Pairing yourAirPodsto an iPhone or iPad is intuitive and frighteningly fast. But what if you decide on using it with aChromebook? If you have any sort of experience digging into theBluetoothsettings menu of any device, you know that it can be as fun as sitting in traffic… while on the phone with your parents or a friend diagnosing some sort of IT problem. Fortunately, software designers have embraced Bluetooth’s critical mass in the age of smartwatches and wireless earbuds and have made its settings much easier to use. Here’s a quick guide to pairing (and unpairing) your Apple AirPods with your Chromebook.
Which AirPods can connect to Chromebooks?
The photos you’ll see in this article feature the second-gen AirPods Pro pairing to anHP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook. The instructions should be the same if you’re connecting the first-gen AirPods Pro,AirPods Max, or any generation AirPods.
Best AirPods tips and tricks: Get more out of Apple’s headphones
Our top tested hacks on how to get the most out of your AirPods from extending the battery, having messages announced, and more.
Which versions of ChromeOS will work?
You may note minor differences in the interface prior to ChromeOS 118, but the instructions are materially the same for any version of ChromeOS.
How to connect your AirPods to a Chromebook
To begin, make sure your AirPods are turned on – mostly because it’s a bit harder to tell than it is for a Chromebook, which you also want turned on. For all models except the AirPods Max, you’ll want to place the earbuds in the charging case if they aren’t already there and make sure that the case’s LED indicator is glowing either green or amber. For AirPods Max, press the Noise Control button and look at the bottom of the right earphone for a status light glowing green or amber. These lights stop glowing after a few seconds, so if you need to close and then re-open the case lid or press the Noise Control button again, do that.
Once you’ve confirmed both devices are active and relatively close to each other – less than 30 feet or 9 meters – perform the following steps:
If the pairing is successful, you’ll see your AirPods' LED indicator shift back to green and a toast notification at the bottom of your Chromebook’s screen saying that the AirPods have been connected.
Play a sound on your Chromebook and you should be able to hear it coming out of your AirPods.
How to disconnect AirPods from Chromebook
Disconnecting your AirPods from your Chromebook is even simpler and you can do it from either device.
To connect your AirPods with your Chromebook again, you’ll need to perform the pairing process again.
How to troubleshoot
If you’re having trouble pairing up your AirPods with a Chromebook, you might want to try a few things to troubleshoot the process:
