How to Connect Beats to Your Laptop & Other Devices?

Since starting in 2006, Beats has gone from strength to strength in the world of consumer audio. Their devices are stylish, well-made, easy to use, and above all, deliver stellar audio.

If you’ve ever owned a pair of Beats or recently acquired your first pair, you’ll know the attention to detail with these products. From unboxing to putting them on for the first time, their experience is premium. 

But they aren’t perfect…

Sometimes getting them connected to your listening devices might be a bit more tricky than you would think. Beats has released several models, and many of them have different setup procedures. 

That’s why I’ve decided to take an in-depth look at how to connect different Beats models to listening devices. As well as covering how to connect Beats headphones to Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices.

How to Connect Beats to Your Laptop & Other Devices 

Most Beats models will automatically be in pairing mode when they are turned on for the first time. But, if yours are not or they have been taken out of pairing mode, here’s how to put them back into it, so that you can start connecting devices. 

I would recommend referring to the quick start guide that came with your device to familiarize yourself with how the device is put into pairing mode. But perhaps you bought a second-hand pair, and the original owner lost the guide. No sweat, refer to the steps below to find out how to get Beats headphones into pairing mode. 

Beats Flex 

For the headphones, press and hold down the power button on the headphones until the indicator light flashes. With earbuds, press and hold the button that is located on the left earbud; hold the button until the indicator light flashes.

Powerbeats Pro, Beats Fit Pro, & Beats Studio Buds 

Place both of the earbuds inside the charging case. Leave the lid of the case open and then press and hold the power button on the inside of the case. Keep the button held down until the light on the outside of the case starts to blink. 

Beats Solo Pro

The “mode” button is located on the left earcup of the Beats Solo Pro. This is also the button you press to turn the noise-canceling on and off. Press and hold this button to engage in pairing mode.

Beats Solo 3 Wireless & Beats Studio 3 Wireless 

Press and hold the power button for at least five seconds. You will know pairing mode has been activated by the Fuel Gauge light flashing. 

Always remember to turn on Bluetooth on your source device when you’re planning on going into pairing mode. 

Connecting Beats Headphones To a Windows PC

Many users have noted that pairing Beats headphones with a Windows PC or laptop is a bit tedious compared to other devices. Luckily, the connectivity is no worse. And future updates will hopefully speed up the paring process for windows devices.

Here are the steps to get your Beats paired with a Windows device:

1. Start by clicking on the Windows/Start button. Alternatively, use the dedicated Windows shortcut key on the keyboard (between left ctrl and alt).
2. Click in the open field and search for Bluetooth.
3. The search should return the “Bluetooth and other Devices settings” option. Click on this to open the page. 
4. On the Bluetooth settings page, switch the Bluetooth toggle in the top right to the “on” position. Then click on the “Add Device” button.
5. A window will pop up, prompting you to indicate what type of connection you wish to engage and select Bluetooth. Windows will begin searching for nearby devices. 
6. When your Beats headphones show up on the list of available devices, click on them to engage the pairing process. You will be notified when the connection is successful via a Windows Notification.

If you are experiencing problems connecting Beats headphones to a PC or laptop or have any kind of audio latency issues, I would recommend performing a reset on your headphones. 

How do you do that?

You can do this by simply turning the headphones off and then holding down the power button when you turn them back on. About ten seconds ought to do the trick; the reset should resolve any problems you may have had. Then try reconnecting using the steps I have just gone through. 

Connecting Beats Headphones To a Mac

As with Windows systems, connecting Beats headphones to a Mac can only be done manually via the Bluetooth settings on the Mac device. Even though these devices, in essence, come from the same parent company, it would seem no “quick pairing” option exists for Beats and Mac. 

Luckily, the steps for connecting your Beats to a Mac are quite simple, as these things usually are when it comes to Apple. 

1. Start by clicking on the Bluetooth logo/symbol at the top of the home screen/desktop. A drop-down menu will appear; select “open Bluetooth preferences.”
2. If it hasn’t been turned on already, turn on Bluetooth.
3. You should now see your Beats headphones pop up on the list of discoverable devices. Click on the connect button. 
4. When the connection is successful, you should see the status indicator below the headphones change to “connected”; the “connect” button to the right will have changed to “options.”

Connecting Beats To an iPhone

Some newer Beats models support fast-pair with Apple devices which makes the Bluetooth connection seamless. This move makes sense since Apple owns Beats. However, in some cases, you may still have to go through the manual pairing process. 

