AirPods Not Showing Up on Bluetooth

Pairing AirPods is really simple and enjoyable. All you have to do is wait for the setup animation to appear, open the case, and place it next to your iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone. The procedure is simpler but still straightforward if you use a Mac: navigate to the Bluetooth settings screen and press and hold the Setup button on the case.

AirPods can be associated with any Bluetooth device, even though their performance is best when used in conjunction with an Apple product. However, for other users, this was not the case; they discovered that their AirPods were no longer listed among the Bluetooth devices that were available on Mac, Windows, and Android. Learn why something similar happens and how to fix it fast by following along.

Why Are My AirPods Not Showing Up on Bluetooth?

There are numerous potential causes for your AirPods’ inability to establish a Bluetooth connection with your devices. You must first review the prerequisites for the AirPods software.

Model	iPhone or iPod touch	iPad	Mac	Apple Watch	Apple TV
AirPods (1st generation)	iOS 10 or later	iOS 10 or later	macOS Sierra or later	watchOS 3 or later	tvOS 11 or later
AirPods (2nd generation)	iOS 12.2 or later	iOS 12.2 or later	macOS 10.14.4 or later	watchOS 5.2 or later	tvOS 12.2 or later
AirPods (3rd generation)	iOS 15.1 or later	iPadOS 15.1 or later	macOS 12 or later	watchOS 8.1 or later	tvOS 15.1 or later
AirPods Pro (1st generation)	iOS 13.2 or later	iPadOS 13.2 or later	macOS 10.15.1 or later	watchOS 6.1 or later	tvOS 13.2 or later
AirPods Pro (2nd generation)	iOS 16 or later	iPadOS 16.1 or later	macOS Ventura	watchOS 9 or later	tvOS 16 or later

Now, there’s a chance that the AirPods or the charging case have a low battery. Therefore, check that everything is charged completely before proceeding to more intricate fixes.

Any physical damage or filth that needs to be cleaned up is another crucial detail to consider. Furthermore, there may still be issues with the software updates or Bluetooth hardware. In the section that follows, we shall discuss these situations.

How Do I Get My AirPods to Show on My Bluetooth?

1. Check the Battery Percentage

Place your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch close to the case when the lid is open and your AirPods are still inside. It will take a few seconds before you can see how much charge your AirPods have.

Simply putting your AirPods in their case will begin the charging process if their battery is too low. You may charge your AirPods without stopping wherever you are because your case has the capacity to hold multiple full charges.

But if you also need to charge the case, just attach the Lightning cord that came with your AirPods to the Lightning socket on the case. The other end of the cable should then be plugged into a USB port or charger. Certain AirPods can also be charged using a MagSafe charger.

2. Update Your Operating System and Reset the AirPods

Depending on which operating system you’re running, follow these steps to update to the most recent version and reset your AirPods.

Check to see if your iPad or iPhone is running the most recent version of iPadOS or iOS. You can do this by going to Settings > General > Software Update and tapping Download and Install.
If you’re using a Mac, ensure that your Mac is running the most recent version of macOS. In macOS Ventura or newer, go to System Settings > General > Software Update. With earlier versions of macOS, just go to System Preferences > Software Update. If there are updates, go ahead and download and install them.
If you are using Windows, go to Settings > Windows Update and press the Check for updates button.
If you are using an Android device, go to Settings > System Update.
Put your AirPods inside the case and wait for 30 seconds. Unpair your AirPods from your Apple or non-Apple device, if they appear there.
Press and hold the setup button on the case’s rear for about 15 seconds, until the status light flashes amber and then white.
Reconnect your AirPods by placing them close to your iPhone or iPad with the charging case lid open and your AirPods inside.
Next, follow the actions shown on your device’s screen. Make sure that your Bluetooth is on for Macs or other non-Apple devices.

3. Turn Bluetooth Connection Off and On

Your iPhone, iPad, or Mac may have a problematic Bluetooth module that keeps your AirPods from starting the setup animation or showing up in the Bluetooth device settings. Try turning Bluetooth off and back on to see if it helps.

Open the iOS Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, then select Bluetooth. On the screen that appears, turn off the switch next to Bluetooth, wait ten seconds, and then turn it back on.

To turn on and off Bluetooth on the Mac, click the Bluetooth icon in Control Center.

4. Put AirPods into Manual Pairing Mode

Try manually pairing your AirPods if the iPhone or iPad’s automatic pairing method isn’t working. To accomplish that, select Bluetooth from the Settings pane, then press and hold the Setup button located on the rear of the AirPods case. Press to pair the wireless earphones if they show up in the Other Devices column.

To activate manual pairing mode on the AirPods Max, press and hold the Noise Control button for a minimum of five seconds.

5. Reset AirPods

You need to reset your AirPods in order to resolve several connectivity-related problems. In order to reset the AirPods and AirPods Pro, open the case lid and press and hold the Setup button located on the rear of the device until the amber status light becomes white.

Press and hold the Noise Control button and the Digital Crown until the status light turns white to reset the AirPods Max.

6. Unpair AirPods from Bluetooth

If the issue arises when trying to pair the AirPods following a reset, it’s probably due to incompatibilities with the previous Bluetooth pairing setup. Try it again after removing it from your Mac, iPhone, or iPad.

Navigate to the Bluetooth interface on your iPhone or iPad, find the device that was previously paired, and tap the Info icon that appears next to it. Next, select “Forget This Device.”

Open the Apple menu in macOS, choose System Preferences/Settings, then select Bluetooth. Then choose Forget by using a control-click on the AirPods.

7. Update Your Apple Device

Resolving software-related incompatibilities that cause pairing problems with AirPods may include updating your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. As of this writing, for instance, AirPods could only be paired with Apple devices running macOS Monterey, iOS 15.1, and iPadOS 15.1.

To update to the most recent version of iOS and iPadOS, open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and navigate to General > Software Update.

To install pending macOS upgrades, launch the System Preferences/Settings program on the Mac and choose Software Update.

8. Reset Network Settings

If your malfunctioning Bluetooth configuration is the cause of your AirPods connection problems, you can try resetting the network settings on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

To reset the network settings on an iPhone or iPad, navigate to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone/iPad > Reset and select Reset Network Settings. After the reset process, get ready to manually connect to any Wi-Fi networks.

9. Restart Your Apple Devices

Try resetting the device you’re trying to link your AirPods with if they don’t appear on Bluetooth or start the setup animation.

To quickly start a system reboot on an iPhone or iPad, open Siri, type “Restart iPhone,” and then select Restart from the confirmation pop-up menu. The screen goes black, and then the Apple logo appears. To regain access, enter the passcode on your iOS device.

On a Mac, click the Apple menu, choose Restart, uncheck the option next to Reopen Windows when you log back in, and then select Restart once more.

10. Contact Apple Support

You can address typical difficulties with AirPods not pairing or appearing on Bluetooth by attempting the workarounds described in this tutorial. There are other fixes to try, such resetting the AirPods or updating the apps on your gadgets.

In the event that you link your AirPods, you won’t need to do it again on any other Apple device because Bluetooth pairing is synchronized with both your Apple ID and iCloud. Update the firmware on your AirPods instead than wasting time on other things.

Take your AirPods to an Apple Store or get in touch with Apple Support if none of the aforementioned options resolve the issue. Either your charging case or your AirPods could be the problem. If your AirPods are brand-new or still covered under warranty, you can count on Apple to replace them.