iPhone and Android: pairing Bluetooth headphones, speakers and cars

Bluetooth is handy, but pairing can be fiddly. Most problems are solved by starting again from a clean slate.

The basic pairing steps

1. Charge the headphones, speaker or other device and put it close to your phone.
2. Put the device into pairing mode. This usually means holding its power or Bluetooth button until a light flashes. The instruction leaflet will tell you.
3. Open Bluetooth settings on your phone.

• iPhone: Settings then Bluetooth.
• Android: Settings then Connected devices (Pixel) or Connections then Bluetooth (Samsung).

1. Make sure Bluetooth is switched on, then wait for the device name to appear under available devices.
2. Tap its name. If asked for a code, try 0000 or 1234 unless the device says otherwise.

If it will not appear

• Check the device is still in pairing mode. Many give up after a minute or two.
• Switch Bluetooth off and on again on the phone.
• Restart both devices.
• Move away from other busy Bluetooth devices and Wi-Fi routers, which can crowd the signal.
• Check the device is not already connected to another phone, tablet or laptop. It may need to be switched off there first.

If it paired once but now fails

Forget the device and pair it again.

• iPhone: in Bluetooth, tap the small i beside the device and choose Forget This Device.
• Android: tap the gear icon beside the device and choose Unpair or Forget.

Then reset the accessory if its guide describes how, and pair it from scratch.

When to get more help

Get help if the Bluetooth switch is greyed out, if no device will ever connect, or if sound is badly broken up on a new device. If you have tried a different phone with the same device and it still fails, the accessory itself may be faulty. If you recently reset your network settings, remember this clears pairings, so you will need to pair again.