How to Connect AirPods to a Chromebook

Chromebooks are excellent laptops, and Apple’s AirPods are some of the best Bluetooth earbuds out there. It’s only natural that you’d want to use them together. If that’s the case, you’ll want to know how to connect AirPods to your Chromebook. Here’s what you need to know.

Can AirPods Connect to a Chromebook?

Before starting, you may wonder if it’s even possible to connect AirPods to a Chromebook. After all, the two devices come from different companies, and Apple may be something of a rival for Google, which owns Android. Thankfully, though, Apple says you can use AirPods with non-Apple devices, but you may lose some functionality.

Your AirPods’ main functions, playing and recording sound, will still work perfectly on a Chromebook. However, you won’t be able to use Siri, not because of an issue with the AirPods, but because non-Apple devices don’t support it. But if you don’t need Siri, grab your AirPods and your Chromebook and get started.

How to Connect AirPods to Chromebook

To connect your AirPods to your Chromebook, start by making sure you have Bluetooth turned on. Start your Chromebook, click the bottom-right corner where you see the battery and network icons, and check the Bluetooth icon in the menu that appears. Hovering your cursor over the icon will tell you if it’s on or not.

Next, click the arrow next to the Bluetooth icon, then click “Pair new device.” Grab your AirPods case with the AirPods inside and hold down the button on the back until the white light starts flashing. You should then see them pop up in the pair new device menu on your Chromebook.

Click your AirPods on the pairing screen, and they’ll connect. The LED light on the AirPods case should turn green, and the Chromebook’s Bluetooth icon should say “connected.”

Once you’ve done this initial setup, connecting your AirPods to Chromebook again is faster. All you’ll have to do in the future is open the AirPods case, open the Chromebook’s Bluetooth menu, then select your AirPods from the list of paired devices. You can then start up your favorite Chromebook apps and enjoy the sound quality and convenience of your AirPods.

What If My AirPods Won’t Connect?

If you’ve followed the above steps, and your AirPods still won’t connect to your Chromebook, it could be one of several issues. One of the most likely is a temporary connection issue. To fix this, turn your Chromebook’s Bluetooth off and on again, and if that doesn’t work, restart your Chromebook itself.

You may need to update Chrome OS to fix the issue. Open your Chromebook’s settings, go to “About Chrome OS,” then click “Check for updates.” Your laptop will then scan for and download any available software updates. You’ll have to restart it to install the new OS version, but it won’t take long.

If your AirPods still aren’t connecting, it may be an issue with the AirPods, not the computer. You can try cleaning them and making sure they’re not linked to any other devices like your phone or another computer. Those steps should fix it, but if your AirPods keep disconnecting, you may need to reset them or contact Apple.

Use the Earbuds You Want With Your Chromebook

Now that you know how to connect AirPods to Chromebook, you can use both devices to their full potential. Similar steps will help connect AirPods to virtually any other non-Apple Bluetooth device, too. You can then use the earbuds you want with the devices you want, regardless of who makes them.