Beats by Dre are some of the most popular headphones currently on the market, and it’s not just because of their celebrity founder. They boast amazing sound quality, stylish and comfortable design, and perhaps most importantly, seamless compatibility with Apple products, thanks to the H1 chip.
The H1 chip is used in AirPods, and its use in Beats affords them many of the same features such as precise location tracking via Find My, integrated use of Siri, IPX4 water and sweat resistance, and easy pairing.
But that last feature isn’t always as straightforward as you think, and many users struggle to pair their Beats earbuds with their various devices.
So, consider this article a ‘how-to guide’ on pairing your Beats with your iPhone, Mac, Android phone, or Windows computer.
Table of Contents
How to Put Beats Earbuds Into Pairing Mode
Before we get started, it’s important to note that there are quite a few different models of Beats headphones and earbuds available. In this article, we’ll just be discussing Earbuds, but even then, there are a few different model variations to look at.
It’s also worth mentioning that due to their H1 chip compatibility with Apple products, most Beats earbuds will pair with an iPhone or iPad automatically, without needing to be put into pairing mode. Nevertheless, I’ll show you how to access pairing mode anyway, as it’s likely to be necessary if you’re pairing with a non-Apple device.
So, I’ve grouped models that follow a similar process to enter pairing mode to make the whole thing simpler.
When it comes to actually connecting these earbuds to different devices, different steps are required. We’ll cover those later in this guide.
Beats Studio Buds, Studio Buds +, PowerBeats Pro, or Beats Fit Pro
- Place your earbuds in the case and open the lid
- Press and hold the System button on your Beats case until the LED blinks
- Your Beats are now in pairing mode
Beats Flex
- Press and hold the Power button on the right control module of your headphones
- The indicator light should start to blink
- Your Beats Flex are now in pairing mode and are discoverable to other devices
PowerBeats
- Press and hold the Power button on the left earbud
- The indicator light will start to blink
- Your PowerBeats are now in pairing mode and discoverable to other devices
BeatsX
- Press and hold the Power button on the right earbud wire for 5 seconds
- The indicator light will begin to blink
- You BeatsX are now in pairing mode and discoverable to other devices
How to Pair Beats Earbuds with Different Devices
To make this simple, I’m going to break down the pairing process by device, rather than by model of Beats earbuds.
As Beats share hardware with Apple, as you might have guessed, pairing with an iOS device is very straightforward, and unless you’ve encountered some kind of problem, your Beats should have automatically paired with your iPhone or iPad already.
So without further ado, let’s get your Beats connected!
How to Pair Beats Earbuds with iPhone/iPad
Technically, all you need to do to get your Beats wireless earbuds (of any model) connected to your iPhone is turn them on and bring them close to your iOS device. But there is a little more nuance to it!
For starters, make sure your device’s Bluetooth is on, and your device is unlocked.
Beats Studio Buds, Studio Buds+, PowerBeats, PowerBeats Pro, and Beats Fit Pro
With these models of Beats earbuds, all you need to do is open the case lid (if applicable) and bring the headphones close to your iPhone or iPad. The exact range is within 2 inches (5 cm) of your device.
As long as your device’s Bluetooth is on, the earbuds simply being within range of your phone will prompt an on-screen dialogue box to appear, which will guide you through the pairing process.
Simply follow the steps outlined on the screen and that’s it!
Beats Flex
For Beats Flex, follow the above steps, but when your headphones are in range of your device, you need to press and hold the power button to put your Beats Flex into pairing mode (as outlined in the previous section).
Your iPhone or iPad will then guide you through the rest of the pairing process.
BeatsX
If you’re using BeatsX, follow the above steps, bringing your earbuds within range of your device. Then, press the Power button for 1 second. After a few seconds, your device will initiate the pairing process by asking if you wish to connect. Select Yes and follow the on-screen instructions.
If for some reason pressing the power button for 1 second did not prompt your device to initiate pairing, try pressing and holding the power button for 5 seconds.
This will force your device to connect to your BeatsX, and initiate the pairing procedure.
