Apple’s AirPods have amassed a vast customer base globally due to their high quality and sleek design, but some people assume that they can only be used with other Apple products. Luckily, that’s not the case. So, how can you connect AirPods to an HP laptop?
To connect your AirPods to an HP laptop, open the AirPods’ charging case and press and hold the button on the back to put them into pairing mode. Head to your laptop and open the Bluetooth settings in the ‘Windows’ menu, then click on the name of your AirPods to pair them with your laptop.
Connecting the AirPods to a non-Apple device, like an HP laptop, is fairly straightforward, but there are some hiccups that can occur. Let’s get into the details of how to connect your AirPods to your HP laptop and resolve any issues that may arise.
Can Airpods Connect to HP Laptops?
Although it may be a surprise to some, Apple’s AirPods (on Amazon) aren’t exclusively made for use with other Apple products. In fact, AirPods can connect with any audio device that supports Bluetooth functionality.
Since most modern laptops, including HP, have Bluetooth, you can easily connect your AirPods to them and listen to your favorite music, podcasts, or audiobooks. Pairing and using your AirPods on your laptop is similar to the process used for any other Bluetooth headphones or headset.
If you have an older HP laptop that doesn’t have Bluetooth functionality, you can use a Bluetooth adapter (on Amazon) to connect your AirPods.
Before you proceed to the pairing process, it’s important to ensure your AirPods are fully charged, or they’ll stutter continuously or even fail to connect to your laptop. AirPods usually take about 20 minutes to charge fully, and the case itself takes about an hour to charge completely.
Step 1: Open Your AirPods Case and Press the Button on the Back
Open the charging case and take out your AirPods. Press and hold the button on the back of the charging case until the signal light on the case turns white and starts flashing. This puts the AirPods into pairing mode.
Step 2: Open Bluetooth Settings in the Windows Menu
Open Bluetooth settings in the Windows menu and turn on Bluetooth. Press “Windows + A” on your keyboard. Right-click on the Bluetooth icon and click on “Go to Settings.”
Alternatively, press “Windows + I” to open Windows settings, then go to “Devices” and select “Bluetooth & other devices.” Toggle on Bluetooth, and a notification will appear stating that your laptop is now discoverable.
Step 3: Click on the AirPods Logo and Pair Your Device
On your laptop, you should see the name of your AirPods with the logo beside it in the list of discoverable Bluetooth devices. Put the AirPods in your ears, then select “AirPods” from the Bluetooth list to pair the devices. You should hear a light beep once your AirPods successfully pair with your laptop.
Troubleshooting Tips
While Bluetooth connection between AirPods and laptops is often seamless, sometimes issues such as software glitches may occur, causing problems with the connection of the devices. Fortunately, there are several troubleshooting tips that can quickly resolve the issue. They include:
Fully Charge Your AirPods
If your AirPods have low battery, they might fail to connect to your laptop. So, make sure you completely charge your airpods before pairing them with your laptop.
Check If Bluetooth Is Turned On
Sometimes the issue may be pretty simple. It could be that your laptop’s Bluetooth is off or that the laptop is in airplane mode. Before trying out more complex solutions, confirm that Bluetooth is on by going to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth.
If Bluetooth is on yet there’s no connection, try turning it off and then on again after a few minutes to see if it fixes the problem.
Disconnect Your AirPods From Nearby Apple Devices
When taking out your AirPods from their case, nearby Apple devices may pick up the signal and connect to them. Since manual pairing on Windows is a snail compared to Apple’s instant pairing speed, and Bluetooth pairing works on a first-come-first-serve basis, your AirPods might automatically connect with another Apple device.
To prevent this, turn off Bluetooth on all other nearby devices — especially Apple devices. If you want to turn off Bluetooth on those other devices, go to the Bluetooth settings on each and click on “Forget” next to your AirPods’ name.
Restart Your Laptop
Restarting or resetting the laptop is an easy fix that can quickly iron out the problem if a software glitch caused it. You can restart your HP laptop from the start menu or press and hold the power button until the laptop shuts off. Once the laptop has powered off, press the power button again to turn it back on.
Run the Windows Troubleshooter
It could be that the problem is with your laptop rather than the AirPods. If that’s so, try running Windows troubleshooter to sort out the drawback. Here’s how:
- Go to “Settings” and select “Updates & Security.”
- Click “Troubleshoot,” select “Bluetooth,” and click “Run the troubleshooter.”
- Wait for Windows to detect the possible issue. After a few minutes, you may get recommendations to fix the problem. Apply the recommended fix and see if it works.
Update Your Laptop’s Bluetooth Driver
An outdated driver is one of the major causes of Bluetooth connection problems. You can follow these steps to update your laptop’s Bluetooth driver manually:
- Open “Settings,” click on “Updates & Security,” and select “Windows Update.”
- Click on “Check for updates.” (If there are no available updates, there won’t be an option to check for updates).
- Select “View optional updates” and click on “Driver updates.”
- Choose Bluetooth from the list and then click “Download and install.”
If you can’t find a new Bluetooth driver, visit HP’s website and download the latest Bluetooth driver.
Reset Your AirPods
Resetting your AirPods and pairing them with your laptop again has also worked for some people facing a similar issue. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to “Settings” on your laptop.
- Select “Bluetooth” and click “Forget this device” next to the name of your AirPods.
- Put the AirPods back in their case, close the lid, and wait for around 30 seconds.
- Open the lid, then press and hold the pair button on the back of the case until the status light blinks amber a few times, followed by constantly flashing white.
- You should now be able to connect your AirPods to your HP laptop.
While exploring any of these troubleshooting tips, ensure your AirPods are clean and free of debris, which can make them glitch when you try to connect them to your laptop.
If you’ve tried everything, but the problem persists, you can always narrow down the source by testing your AirPods with other devices. If they work fine with other devices, then the issue lies with your laptop.
If the AirPods don’t work with multiple devices, then there might be an underlying issue with your AirPods. You can contact Apple support for help. If you’re still under warranty, you may get a replacement for free.