Bluetooth headphones use radio waves to connect to devices instead of cables. This makes them easier to use than wired headphones, and you don’t have to worry about tangled wires or yanking things out of place. You also don’t have to worry about moving from one place to another as you can easily take them with you.
While connecting your Bluetooth headphones to your phone is easy, connecting them to your PC or laptop requires extra steps and challenges.
This article will provide a detailed guide on connecting your Bluetooth headphones to your laptop. We’ll also take you through each step in detail and guide you through any problems you might encounter.
Know If Your Device Supports Bluetooth
It’s important to know if your device has Bluetooth before you sit down to connect your Bluetooth headphones.
No worries because in case your device doesn’t support Bluetooth, we still have an action plan on how you can connect your Bluetooth headphones to your PC. But first, let’s find out if your device does support Bluetooth. There are three ways to do this.
Method 1 – Action Center
On Windows 10, check the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. You’d be easily able to spot a Bluetooth icon in your taskbar if your device supports Bluetooth.
If it isn’t showing up, you can open up all the available settings on your device by pressing the “Windows + A” key to open up the action center. Here, you’ll see your device’s available network and connection settings.
If your device supports Bluetooth, you’ll see a Bluetooth option to turn on and off.
Method 2 – Go to Settings
1. Open up your search bar > Go to Settings.
2. Click on Devices > Bluetooth and other devices.
3. Click on Add Bluetooth or other devices> Click on Bluetooth again.
This is another way to turn on Bluetooth on your device.
You’ll get a message like this if your PC doesn’t support Bluetooth.
Method 3 – Device Manager
1. Click ‘Windows + Search’ to open up the Search Panel.
2. Type’ Device Manager.
3. Go through the list and spot Bluetooth with its icon.
4. If you’re able to spot it, then your device does support Bluetooth.
5. However, if you can’t spot it, then your device doesn’t have Bluetooth support.
Luckily, we have a list of options to help you enable Bluetooth on your device.
What to Do When Your Device Doesn’t Have Bluetooth
No need to worry even if your device doesn’t support Bluetooth. You can add Bluetooth to your device through these 2 ways.
1. Using a Bluetooth Dongle
If your device lacks Bluetooth, consider using a Bluetooth adapter. It doesn’t require prior technical knowledge and must be plugged into your computer through the USB port.
Plugging in this device allows you to connect with other Bluetooth devices for a wireless connection.
Here are the steps required to connect a Bluetooth dongle to a PC.
- Insert the Bluetooth Dongle in your PC’s USB port.
- Open Device Manager, and Bluetooth will show up there.
Now you can go to settings and connect your Bluetooth device as usual.
2. Installing a Bluetooth Card
A Bluetooth card is installed in your PC by opening it up and sliding it into the PCIe slot on your motherboard. You can ask a professional to do it safely for you.
The range of these cards is generally more than that of dongles and wouldn’t take up USB port space either.
They’ll also provide more speed when compared to dongles but are more expensive to install, so choose wisely.
Now that your device can support Bluetooth, let’s get into the next step.
Putting Your Headphones Into Discoverable Mode
To connect your Bluetooth headphones to your PC, make sure they are in discoverable mode.
Make sure that both your devices have Bluetooth enabled.
Put your headphones into discovery mode. This varies for every pair of headphones and brand, so check your user manual for instructions.
Some Bluetooth headphones that do not have a pairing button automatically go into pairing mode when you switch them on.
If you successfully put them into pairing mode, you should be able to see your Bluetooth headphones pop up on your PC or laptop, asking to pair.
You’ll see the name of your Bluetooth headphones pop on your PC.
Pairing Bluetooth Headphones With a PC or Laptop
Pairing your Bluetooth headphones should be easy if you’ve already checked whether your device supports Bluetooth.
1. Go to the taskbar in the bottom right-hand corner and click the Bluetooth icon.
2. Alternatively, type ‘windows + A’ to open the action center.
3. Click on Bluetooth among the icons. Click to turn it on if it’s turned off.
Or
1. Go to settings > Devices > Bluetooth and other Devices.
2. Click on Bluetooth and other devices, and if your Bluetooth is turned off, turn it on.
3. Turn on your headphones and make sure they are in pairing mode. Refer to your specific headphone user manual for this.
4. If your headphones are in pairing mode, you’ll see their name pop up on the list of devices your PC can connect to.
5. Click the name of your headphones from the screen and click on connect.
If everything goes according to plan, your Bluetooth headphones should be connected to your PC or laptop by now; congratulations!
Are you still facing issues? No worries, we got you covered. Here is a list of things you can try if you are having trouble.
Troubleshooting When You Aren’t Able to Connect
If you are facing problems connecting to Bluetooth, the issue could either be with your headphones or your PC. We’ll explore both in detail and give you different ways in which you can resolve this issue.
1. Problems With Your Headphones
Go through this list of options before contacting a professional or your headphone manufacturer.
Disconnecting Your Headphones from Other Devices
Headphones have a limit on how many devices they can be connected to at the same time. While some headphones can be connected to 2 or more devices, some only support 1.
If you have other devices to which you’ve previously connected your headphones, it might be worth disconnecting them for now and trying to pair them with your PC or laptop.
