Apple AirPods are today’s coolest, sleekest gadget, and whether you own a pair as part of an iPhone/iPad bundle, or have bought some specifically, despite not normally being an Apple user, you will find their functionality, sound quality, and general ease-of-use doubtlessly to your satisfaction.
You might expect that AirPods are designed only to work with other Apple products, such as iPods, iPhones, or iPads, but not so. Whilst connecting AirPods to iPhones, for example, can be as easy as placing the two next to each other, it is really quite simple to also pair them with non-iOS devices, such as laptops or, in this case, Google Chromebooks.
AirPods essentially function as all Bluetooth headphones do, and connecting them to your Chromebook is simple. To do so, just follow the steps below:
Connect your AirPods to your Chromebook
- Turn on your Google Chromebook and log-in if necessary.
- From your Desktop, click on your profile picture/the network icon (wifi, clock, battery) located in the bottom-right of the screen, in order to bring up the settings window
- Now, make sure that your Chromebook’s Bluetooth is turned on. If it is not, just click the small arrow below the Bluetooth icon and toggle the function on (from black to blue).
- Your Chromebook will automatically begin searching for available Bluetooth devices to connect to
- Returning to your AirPods, make sure that they are securely in their case and charged (or charging). Now, with the case lid open, press and hold the small Bluetooth set-up button located at the back of the case. A white light will begin flashing, to let you know that your AirPods are now discoverable to other Bluetooth devices
- Back on your Chromebook, click through the Bluetooth icon to take you to the list of paired and unpaired Bluetooth devices; you should now find your AirPods (under whatever name you’ve given them, if not the default ‘AirPods’) in the unpaired list.
- Click on your AirPods in this list to begin pairing them with your Chromebook, this should only take a few seconds
- Once the AirPods have successfully paired with your Chromebook, they will appear in the Bluetooth’s paired devices list, and will now automatically pair with your Chromebook anytime both the AirPods are on and the Chromebook’s Bluetooth is also on. When using the AirPods paired with your Chromebook, the volume is synchronized between the two devices, meaning you can raise or lower it using the volume keys on your Chromebook.
Note: If you experience any issues when using your AirPods in conjunction with your Google Chromebook, I suggest turning off the Bluetooth on your iPhone (if you have one), as your AirPods may be attempting to automatically connect with it, thus causing problems in their connection to your Chromebook.
Unpairing AirPods from your Google Chromebook
If you decide you no longer want your AirPods to be recognized or automatically connected to your Chromebook, and wish to ‘unpair’ them, the process is simple.
- On your Chromebook, open the settings menu as shown above, and select the Bluetooth settings
- In the Paired Devices list, find your AirPods, and click the three vertical dots next to their name
- Now click ‘Disconnect’ (or ‘Remove Device’ – both selections will have the same effect)
- You have successfully unpaired your AirPods from your Google Chromebook, but can freely pair them again following the steps above, if you so choose to.
And there you have it! In no time at all, and with minimal difficulty, you can pair your Apple AirPods to your Google Chromebook, and experience the beauty of cross-brand technology. Happy listening!
