Put your headphones in pairing mode, then select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Add device > Bluetooth and select your headphones in the list. After the first time, they connect by themselves whenever Bluetooth is on and they’re in range.
Applies to: Windows 11.
Before you start
- Charge the headphones and turn them on.
- Put them in pairing mode. On most headphones, you hold the power or Bluetooth button until a light flashes. Check the headphones’ instructions if you’re not sure. Beats headphones are covered in connecting Beats to Windows 11.
- Keep them close to the laptop, within a few feet.
Pair your headphones
- Select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices.
- Make sure Bluetooth is On.
- Next to Devices, select Add device.
- Select Bluetooth.
- Select your headphones when they appear in the list.
- If a PIN appears, check that it matches, then select Connect. Select Done when it says your device is ready.
Play a song or video to test the sound.
The faster way from the taskbar
- Select the network, speaker, or battery icon next to the time.
- Select the arrow next to the Bluetooth tile.
- Select your headphones under New devices.
Pair with one click using Swift Pair
Many newer headphones support Swift Pair. Turn it on under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices > Show notifications to connect using Swift Pair. Then put the headphones in pairing mode near the laptop, and a notification appears. Select Connect and you’re done.
If sound still comes from the laptop
Select the speaker icon on the taskbar, then the arrow next to the volume slider. Choose your headphones from the list.
If your headphones don’t show up
- Turn Bluetooth off and on again, and put the headphones back in pairing mode.
- Unpair the headphones from your phone or other devices nearby. Many headphones connect to the last device they used.
- In Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices, set Bluetooth devices discovery to Advanced, then try again.
- No Bluetooth switch at all? Start by turning on Bluetooth in Windows 11.
Fix sound problems after pairing
- Music sounds flat or tinny during calls. When an app uses the headphone microphone, Windows switches to a lower-quality call mode. Use the laptop’s own microphone for calls, or choose your headphones’ high-quality stereo output in the app’s audio settings.
- Sound stutters or cuts out. Keep the laptop within a few meters, away from Wi-Fi routers and USB 3 devices, and update the Bluetooth driver from your PC maker.
- The volume is very low. Turn up the volume on the headphones as well as in Windows. Some headphones have their own volume limit in their app. If there’s no sound at all, see how to fix no sound in Windows 11.
- The headphones keep disconnecting. In Device Manager, open the Bluetooth adapter’s Properties, select Power Management, and clear Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
You can check the headphones’ battery level under Bluetooth & devices, if the model supports it. If sound problems continue after these fixes, the Bluetooth and Audio troubleshooters are covered in running a troubleshooter in Windows 11.
Frequently asked questions
How do I disconnect the headphones?
Turn them off, or go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices, select … next to them, and select Disconnect. They stay paired for next time.
Can I use wired headphones or speakers instead?
Yes. Plug them in and pick them as the output device. Speakers that stay silent are covered in turning on computer speakers in Windows 11.
Can I connect two Bluetooth headphones at once?
Not reliably. Windows plays sound through one Bluetooth audio device at a time. Some headphones and laptops support LE Audio sharing, but it isn’t common yet.
Do I need to pair the headphones every time?
No. After the first pairing, turn the headphones on near the laptop and they usually reconnect on their own. If not, select them in Bluetooth & devices and choose Connect.
Can I use AirPods with a Windows 11 laptop?
Yes. Put them in the case, open the lid, hold the button on the back until the light flashes white, then pair them like any other headphones.
Want sound on your headphones and speakers together? You can use two audio outputs in Windows 11. For AirPods, there is a separate walkthrough on connecting AirPods to a Windows 11 PC.
Microsoft’s own instructions are in Pair a Bluetooth device in Windows.
Matt Jacobs writes and maintains the guides on Support Your Tech, which he started in 2017. He spent most of his career keeping small-business PCs running and still takes the occasional consulting job, so the steps here come from fixing the same problems on other people’s computers. Every guide is checked on his own Windows 11, Windows 10, Mac, iPhone and iPad before it goes up.