If you’ve got a Chromebook powered by Chrome OS, and you wan to use your AirPods with it, there’s a way. You can connect the AirPods to a Chromebook, provided it has Bluetooth. Luckily, most Chromebooks sold in the last few years support Bluetooth, but some don’t. To find out whether your Chromebook is Bluetooth-enabled, click on the network icon and check whether there is a Bluetooth icon. If there is, you’re good to go. If there isn’t, you would have to purchase one of those Bluetooth Type-A adapters that fit in the Chromebook’s USB port.
Before you connect the wireless Apple earbuds with the Chromebook, turn off Bluetooth on any other nearby Apple device. Since Apple devices are hardwired to function together, they connect with other Apple devices seamlessly. Hence, an Apple iPhone or an iPad with an active Bluetooth connection might prevent the AirPods from connecting to your Chromebook. Head to the Bluetooth menu in the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and disable Bluetooth.
Once you have sorted the Bluetooth connection, you can use pretty much all the AirPods with a Chromebook, including AirPods 2nd generation, AirPods 3rd generation, AirPods Pro 1st generation, and AirPods Pro 2nd generation as well. Get ready with your AirPods and Chromebook, and follow these instructions in the following parts to connect the devices and use them together.
How to connect AirPods with Chromebook
Once you disable Bluetooth on your Apple devices, you are good to go. Connecting AirPods with a Chromebook is much like connecting any other Bluetooth device. Follow the steps on your Chromebook (via Mashable).
- Place the AirPod pair in their charging case and open the lid.
- Press and hold the physical button on the AirPods charging case until you see the LED light flashing white. This means your AirPods are now in pairing mode.
- Click on the network icon, beside the clock, at the bottom right corner of your Chromebook’s screen to open the Quick Settings menu. There, click on the Settings icon.
- Open the Bluetooth settings menu and enable Bluetooth. Your Chromebook will start looking for nearby devices with an active Bluetooth connection.
- Wait until your AirPods’ name shows up under “Unpaired devices.” When it appears, click on it.
- In a few seconds, your Chromebook will connect with your AirPods.
If your Chromebook fails to recognize the AirPods, it could be due to underlying connectivity issues. You may have to repeat the process above a few times before successfully pairing AirPods with Chromebook. However, if that does not happen, you should check to see if Google released a Chrome OS update in the “About ChromeOS” section of the Settings app. Usually, Chrome OS updates fix such connectivity issues. If that doesn’t work, make sure to disconnect the AirPods from your Apple devices through the Bluetooth settings menu and try again.
Keep these things in mind while using AirPods with Chromebooks
Once you connect your AirPods to a Chromebook, the LED light turns green, and they start working like any other wireless audio product. Any audio on your Chromebook will play through the AirPods. Hence, if you are streaming YouTube videos or attending classes, you can use the AirPods with your Chromebook. You can even control the AirPods’ volume with the Chromebook’s volume keys (via headphonesty.com).
However, in the past, Chromebook users have reported facing issues with wireless accessories that connect via Bluetooth. You might face problems like inconsistent volume control and connection difficulties while using the AirPods with a Chromebook. Usually, cycling the Chromebook’s Bluetooth off and then on again solves the problem as the device automatically connects to the pair of AirPods. However, if it doesn’t, you might have to disconnect it through the Bluetooth settings menu and repeat the steps given in the section above.
In addition, some signature AirPods features aren’t available when you use them with a non-Apple device. For instance, you won’t get double-tap customization, Siri, ear detection, or fast battery checking on the Chromebook. Features such as Spatial Audio and automatic switching between various devices aren’t available on Chromebooks. Nonetheless, these features don’t work if you connect AirPods with Android devices, such as smartphones or tablets.
