How to Connect Airpods to Zoom

Why doesn't Zoom recognize AirPods?

Maybe the AirPods are already connected to another Bluetooth device. If you use AirPods with your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or other device, turn off Bluetooth on that device to make sure the AirPods can't connect and try again.

You have not selected AirPods in Zoom. Before using AirPods in Zoom, you need to select AirPods as the speaker (and microphone, if desired) in the Zoom settings. See how it's done on Windows and macOS for more details!

Why do AirPods sound bad when connected to Zoom on Windows?

Many people have complained about the sound quality of AirPods when used in Zoom. When you connect AirPods to Windows, Windows creates two devices - one for headset mode and one for headset mode with microphone.

Choosing Headphones or Stereo supports sound with good quality, but does not allow you to use the built-in microphone in AirPods.

Choosing a Headset (Headset with Microphone) or Hands-Free AG Audio (Hands-Free AG Audio) lets you use the AirPods' microphone, but the sound quality is terrible - because it's just the "phone" sound quality ". This is the downside of Bluetooth on Windows.

The best solution is to use AirPods in Headphones mode and use the computer's built-in microphone or webcam to speak. See setup instructions here.

Connect AirPods to Zoom on a Windows computer

Connect your AirPods to your Windows computer. You can't use AirPods in Zoom if they're not already connected to another device, such as an iPhone. Place AirPods in the charging case, open the lid, and follow the instructions:

Windows 10:

Open Settings in the Windows menu.

Go to Devices > Bluetooth & other devices (Bluetooth and other) and turn on Bluetooth.

Click Add Bluetooth or other device and select Bluetooth.

Press and hold the round button on the AirPods charging case until you see the white light blink, and select AirPods to connect.

Windows 11:

Click the Windows menu and select Settings.

Click Bluetooth & devices (Bluetooth & devices) in the left pane. If Bluetooth is turned off, click the slider to turn it on.

Press and hold the round button on the AirPods charging case until you see a flashing white light.

If you see AirPods, click Connect. Otherwise, click Add device and select Bluetooth.

Select AirPods to connect.

Open the Start menu on Windows and click Zoom .

Click the gear icon in the upper right corner to open the Zoom settings.

Click the Audio tab in the left pane.

Select AirPods from the "Speaker" menu. You will see this menu in the upper right pane. There are two options here, and each has its pros and cons:

Choice of Headset (Headset with microphone) or Hands-Free AG Audio (Hands-free AG Audio) allows you to use the built-in microphone in AirPods. The downside of this option is that the audio is only "phone quality" and worse than stereo quality.

Choosing Headphones or Stereo sounds good, but you need to use your computer's built-in microphone or webcam instead of the microphone in the AirPods. This is an option that gets you good sound quality, but it means you need to sit at your computer when you want to talk.

Click Test Speaker to listen to a sample sound through the AirPods and adjust the sound if necessary.

Select a microphone in the "Microphone" menu. If you want to use AirPods' built-in microphone and you previously selected Headset or Hands-Free, you can choose AirPods here. If you choose Headphones or Stereo, you need to choose a different microphone - the AirPods microphone will not work.

Use the Test Mic button to test the microphone and adjust the slide if necessary.

Join a Zoom meeting. Now that you have selected AirPods in the sound settings, Zoom will play all audio through the AirPods, and use the AirPods as a microphone (if you have selected) as long as the AirPods are connected to the computer.

Connect AirPods to Zoom on Mac

Disconnect AirPods from another device. If AirPods are already connected to another device, such as an iPhone or Apple TV, turn off Bluetooth on that device to disconnect from the AirPods. Because AirPods automatically connect to previously connected devices, you need to make sure your AirPods are ready to connect to your Mac.

Make sure Zoom is allowed to use your Mac's microphone. The first time you use Zoom on your Mac, you'll be asked to give the app permission to access the microphone. If you inadvertently deny that access, the call participant cannot hear you. To avoid getting into an awkward situation, you should check the access:

Click the Apple menu and choose System Preferences.

Click System & Privacy.

Click the Privacy tab.

Click the padlock icon and enter the password.

Select Microphone in the left pane.

Check the box next to Zoom in the right pane if it's not already checked.

Connect AirPods to Mac. If you've used AirPods on Mac before (or on an iPhone/iPad signed in with the same Apple ID), simply place your AirPods in your ear, click the Bluetooth or speaker icon in the upper-right corner of the screen, and then select AirPods. . If you've never connected your AirPods to your Mac, follow these steps:

Place the AirPods in the charging case and open the lid.

Click the Apple menu and choose System Preferences > Bluetooth.

Press and hold the round button on the charging case until you see the white light flashing.

Select AirPods when you see the selection and click Connect.

Open Zoom in Launchpad or your Mac's Applications folder.

Click your profile picture in the upper right corner and select Settings .

Click the Audio tab in the left pane.

Select AirPods from the "Speaker" menu. This is an operation that asks Zoom to play the audio of the meeting via AirPods.

Click Test Speaker to listen to the sample sound through the AirPods and adjust the volume.

Select AirPods from the "Microphone" menu. This is an operation that requires Zoom to use the built-in microphone in AirPods. If you want to use another microphone, you can choose in the menu.

Click Test Mic to test the microphone's volume and adjust the slider if necessary.

Join a Zoom meeting. Now that you've selected AirPods in the audio settings, Zoom will play all audio through the AirPods, and use the AirPods' microphone (if you've selected it) as long as the Airpods are connected to your Mac.

Samuel Daniel

Update 04 July 2022