How to easily connect AirPods to a Chromebook

Main points

• Pairing AirPods with a Chromebook is even easier thanks to improved Bluetooth settings.
• Instructions for pairing AirPods with a Chromebook apply to all generations of AirPods and ChromeOS versions.
• To pair your AirPods, make sure they’re turned on, place them in the charging case, follow your Chromebook’s Bluetooth settings, and select your AirPods from the list of available devices.

Pairing AirPods with your iPhone or iPad is intuitive and fast. But what if you decide to use it with a Chromebook? If you’ve ever had the experience of digging into the Bluetooth settings menu of any device, you know it can be as much fun as sitting in traffic… while on the phone with your parents or friends diagnosing some kind of IT problem. Fortunately, software designers have embraced Bluetooth’s critical role in the age of smartwatches and wireless headphones and made its setup easier to use. Here’s a quick guide to pairing (and unpairing) your Apple AirPods with your Chromebook.

Which AirPods can connect to a Chromebook?

The photos you’ll see in this article show the second-generation AirPods Pro paired with an HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook. If you’re connecting first-generation AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, or any generation of AirPods, the instructions should be the same.

What versions of ChromeOS are available?

You may notice slight differences in the interface prior to ChromeOS 118, but the instructions are essentially the same for any version of ChromeOS.

How to connect AirPods to a Chromebook

First, make sure your AirPods are turned on – mostly because it’s harder to tell than a Chromebook, which you also need to turn on. For all models except AirPods Max, you will need to place the earphones in the charging case if they are not already in it and make sure the charging case’s LED light is green or amber. For AirPods Max, press the Noise Control button and look at the bottom of the right earphone for a green or amber status light. The lights will stop glowing after a few seconds, so if you need to close and reopen the case lid or press the noise control button again, do so.

Once you’ve confirmed that both devices are active and relatively close to each other (less than 30 feet or 9 meters), follow these steps:

1. On your Chromebook, click time then select the button with Bluetooth symbol on top.
   • The read text might say “Bluetooth,” list the names of connected devices, or note that multiple devices are connected to your Chromebook.
2. choose + Pair new devices.
3. Place the AirPods into the charging case, open the lid, and press and hold the settings button until the LED indicator flashes white. For AirPods Max, press and hold the Noise Control button until the status light shows the same effect.
4. Return to your Chromebook and you should see your AirPods appear in the list of devices ready to pair. Choose your AirPods.

If pairing is successful, you’ll see the AirPods’ LED light turn back to green, and a toast notification will appear at the bottom of your Chromebook screen indicating that the AirPods are connected.

Play sound on your Chromebook and you should be able to hear the sound coming from your AirPods.

How to disconnect AirPods from Chromebook

Disconnecting your AirPods from your Chromebook is even easier, and you can do it on either device.

1. Place your AirPods into the charging case, press and hold the case’s settings button, and then pair them with another device. For AirPods Max, press and hold the noise control button and do the same thing.
2. On your Chromebook, click on the time and select Bluetooth button to find your AirPods and select them. A settings window will pop up.
   • Click disconnect End the currently connected session. They may automatically reconnect if:
     • They went out of range and then came back
     • One or both devices are turned off and then back on, or;
     • Either device tried to pair with the other device but failed.click forget Permanently disconnect the device.

To connect your AirPods to your Chromebook again, you need to go through the pairing process again.

How to troubleshoot

If you’re having trouble pairing your AirPods with your Chromebook, you may want to try a few things to troubleshoot the process:

• Pair one or two of the devices with an unrelated third device. You may find that the problem is with one device.
• Make sure other nearby devices paired with your AirPods are turned off or have their Bluetooth functionality turned off. Putting your AirPods into pairing mode as described above should disable their auto-connect feature, but it’s still worth trying.
• Restart your Chromebook. If a software update is available, install it. If your device is on a Beta, Canary, or Dev ChromeOS build, you may need to set it back to the stable channel – a Powerwash is required during this process.