AirPods Won't Connect to Your Mac? Re-pair and Reset Them

Your AirPods won’t connect to your Mac, don’t show up in Bluetooth, or keep jumping back to your iPhone instead.

Why: AirPods connect over Bluetooth and need enough charge to wake up. The usual causes are a near-empty case, an out-of-date macOS, or a pairing bond that’s gone stale — so charge them, update, then re-pair before resetting.

Fix 1: Charge them and confirm Bluetooth is on

1. Put both AirPods in the case and make sure they’re charging (leave the lid open for a moment so they register).
2. On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Bluetooth and make sure Bluetooth is on.
3. With charge restored, try connecting again from the Bluetooth list or the Control Center > sound menu.

Flat AirPods simply won’t advertise themselves — charging is the most common fix.

Fix 2: Update macOS

Bluetooth connection bugs are frequently fixed by system updates, and AirPods features depend on a current macOS.

1. System Settings > General > Software Update.
2. Install any available macOS update, then try connecting again.

Fix 3: Re-pair the AirPods with the case button

If they still won’t connect, force a fresh pairing.

1. Put both AirPods in the case and open the lid, keeping the case near your Mac.
2. For AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3: double-tap the front of the case until the status light flashes white.
3. For all other models: press and hold the setup button on the back of the case until the status light flashes white.
4. On the Mac, open System Settings > Bluetooth, find the AirPods in the list, and click Connect (follow any on-screen steps).

Fix 4: Reset the AirPods (last resort)

If pairing still fails, reset them and start clean.

1. In System Settings > Bluetooth, click the info (i) button next to your AirPods and choose Forget This Device (then confirm).
2. Put both AirPods in the case, lid open.
3. Press and hold the setup button for about 15 seconds until the status light flashes amber, then white.
4. Re-pair as in Fix 3.

FAQ

They keep switching to my iPhone. That’s automatic device switching. Pause audio on the phone, or in System Settings > Bluetooth connect the AirPods to the Mac manually; you can also disable automatic switching in the AirPods settings.

Only one AirPod connects. Put both back in the case, make sure both are charging (Fix 1), close the lid for 10 seconds, then re-pair (Fix 3).

They show as connected but no sound. Set them as the output device in Control Center > sound (or System Settings > Sound > Output).

Sources: Apple Support — If your AirPods or AirPods Pro won’t connect, Apple Support — Set up AirPods with your Mac and other Bluetooth devices