How to Connect your phone to a Bluetooth headset

Prepare a Bluetooth headset

Fully charge the headset. Fully charging the devices will ensure uninterrupted use due to low battery.

Set the headset to "pairing mode". This process will vary slightly depending on the product model and manufacturer, but is generally quite similar on all types of Bluetooth headsets.

For most products, the process is as follows: starting with the headset powered off, you hold down the multifunction button (the button you press when answering a call) for a few seconds. The light will flash to indicate that the device is turned on (keep holding it down) and after a few more seconds, the LED light on the headset will flash back and forth between two colors (usually blue-red, but it depends on the headset ). This indicates that the headphones are in pairing mode.

If the headset has an on/off slider, turn the switch to the 'on' position first and then hold down the multi-function button.

Bring the headset close to the phone. The phone and headset need to be placed close to each other when connecting. While this distance varies depending on the device, it's best to keep your phone and headphones about 1.5 meters apart.

Prepare your phone

Phone charger. The Bluetooth feature can drain your phone's battery, so make sure you charge it fully.

Open Bluetooth on the phone. If your phone was made after 2007, it most likely has Bluetooth. If you see the 'Bluetooth' menu on any of the following operating systems, you're good to go.

If you're using an iPhone, tap the Settings icon and look for the menu item called Bluetooth. If you see this option, the device has Bluetooth connectivity. If next to the Bluetooth title says 'off' or 'off', tap to turn the feature on.

Android users can tap the Settings icon in the app menu and find the Bluetooth option. If you see this option, the device has Bluetooth connectivity. Tap to open the Bluetooth menu and slide the switch to the 'on' position.

Windows Phone users need to open the application list and select Settings to find the Bluetooth menu. If you see this option, the device has Bluetooth connectivity. Open the menu to turn on Bluetooth.

If your device has Bluetooth but is not a smartphone, navigate to your device's settings menu to find the Bluetooth menu. Then turn on Bluetooth from within this menu.

Scan for Bluetooth devices on your phone. After you turn on Bluetooth, your phone will automatically search for connectable Bluetooth devices. After searching, a list of devices that you can connect to will appear on the screen.

Feature phones (not smartphones) and earlier Android models may require you to scan for devices manually. If the Bluetooth menu has 'Scan for devices' or similar, tap to scan.

If you don't see any devices even though Bluetooth is turned on, your headphones may not be in pairing mode. Restart the headset and turn pairing mode back on. You can review your Bluetooth headset's instruction manual to make sure you've followed the headset's connection process correctly.

Select the headset you want to connect. In the list of devices that can connect to Bluetooth, click the name of the headset. This can be the name of the headphone manufacturer (e.g. Sony, Xiaomi) or simply 'Headset'.

Provide your PIN if asked. When the phone "finds" the headset, it may request a PIN code. Enter this code when prompted, then press 'Pair'.

For most headsets, the code may be '0000', '1234', '9999' or '0001'. If none of these codes work, try the last 4 characters of the headset's serial number (usually located below the battery and labeled 's/n' or 'serial number').

There are also times when the phone connects to the headset without entering a code.

Click 'Pair'. Once the headset and phone are connected, a confirmation message will appear on the phone. This message will say 'Connection Established'. However, the actual message depends on your device.

Call hands-free. The headset and phone are now connected. The features on the headset will depend on the software and operating system of the phone, but in general, you just need to wear the headset comfortably to be able to listen/call hands-free.

David Pac

Update 03 November 2023