Once you’ve paired up your Beats and source device, the Bluetooth connection should automatically engage each time the devices are close to one another. However, when you start running multi-device setups with your Beats, they can become a bit troublesome. 

If this is the case, here are the steps to manually connect Beats to an iPhone. 

1. Start by opening your Settings page and navigating to the Bluetooth page.
2. Check that the toggle switch for Bluetooth is turned on.
3. Engage the pairing mode on your Beats headphones.
4. The headphones should appear on the list of discoverable devices under “other devices.”
5. Tap on your headphones to engage the pairing process. 
6. Once the connection is successful, your Beats headphones will appear on the “My Devices” list, with the word “connected” to the right of them. 

Connecting Beats to Android Devices 

Contrary to some internet rumors, connecting Beats headphones and Android devices are as seamless as between Apple and Beats products. 

When I performed my test, I was using a Samsung, but these steps should apply to most Android devices. 

1. Start by swiping from the top of the screen downwards on the Android home screen. A bunch of circular icons will appear. One will be the Bluetooth symbol; tap and hold to open the Bluetooth settings page. 
2. Make sure to put the Bluetooth toggle switch in the “On” position.  
3. Activate the pairing mode on your Beats device and then select the scan option on your Android device. 
4. When your Beats appear under the list of available devices, tap on them to initiate the pairing process. 
5. When the connection is successful, your Beats device will appear on the “Paired Devices” tab. It will also have a “Connected” indicator displayed beneath its name. 

What to Do in Case of Failure to Connect

So, we now know how to connect Beats to your laptop & other devices. However, if you’ve followed all the steps I’ve explained so far and still can’t get your Beats headphones paired up with your source device, there are a few things that may be causing the problem. 

The battery and the settings on both devices are chief among these. Before you decide that your Beats are broken or faulty, try some of the following fixes first. 

Check The Headphones Battery

Every single task that a battery-powered device performs will take an amount of power. Even just powering up or engaging a connection with another device. 

You might be having difficulty getting your Beats headphones to connect to a device due to an insufficient charge. So, try putting them on charge for at least twenty minutes and then try again. 

Perform a Power Cycle/ Turn Everything on and Off 

Power Cycling is the act of turning all the devices in the chain off and on again to reset their memories to a “clean slate,” so to speak. It’s a proven way to solve a myriad of minor problems with electronics, including the connection between wireless devices like Beats headphones and smartphones. 

Simply turn off each device and then turn them all back on again. After they are all powered up once more, try to perform the pairing again. 

Reset Your Beats Device

Performing a factory reset on a pair of Beats headphones is a proven and effective method of solving any minor glitches. 

However, note that performing a factory reset will wipe all your previously paired devices and any saved setting from the device’s memory. This means you will have to re-pair any devices you wish to use with your Beats headphones. 

Furthermore, the reset process will differ from model to model. For example, resetting a pair of Beats Solo Wireless 3 requires holding down the volume and power button at the same time. Earlier models require that you hold down the volume down and multifunction button at the same time. 

Check for Problems in the Settings 

Computers and smart devices have become ever more impressive and complex. They can now connect and interface with a multitude of different pieces of tech. So, it is not surprising that conflicts and issues can occur. 

This can become especially tricky if you have multiple audio drivers on your system. Make sure to check reliable online sources to determine if your setup is correct. Lots of pros give advice online, so there’s no need for extra expense either. 

Looking for Info About Beats Products?

If so, take a look at our detailed articles on Can’t Reset Powerbeats Pro – How to Fix, How Do I Charge My Beats Flex, What is Apple doing with Beats, and The History of Beats, for more useful information.

Also, check out our in-depth BeatsX Review, our Beats Solo Pro Review, our Beats Solo 2 WIRED Review, our Beats EP Review, our Beats Solo3 Wireless Review, and our Apple Beats Powerbeats Pro Review for more amazing items you can buy in 2023.

How to Connect Beats to Your Laptop & Other Devices – Conclusion

Whatever Beats model and source device you are using, Beats earbuds can be made to work seamlessly with pretty much anything. Just take care to familiarize yourself with how your specific setup requires connections to be established.

As with most products, you can just do a power cycle or a factory reset on your Beats devices to solve any glitches. Also, don’t forget that you can always find help and info online.

Until next time, happy listening.

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