Throughout the years, Bose headphones have remained one of the top choices for audio enthusiasts. It has gained worldwide recognition for using high-quality noise-canceling technology that delivers an immersive audio experience.
If you own a pair of Bose headphones and want to connect them to your Mac, the process is quite simple. Most Bose headphones are wireless. But some newer wireless models also come with detachable cables for a wired connection. So, if you prefer to use a wired connection, you can easily connect your Bose headphones to your Mac by inserting the detachable cable into the headphone jack of your Mac.
But in this article, we will focus on how to connect Bose headphones to Mac wirelessly via Bluetooth. So, let’s dive in!
How to Connect Bose headphones to Mac – step-by-step guide
As stated earlier, we are going to find out how to pair Bose headphones with a Mac via Bluetooth connectivity. The entire process is quite simple. Both your Bose headphones and Mac have built-in Bluetooth capabilities, so you won’t need any additional adapters or cables.
You can easily start pairing or connecting Bose headphones to your Mac by following the steps below. But before you can move forward with the pairing process, make sure that both your Bose headphones and Mac are fully charged. Also, ensure that both the Macbook and Bose headphones are placed closer together.
Step-by-step guide on how to pair Bose headphones to a Mac
- In order to get started, click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of your Mac’s home screen.
- Then, from the given options, choose “System Preferences”. You will see a new window layout has opened.
- Next, click on the “Bluetooth” icon. Alternatively, you can open the window from the menu bar by clicking the Bluetooth icon. It is located in the upper-right corner of the screen. Then select “Open Bluetooth Preferences”.
- After that, turn on Bluetooth from the Bluetooth window.
- After turning on Bluetooth, it’s time to connect your Bose Bluetooth headphones to your Mac.
- Take your Bose headphones and click on the right-side Power/Bluetooth button to power them on. Keep pressing it until the Bluetooth indicator button turns blue or you hear the sound “Ready to pair”. This means your Bose headphones are in pairing mode.
- Then, go to the MacBook’s Bluetooth screen. You will find the name of your Bose headphones along with nearby devices.
- Finally, click on “Connect” which is written beside the device’s name.
- Wait until the screen says “Connected” to finally establish a successful Bluetooth connection between your MacBook and your Bose headphones.
How to customize Bose headphones settings on your Mac
There is no specific app for customizing the Bose headphones settings on Mac. Consequently, users have to lean on the device settings to get the best sound quality. As you have found out how to connect Bose wireless headphones to Mac, let’s now see how you can customize Bose headphones settings on your Mac.
Here are the steps for customizing Bose headphones settings on your Mac:
- In order to get started, click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of your Mac’s home screen.
- Then, click on “System Preferences” from the menu. From there, you can navigate to the “Sound” settings to adjust the audio output and customize your Bose headphones settings according to your preferences.
- Under the Sound window, you’ll find the Sound Effects tab. From there, select the sound according to your wishes as an alert tone for your headphones. To preview each sound, you can double-click on the name of the sound effect.
- The next option tab is named Output. It is used to adjust and balance the output volume from the toggle bar.
- Finally, you have the Input tab, where you can adjust the input volume. Remember that if you completely turn down the input level, you won’t be able to use the built-in microphone.
How to disconnect Bose headphones from Mac
Up until now, we’ve discussed how to connect Bose headphones to Mac. But now we will discuss about the process of disconnecting Bose headphones from a Mac. The entire process of disconnecting is quite simple.
It is possible to disconnect the Bose headphones while still maintaining the pairing connection. This means that the Mac will remember the headphones and automatically reconnect them when they are in range.
Here are the steps to disconnect Bose headphones from a Mac:
- To access the Bluetooth settings on your Mac, click on the Bluetooth icon in top-right of the menu bar. Alternatively, you can navigate to Apple icon > System Preferences > Bluetooth.
- In the list of devices, locate your Bose headphones and right-click to select Disconnect. After that, the headphone’s name will still appear in the list of devices, but it will show as “Not Connected.”
- Once disconnected, you can either turn off your Bose headphones or keep them turned on for future use without being actively connected to your Mac.
How to unpair Bose headphones from Mac
In the previous section, we learned how to disconnect Bose headphones from a Mac. There’s a difference between disconnecting and unpairing Bose headphones from a Mac.
When you are disconnecting the headphones from the Mac, you are simply severing the current connection between the two devices. However, when you unpair the headphones, you are removing them from the list of recognized devices on your Mac. And this can be useful if you no longer want your Mac to automatically connect to the Bose headphones in the future. But you’d have to pair them again if you want to use them with your Mac in the future.
The process of unpairing Bose headphones from the Mac is nearly identical to disconnecting them. So, let’s find out how to unpair Bose headphones from your Mac.
- First, go to the Bluetooth settings. You can go there either via the Bluetooth icon from the menu bar or via the Apple menu > System preferences > Bluetooth.
- Then select your Bose headphone’s name from the list of paired device.
- After that, right-click on it. You will see three options on the screen.
- Select “Remove” from the given options.
- Next, you’ll see a dialog box asking you to confirm your decision to unpair the headphones.
- Click on “Remove” to finalize the whole removal process.
What should you do if your Bose headphones are not connecting to your Mac?
