Start menu).
- Select Network & Internet > Bluetooth and select it in order to find your headphones’ name, which will be listed as something like “Headphones” or something similar to that. If you’re not sure what model number your device has, search online for help with that!
- Click on this name under “Your devices” and then click Pair on your keyboard if prompted by Windows 10’s dialog box; otherwise just skip ahead past that step until we get back to where we were before starting this process all over again…
Takeaway:
- Turn on your Bluetooth headphones and press the power button for a few seconds to turn them on
- Enable the Bluetooth feature on your computer
- Make sure that both devices are in pairing mode (see below) and search for each other using “Scan” or “Discover”
Conclusion
We hope this guide has helped you understand how to connect Bluetooth headphones to your laptop or desktop computer. We’ve covered the basics here, but for more advanced techniques on pairing or troubleshooting issues with your device, check out our articles on setting up Bluetooth on Windows and macOS.
