Although there may be cheaper wireless headphones than AirPods, Apple’s small wireless headphones hit the market and revolutionized this type of device due to issues like size, autonomy, or charging case, but also promised universal connectivity and easy transitions between the provided devices and the audio source , especially when it came to switching listening from an iPhone to a Mac and from there to an iPad and later to an Apple TV. It wasn’t always as easy as AirPods users know.
Apple AirPods can be connected to almost any type of device via Bluetooth
Thanks to the universalization of the Bluetooth wireless connectivity protocol, AirPods have a life beyond the Apple branded products, but even those of their “family” may find that connecting at least the first time requires a certain protocol to be paired first, which is usually later enables fast and efficient communication between the device and the headset.
We are going to review the following steps, in particular how to connect the AirPods to a computer and also to the AppleTV, the home device that serves as a multimedia console to consume audiovisual content from the TV.
How to connect AirPods headphones with a Mac computer Keep in mind that Apple recommends installing the macOS Mojave 10.14.4 or higher operating system for users with second generation AirPods, while AirPods Pro users must install the Catalina 10.15.1 or higher operating system. After verifying this, the following steps need to be followed:
-Open the System Preferences System and select the bluetooth section to enable connectivity.
– Place both headphones into the charging cradle and open the lid.
-Press the button on the charging case until a white light flashes and release the button when that flash appears.
-Check in the device list found that the AirPods appear in the bluetooth range.
In case you want to connect AirPods headphones with a Windows computer the following steps must be followed:
-Open the settings menu from home.
-Select devices-Bluetooth and select the option «Add Bluetooth device»
– Place both headphones into the charging cradle and open the lid.
-Press the button on the charging case and select the detected AirPods device when it appears on the screen by clicking Done.
Regarding connecting the AirPods to an AppleTV, you can enjoy audiovisual content on the TV, but send the audio signal to the wireless headphones, which can be a recommended option so as not to disturb the neighbors or wake up the rest of the roommates at home while taking a nap or at night.
The first detail to consider is that if the AppleTV and AirPods are linked to the same AppleID (Apple’s User ID) the connection should be completely automatic, but if it doesn’t, the following steps must be followed:
-Put the AirPods inside from the charging case.
-Access the settings menu of the AppleTV and go to the Remotes & Other Devices menu and select the latter option.
-In the Other Devices section AirPods should be recognized (may show “Not Connected”).
-Open the lid of the charging case the AirPods and press the button until a white light flashes. At this moment they appear in the “My Devices” selection and show “Connected”.
Alternatively, there is another option to connect the audio from AppleTV to AirPods. In this case you need to have the Menu «Video and Audio», where the section «Audio output» is located with which you can send the audio signal to the television or to some speakers, depending on the case (if available and properly connected via the HDMI connection of the AppleTV). There’s an option called “Temporary Audio Out” that allows you to connect to WiFi speakers or, in this case, AirPods.
Here you have to repeat the step of opening the cover of the charging case with the two headphones inside and pressing the button of the case until the white light flashes, indicating that the pairing has been successfully completed.