Check the Battery Level
Low battery might be why your Bluetooth headphones cannot connect to your PC. On most devices, the processor that controls the device is unable to run at an optimal level. This is why you’ll have trouble connecting to Bluetooth on low charge.
Make sure your device is fully charged if you are having trouble connecting. Plug it in for some time before trying to connect. If the battery on your device is old or you are facing a problem with it, consider contacting your manufacturer for a replacement.
Reset the Headphones
Making certain settings changes might be why your headphones are having trouble connecting to new devices.
Resetting your headphones will help restore them to their original state and allow them to function optimally.
Depending on your brand of headphones, this will vary, so look up how to reset your specific model or refer to the user manual that came with your device.
2. Issues With Your PC
Here’s a list of things you can try out if there’s an issue with your PC that is preventing you from connecting them to your Bluetooth Headphones.
Charge Your Computer
On low charge, Your laptop is usually functioning to turn off any tasks or programs that drain them of their battery. Bluetooth is one of them, as it drains the battery when in use. So make sure to charge your device properly before pairing it up with a new device.
Updating Bluetooth Drivers
A reason why your device might have trouble connecting to Bluetooth is because of an outdated Bluetooth driver. The Bluetooth driver on your PC is the program that lets it connect to other Bluetooth devices. Luckily, this is a simple task and doesn’t require work.
Option 1 – Update Your Bluetooth Driver Automatically
1. ‘Windows + S’ to open up search and type ‘Device Manager.’
2. Look up Bluetooth and select it.
3. Click on your device name.
4. Right-click on the name and choose ‘Update driver.’
5. Click on ‘Search automatically for updated driver software.
6. Follow the next steps, and if everything goes to plan, your PC will automatically update the Bluetooth driver.
If the best driver is already updated, you’ll get a message like this.
Option 2 – Update Your Bluetooth Driver Manually
Updating your driver on your own is risky, as downloading the wrong driver will harm your device, so do proper research and proceed at your own risk.
1. Type ‘Windows + S’ to open up search, and type ‘about your PC’
2. Click on ‘About your PC’
3. This will open up info about your PC and take note of your operating system and Windows edition.
4. Look up your PC manufacturer’s website and download the driver for your system.
5. In this case, we’ll be downloading a Bluetooth driver for a Windows 10 Pro 64-Bit system.
3. Turn Bluetooth on and Off
Turning Bluetooth on and off might work for you as it clears off the errors in connectivity and resets your device. This also enables your PC to start scanning for Bluetooth devices to connect to.
- Go to start > settings > devices > Bluetooth and other devices.
- Select Bluetooth and turn it off.
- Wait for a few seconds and turn it back on.
4. Enable Bluetooth Support Service
Bluetooth support service helps find and connect Bluetooth devices to your PC. It also prevents new Bluetooth devices from being located and connected to your device. Stopping this service will cause connected devices to not operate.
Here’s how to know it is enabled on your PC
1. Type ‘Windows key + S’ and Type ‘Windows Administrative Tools
2. Click on Windows Administrative Tools, and a new tab will open up
3. Choose service among the options.
4. Select Bluetooth Support Service
5. You’ll see its status as ‘running’ if it’s working.
6. If not, select it and choose the play option from the toolbar above.
7. You can also restart the service by clicking on ‘Restart Service.’
5. Reconnect Bluetooth Devices
Even if you’ve successfully connected your Bluetooth headphones to your PC and are still facing issues, it might be worth reconnecting them to fix any bugs. To resolve the issue, forget the device you’ve connected to and establish a new connection.
1. Go to Settings > Device > Bluetooth and other devices.
2. Click on the device you’ve connected to
3. Select ‘Remove Device’
4. Confirm with a ‘Yes’
5. Now follow the steps from above and reconnect your Bluetooth headphones.
6. Run the Bluetooth Troubleshooter
If nothing else works, you can use Windows built-in tool to fix this issue. Windows will automatically run a scan for you and try to find a fix to the problem your device is running into.
1. ‘Windows Key + S’ to open up search and type ‘Troubleshooters.’
2. Click on it and go to ‘Additional Troubleshooters.’
3. Under ‘Find and fix other problems, you’ll find ‘Bluetooth.’
4. Click on it and then click on ‘Run the troubleshooter.
5. Windows will start doing a scan and fix any issues it runs into.
Conclusion
For how easy Bluetooth headphones make your life, there’s still a long list of steps you need to follow to connect them correctly.
We hope this article solves all your doubts regarding connecting your Bluetooth headphones to your PC for a good listening experience.
Remember that the steps for connecting to Bluetooth will vary depending on your devices.
Nonetheless, all of them follow similar steps, and you should be able to connect your device by following the steps outlined in this article.
Hopefully, following these steps helped you successfully connect your bluetooth headphones to your PC and you are able to play your favorite music without anyone noticing.
Samreen Parvez found her love for tech by messing around with the settings on her family’s old digital cameras. This led to a passion for different gadgets and a fascination with all the things they can do. Her interest in all things tech related, combined with a love for writing and research, led her to craft content at Tech Wizard.