Though very rare, it is very unusual for Bose headphones to have trouble connecting to a Mac. However, if you do encounter this issue, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take.
Here are some suggestions to resolve the connectivity issue between your Bose headphones and Mac:
1. Check whether the Bose headphones or the Mac have a sufficient charge.
If both devices or any one of them has a critically low battery, it may affect their ability to connect properly. The best practice to avoid this issue is to ensure that both the Bose headphones and the Mac are fully charged before attempting to connect them.
2. Ensure both the Bose headphones and the Mac are close to each other.
If the devices are too far apart, it can weaken the Bluetooth signal and cause connectivity issues. It is recommended to keep the Bose headphones and the Mac within a reasonable distance of each other to ensure a strong and stable connection. Also, ensure that there are no obstacles or interference between the devices, such as walls or other electronic devices, as they can also weaken the Bluetooth signal.
3. Restart both devices and try pairing them again.
If the initial pairing attempt is unsuccessful, restarting both the Bose headphones and the Mac can help resolve any temporary software glitches that may be affecting the Bluetooth connection. Additionally, make sure that both devices have their Bluetooth settings enabled and are in pairing mode before attempting to connect them again.
5. Remove your Bose headphones’ device pairing list.
If restarting both devices does not resolve the issue, you can try resetting your Bose headphones. This can be done by locating the power button of the headphone and holding it down for about 10 seconds until you hear the “Bluetooth device list cleared” prompt.
This action clears all pairings and settings on the headphones, so you will need to pair them again with your desired device.
After doing this, try connecting your headphones to the device again and see if the Bluetooth connection is restored.
6. Reset your Mac’s Bluetooth module.
Resetting the Bluetooth module on your Mac is another possible solution. This will fix any issues with the Bluetooth connection on your Mac.
Here’s how to reset the Bluetooth module on your Mac:
- You need to open the Bluetooth window on your Mac. You can do this via the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar or by heading over to Apple menu > System Preferences > Bluetooth.
- Next, make sure that the checkbox Show Bluetooth in the menu bar is checked.
- Then hold the Shift and Option (Alt) keys on your Mac’s keyboard and click on the Bluetooth icon from the menu bar.
- Then from the given option click on Debug.
- After that, select Reset the Bluetooth module from the sub-menu.
- Finally, reboot your Mac for the changes to take effect. This will ensure that any issues with the Bluetooth module are resolved and your Mac’s Bluetooth functionality is restored.
7. Look for software updates on your Mac.
Regularly checking for software updates on your Mac is important, as it can address any potential bugs or compatibility issues that may affect Bluetooth functionality.
Here’s how to look for macOS software update:
- First, from the top-left corner, click on the Apple logo > System preferences.
- Next, click on Software Update.
- Now your Mac will look if there is any update available.
- And if there is any, there will be Update Now option. Click on it to install them.
- Once you’ve installed the updates, restart your Mac for the changes to take effect.
How to put Bose headphones in pairing mode?
The first thing you have to do for pairing your Bose headphones or any Bluetooth headphones is to put them in pairing mode. This is usually done by simply turning on the headphones. Sometimes, you might need to hold the power or Bluetooth button for a few seconds until a voice prompt or an LED light indicates that the headphones are in pairing mode. Once in pairing mode, you can then proceed to connect your headphones to your desired device via Bluetooth settings.
How to turn off Bose headphones?
To turn off Bose headphones, you can usually press and hold the power button until you hear a voice prompt or see an LED light indicating that the headphones are powering off. It is good practice to turn off your headphones when not in use to conserve battery life. Additionally, some Bose headphones may also have an auto-off feature that will automatically power off the headphones after a period of inactivity. This is a cool feature that helps to save battery life and ensures that your headphones are not accidentally left on and draining power.
Is there a Bose Headphone Connect app for Mac?
No there isn’t one.
Bose Headphone Connect is a mobile application developed by Bose that allows users to control and customize their Bose headphones. Unfortunately, as of now, there is no specific Bose Headphone Connect app available for Mac. Another Bose mobile application is the Bose Music app.
Both the Bose Headphone Connect app and the Bose Music app are not currently available for Mac. These applications are only available for iOS and Android devices. They provide users with additional features and customization options for their Bose headphones.
With the Bose Connect app, you get advanced customization options like an auto-off timer, battery readings, volume control, noise cancellation, and many more. And with the Bose Music app, you can listen to Music on various music streaming platforms like Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, etc.
Undoubtedly, there is a need for Bose Connect or the Bose Music App among Mac users. Unfortunately, there is no plan by Bose to create a Mac version of their app. This leaves Mac users with limited options for accessing the advanced customization features and music streaming capabilities offered by the two Bose apps.
Conclusion
Here, we’ve covered pretty much everything there is to know about how to connect Bose headphones to Mac. Connecting Bose headphones wirelessly to a Mac is a quick and easy process. After connecting, you will be able to enjoy high-quality audio and a seamless listening experience. So go ahead and follow these steps to start enjoying your favorite music or videos with your Bose headphones on your Mac.
Additionally, we’ve shared some troubleshooting tips in case you encounter any issues during the setup. In addition to pairing Bose headphones with your Mac, we’ve discussed how you can disconnect or unpair them as well.
We hope these instructions have been helpful in getting you started with your Bose headphones on your Mac.
