- Pair a Bluetooth device in Windows
- Turn on Bluetooth
- To pair a Bluetooth device
- To pair a Bluetooth printer or scanner
- To pair a Bluetooth device using Swift Pair
- Turn on Bluetooth
- To pair a Bluetooth headset, speaker, or other audio device
- To pair a Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, or other device
- To pair a Bluetooth printer or scanner
- To pair a Bluetooth device using Swift Pair
- Related topics
- How to Connect Bluetooth Headphones to a PC
- In This Article
- What to Know
- How to Set Up New Bluetooth Headphones on Windows
- Set Up Bluetooth Headphones on a Mac
- Fixing Possible Bluetooth Problems
- If Your Computer Doesn’t Have Bluetooth
- How to Check for Bluetooth on a Windows PC
- How to Check for Bluetooth on a Mac
Pair a Bluetooth device in Windows
You can pair all kinds of Bluetooth devices with your PC—including keyboards, mice, phones, speakers, and a whole lot more. To do this, your PC needs to have Bluetooth. Some PCs, such as laptops and tablets, have Bluetooth built in. If your PC doesn’t, you can plug a USB Bluetooth adapter into the USB port on your PC to get it.
Before you start, make sure that your Windows 11 PC supports Bluetooth. For more info on how to check, see Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows. If you need help adding a device without Bluetooth capabilities, see Add a device to a Windows PC.
Turn on Bluetooth
After you’ve checked that your Windows 11 PC supports Bluetooth, you’ll need to turn it on. Here’s how:
- In Settings: Select Start >Settings >Bluetooth & devices , and then turn on Bluetooth .
- In quick settings: To find the quick setting for Bluetooth, select the Network, Sound, or Battery icons ( ) next to the time and date on the right side of your taskbar. Select Bluetooth to turn it on. If it’s turned on without any Bluetooth devices connected, it might appear as Not connected .
To pair a Bluetooth device
- Turn on your Bluetooth device and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufacturer’s website to learn how.
- On your PC, select the Network , Sound, or Battery icons ( ) next to the time and date on the right side of your taskbar.
- Select Manage Bluetooth devices on the Bluetooth quick setting, then select your device under New devices.
Your Bluetooth device and PC will usually automatically connect anytime the two devices are in range of each other with Bluetooth turned on.
Tip: If you don’t see the Bluetooth device you want displayed in the list, you may need to set the Bluetooth devices discovery setting to Advanced. To learn how, see Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows.
To pair a Bluetooth printer or scanner
- Turn on your Bluetooth printer or scanner and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufacturer’s website to learn how.
- Select Start >Settings >Bluetooth & devices >Printers & scanners >Add device. Wait for it to find nearby printers, choose the one you want to use, then select Add device.
If you’re having problems installing your printer or scanner, see either Fix printer problems or Install and use a scanner in Windows.
To pair a Bluetooth device using Swift Pair
Swift Pair in Windows 11 lets you quickly pair a supported Bluetooth device with your PC. If the Bluetooth device supports Swift Pair, you’ll receive a notification when it’s nearby and you put it into pairing mode to make it discoverable.
- Turn on a Bluetooth device that supports Swift Pair and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufacturer’s website to learn more.
- If this is your first time using Swift Pair, select Yes when asked if you want to get notifications and use Swift Pair.
- When a notification appears that a new Bluetooth device was found, select Connect.
Before you start, make sure that your Windows 10 PC supports Bluetooth. For more info on how to check, see Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows 10. If you need help adding a device without Bluetooth capabilities, see Add a device to a Windows 10 PC.
Turn on Bluetooth
After you’ve checked that your Windows 10 PC supports Bluetooth, you’ll need to turn it on. Here’s how:
In Settings: Select Start > Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices, and turn on Bluetooth.
In action center: Action center can be found next to time and date on your taskbar. On the taskbar, select action center ( or ), then select Bluetooth to turn it on. If it’s turned off, it might appear as Not connected.
If you don’t see Bluetooth in your action center, here’s how you can change it:
- Expand quick actions. On the taskbar, select action center ( or ) >Expand. Bluetooth should appear here. It will appear as Bluetooth or Not connected.
- Add Bluetooth to action center. Select Start >Settings >System >Notifications & actions >Quick actions. Go to Add or remove quick actions and turn on Bluetooth.
