How to Connect AirPods to a Lenovo Laptop: Easy Pair Guide

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An easy-to-follow guide to pair your AirPods with any Lenovo notebook computer

Co-authored by Darlene Antonelli, MA Reviewed by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: September 15, 2024 Fact Checked

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Connecting in Windows 11

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Connecting in Windows 10

|

What if my AirPods won't connect in Windows?

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Why is AirPods quality so bad in Windows?

Do you want to listen to your AirPods or AirPods Pro on your Lenovo laptop? Luckily, pairing your AirPods is easy on Windows 11 and Windows 10! Once paired, you can listen to music, participate in video conferences, and more. To start, make sure your AirPods are in their charging case near your laptop. This wikiHow article walks you through the process of connecting your AirPods to a Lenovo laptop.

Things You Should Know

With your AirPods inside the case and charging, open the case and press the only button on it (it's also called the sync button).
On your laptop, open Bluetooth Settings, turn on Bluetooth, then click "Add a device" and click your AirPods.
After they are connected, make sure they are the default audio output selection on your computer. Go to "Sound Output" and select your AirPods.

Section 1 of 4:

Connecting in Windows 11

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1
Open Settings. If you're using Windows 11 on your Lenovo laptop, use this method to pair your AirPods. To open Settings, right-click the Windows icon in the taskbar and click Settings.
- You can also press Win + I on your keyboard, or click the gear icon in the Windows menu.^{[1]
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You'll see this on the left side of the window.

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3
Click the switch next to "Bluetooth" to toggle it on
. If the toggle is pointing to the right, it's on.
- Skip this step if Bluetooth is already on.
This will allow you to add anything that's within range and in pairing mode.^{[2]
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5
Put your AirPods in pairing mode. With your AirPods or AirPods Pro inside the case, open the lid and press and hold the button on the back or inside the case.
- Release the button when it flashes white.
6
Select Bluetooth on your computer. You're prompting your laptop to look for Bluetooth signals.
- Your AirPods and anything else that's sending a Bluetooth signal will appear as connectable devices.
They will appear next to an icon of headphones.
Once you click your AirPods, your laptop will try to connect with them. After the pairing is successful, you can click Done and close the window.
9
Select your AirPods for audio output. Click the arrow next to the volume control icon in your taskbar, and select Headphones (AirPods).
- Disconnect your AirPods by either turning off Bluetooth on your laptop or by pressing the button on your AirPods case.

Section 2 of 4:

Connecting in Windows 10

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If you're pairing AirPods to Windows 10, start by pressing Win + I on your keyboard to open your Settings.
This is next to an icon of a keyboard and speaker and says "Bluetooth, printers, mouse."
3
Click the switch next to "Bluetooth" to toggle it on
. If the toggle is pointing to the right, it's on.
- Skip this step if Bluetooth is already on.
It's at the top of the menu and will prompt your computer to look for something.
5
Put your AirPods in pairing mode. With your AirPods inside the case, open the lid and press and hold the button on the back or inside the case.
- Release the button when it flashes white.
They will appear next to an icon of headphones.
Once you click your AirPods, your laptop will try to connect with them. After the pairing is successful, you can click Done and close the window.
8
Select your AirPods for audio output. Click the speaker icon in your taskbar, then click the arrow icon and select Headphones (AirPods Stereo).^{[3]
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- Disconnect your AirPods by either turning off Bluetooth on your laptop or by pressing the button on your AirPods case.

Section 3 of 4:

What if my AirPods won't connect in Windows?

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1
Make sure you have the default audio set to your AirPods. If you're connected, but not hearing sound, you might have your audio output set to the wrong device. Fortunately, you can change your audio output easily. Click the arrow next to your speaker icon (in the taskbar) and select your AirPods.
- You can then adjust the volume louder or softer by moving the slider left and right.
Many times, simply turning it off and turning it back on will fix the issue.
3
Make sure your AirPods are in Pairing Mode. With your AirPods inside the case, open the lid and press and hold the button until a light flashes white. This light can be on the outside or inside of the case.^{[4]
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- It might help to restart pairing mode. To do so, take out your AirPods and close the case, then open the case, and put your AirPods back in before pressing the button on the back of the case.
If you've already turned your laptop off and back on again, but your AirPods aren't showing up in the list, try turning your Bluetooth off and back on.
An out-of-date driver might be all that's causing the issue, update it in your device manager.^{[5]
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If you can connect to other Bluetooth headphones, you know that something is wrong with your AirPods or with your connection between the AirPods.
Some other Bluetooth connections, like that with your mouse, may be negatively interfering with your connection process. You might also have a phone that also has Bluetooth on and that signal is blocking your laptop from your AirPods. The best thing to try here is to remove all Bluetooth-enabled devices away.^{[6]
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The firmware for your AirPods is often updated with a paired iPhone or iPad, so open that AirPods app and update them.^{[7]
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Section 4 of 4:

Why is AirPods quality so bad in Windows?

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If your AirPods are far away from your laptop, you might be getting poor audio quality. To fix this, get closer (within 30-60 feet) to your Lenovo laptop.
A drained battery can make audio sound bad. Just put your AirPods back in their (charged) case for about 20 minutes. If the case is also drained, charging your AirPods might take more than 20 minutes.^{[8]
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