How to Pair Beats Earbuds with Mac
Unlike when pairing your Beats earbuds with your iPhone or iPad, pairing with a Mac doesn’t have any hand shortcuts or automated pairing procedures. You’ll have to pair your headphones manually. But don’t worry, it’s a simple process which I’ll outline for you below.
This isn’t the case for all Beats, however…
Beats Studio Buds and Studio Buds+
Once your Beats Studio Buds or Studio Buds+ are paired with your iOS device, they are also automatically paired with your Apple ID.
This means that when you turn on your Mac (providing you use the same Apple ID for your Mac as you do with your iPhone/iPad), your Beats Studio Buds or Studio Buds+ will already be paired!
All Other Beats Earbud Models
For those of you who don’t have Studio Buds or Studio Buds+, you’ll need to pair your earbuds with your Mac manually.
All you need to do is bring your earbuds within the pairing range of your Mac (2 inches/5 cm) and enable pairing mode.
Then, from the Bluetooth menu on your Mac, select Bluetooth Preferences > Devices > your Beats earbuds, then click to connect.
How to Pair Beats Earbuds with Android
When it comes to pairing your Beats earbuds with an Android device, the steps are a little different. But still relatively simple!
The easiest and fastest way to pair your Beats (whichever model you’re using) is to use the Beats App for Android.
To use the app, you must have at least Android 7.0 (or later) running on your device, and be using one of the following models of Beats Earbuds:
- Beats Fit Pro
- Beats Studio Buds and Beats Studio Buds+
- Beats Flex
- Powerbeats
- Powerbeats Pro
- Powerbeats3
- BeatsX
While some models will be able to pair with your Android without the use of the app, it’s recommended to use the app anyway (where applicable), as it will allow you to update firmware and view and amend settings.
But don’t worry I’ll show you how to pair without using the app as well.
Beats App for Android
Once you have the app downloaded, simply put your Beats earbuds into pairing mode and bring them close to your device. You should see a prompt pop up on your screen to guide you through the pairing process.
If this doesn’t work, you may need to allow the use of your location on your Android device and in the app. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Settings > Security & Location > Location
- Turn on Use Location
And in the Beats app itself:
- Tap the Menu in the top left corner of the app screen
- Select App Settings
- Select Android Settings > Permissions
- Turn on Location
Put your Beats into pairing mode again and bring them close to your device to begin pairing.
Manually Pairing Beats with Android
If you’re using an old version of Android or your Beats earbuds aren’t supported by the Beats App, you can still pair them with your device the old-fashioned way! Here’s how to do it:
- Open Settings > Bluetooth
- Turn on Bluetooth
- Ensure your Beats earbuds are in Pairing Mode
- On the Bluetooth screen, tap Scan/Scan for New Devices (or something similar)
- When your Beats appear in the list of available devices, select them
- Your Beats will now pair with your Android
That’s it! It’s slightly more long-winded than using the App, but it still gets the job done.
How to Pair Beats Earbuds With Windows
Similar to pairing your Beats with a Mac, you’ll have to manually access your PC or laptop’s settings to pair any new devices with your Windows computer.
Here’s how to do it:
- Click the Windows icon to access the Start Menu
- Open Settings > Bluetooth & Devices. Alternatively, you can simply open search and type Bluetooth
- Turn your computer’s Bluetooth on
- Put your Beats earbuds into Pairing Mode
- Click Add Device > Bluetooth
- Your Beats earbuds should appear as an available device
- Click them to connect
And that’s it! Your Beats should now be paired to your Windows computer.
Final Thoughts
That should have covered just about every possible combination of Beats earbuds and devices you might wish to connect them to! If you find you have any trouble with the pairing process, turning your device’s Bluetooth off and on again can help, along with resetting your device entirely.
But overall, connecting your Beats is a very simple process, especially if you’re using an iOS device like an iPhone or an iPad. Even then, the Beats App for Android is somewhat of a game changer, especially considering the inbuilt compatibility between Apple products and Beats.
Good luck!
