When you imagine using a pair of Apple AirPods, you probably imagine using them to listening to music on an iPhone. But AirPods are actually quite versatile; they can be used with any device that has a Bluetooth connection, including a Microsoft Surface laptop. So, how do you connect the two?
To connect your AirPods to a Surface laptop, open Bluetooth settings on the laptop and toggle Bluetooth on. Select “Add Bluetooth or other device” and then “Bluetooth.” Finally, put your AirPods into pairing mode and select them from the list of devices on the laptop to complete the connection.
That’s the general idea, but there are several more things to know in order to get it right. Let’s break down the process into a list of simple steps so that you can get started using your AirPods with your Surface laptop.
How to Connect AirPods to a Surface Laptop
Connecting a pair of Apple AirPods to a Surface laptop is a quick and simple process that can be done in a few steps. Here’s how you can do it:
- Make sure your AirPods are fully charged and within close proximity to your Surface laptop.
- On your Surface laptop, go to the Start menu and click on the Settings icon.
- From the Settings menu, select “Devices.”
- In the Devices menu, select “Bluetooth & other devices.”
- If it’s not already on, turn on Bluetooth by moving the toggle switch to the “On” position.
- Place your AirPods in pairing mode by pressing and holding the button on the back of the AirPods case until the LED light on the front of the case starts flashing.
- On your Surface Laptop, click on “Add Bluetooth or other device.”
- Select “Bluetooth” from the list of available devices.
- Your AirPods should appear in the list of available Bluetooth devices. Select your AirPods and they should begin to pair.
- Once the pairing process is complete, your AirPods should be connected to your Surface laptop and ready to use.
With these steps, you should be able to successfully connect your AirPods to your Surface laptop and enjoy seamless audio playback. Once you’re done, you can simply put the AirPods back in their case, and they should disconnect.
How to Change Audio Output on a Surface Laptop
One of the most common issues that people have when they connect their AirPods to a Surface laptop is despite the fact that the headphones say they’re connected, audio continues to come from the laptop’s speakers.
Thankfully, this problem is easy to fix; you just need to change your audio output settings.
To do this on a Surface laptop, look to the bottom right corner of your screen for the audio icon. It should look like a speaker with sound waves coming out of it. Right click on this icon and then select “Open Sound settings.”
Once you’re in the sound settings, you should see text at the top that says “Choose your output device” with a drop box directly below it. Whichever option is selected from this drop box is where your computer’s audio is going to come from. Sp, open the dropbox, select your AirPods, and your sound should now be coming from your headphones.
What to Do if Your AirPods Won’t Connect
In case you encounter any issues during the pairing process, you can try resetting your AirPods by pressing and holding the button on the back of the AirPods case for 15 seconds until the LED light flashes rapidly. Then, repeat the steps above to reconnect your AirPods to your Surface laptop.
If that doesn’t fix the issue, then it could be that your laptop that’s having the problem. The best thing to do here is to reset your laptop by turning it off and back on again.
Simply hit the Start button in the bottom left, select the power icon, and then hit “Shut Down.” Once the screen goes black, wait a few seconds and then hit the power button on your laptop to turn it back on. Once it powers back up, try repeating the steps listed above, and hopefully your AirPods will connect without issue.
How to Unpair AirPods From a Surface Laptop
To unpair your AirPods from your Surface laptop, you first need to repeat the steps from before to get to your Bluetooth settings, but then hit “Disconnect.”
Here’s the full process:
- On your Surface Laptop, go to the Start menu and click on the Settings icon.
- From the Settings menu, select “Devices.”
- In the Devices menu, select “Bluetooth & other devices.“
- Under Audio, you should see your AirPods listed.
- Select your AirPods and then click “Disconnect.”
After this, your AirPods will be completely disconnected from your Surface laptop. You’re now free to put them in their charging case or connect them to another device.