Note: For more info about how to change the apps and settings that appear in action center, see Change notification and action settings in Windows 10.
To pair a Bluetooth headset, speaker, or other audio device
- Turn on your Bluetooth audio device and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufacturer’s website to learn how.
- On your PC, select Start >Settings >Devices >Bluetooth & other devices >Add Bluetooth or other device >Bluetooth. Choose the device and follow additional instructions if they appear, then select Done. Your Bluetooth device and PC will usually automatically connect anytime the two devices are in range of each other with Bluetooth turned on.
To pair a Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, or other device
- Turn on your Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, or other device and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufactur’s website to learn how.
- On your PC, select Start >Settings >Devices >Bluetooth & other devices >Add Bluetooth or other device >Bluetooth. Choose the device and follow additional instructions if they appear, then select Done.
To pair a Bluetooth printer or scanner
- Turn on your Bluetooth printer or scanner and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufacturer’s website to learn how.
- Select Start >Settings >Devices >Printers & scanners >Add a printer or scanner. Wait for it to find nearby printers, then choose the one you want to use and select Add device.
If you’re having installation issues with your printer or scanner, see either Fix printer problems or Install and use a scanner in Windows 10.
To pair a Bluetooth device using Swift Pair
Swift Pair in Windows 10 lets you quickly pair a supported Bluetooth device with your PC. If the Bluetooth device supports Swift Pair, you’ll receive a notification when it’s nearby and you put it into pairing mode to make it discoverable.
- Turn on a Bluetooth device that supports Swift Pair and make it discoverable. The way you make it discoverable depends on the device. Check the device or visit the manufacturer’s website to learn more.
- If this is your first time using Swift Pair, select Yes when asked if you want to get notifications and use Swift Pair.
- When a notification appears that a new Bluetooth device was found, select Connect.
- After it’s connected, select Close.
Tip: If you’re a small business owner looking for more information on how to get Microsoft 365 set up, visit Small business help & learning.
Related topics
How to Connect Bluetooth Headphones to a PC
Michael Archambault is a technology writer and digital media specialist. His work has appeared in Mobile Nations, Amazon’s Digital Photography Review, PetaPixel, and other outlets.
Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years’ experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
In This Article
What to Know
- Put the headphones into pairing mode. Refer to your headphones’ manual for specific instructions.
- Windows: Go to Bluetooth & other devices >Add device >Bluetooth and choose your headphones.
- Mac: Select the Apple menu >System Preferences >Bluetooth and choose your headphones.
This article explains how to connect your Bluetooth headphones to Windows or Mac computers.
How to Set Up New Bluetooth Headphones on Windows
The process for setting up Bluetooth headphones varies somewhat by platform, but here are the steps for Windows 11:
- Select Start and enter Bluetooth in the search box to bring up Bluetooth & other devices.
Select Add device (or Add Bluetooth or other device on Windows 10).
Select Bluetooth.
Set Up Bluetooth Headphones on a Mac
You need to complete this pairing process only once at setup. When you turn on your headphones and are in range, they automatically connect to your computer.
- Select the Apple icon on the desktop.
Select System Preferences.
Select Bluetooth.
Wait for the headphones to appear on the device list, then select Connect.
Fixing Possible Bluetooth Problems
If your headphones have not paired correctly with your computer, turn the headphones off and start the process again from the beginning. Review the directions for putting them into pairing mode in their manual.
If you have confirmed that they are in the proper mode and your headphones won’t pair with your computer, restart both devices.
If the problem persists, contact the headphone manufacturer for more assistance.
If Your Computer Doesn’t Have Bluetooth
Most modern computers have Bluetooth capabilities. If yours doesn’t, you’ll have to add Bluetooth to your computer using a Bluetooth dongle, which is a thumb-sized device that plugs into a USB port. Once you’ve installed it, proceed as described above.
How to Check for Bluetooth on a Windows PC
Use the Windows Device Manager to check for Bluetooth functionality. Here’s how:
Select Device Manager >Open.
Expand Network Adapters.
If the expanded list shows a device with Bluetooth in its name, you have a Bluetooth adapter on your computer.
How to Check for Bluetooth on a Mac
On a Mac, go to the Apple menu > System Preferences > Bluetooth. If it has Bluetooth, the preferences include options to enable Bluetooth and make your device discoverable.