How-To

How to Connect Bose Headphones to Mac -Detailed Guide

Mahamud Hussain Naheen

March 28, 2023
12 min read

Bose headphones are one of the most sought-after and renowned brands in the audio industry. These headphones are extremely easy to pair up with your iPhone or Android phone with the help of the Bose Connect app or Bluetooth.

How to connect Bose headphones to Mac

The easiest way of connecting your Bose wireless headphones to your Mac is via Bluetooth. It is basically the only way to pair any non-Apple device with your Mac computer.

If it is your first time getting new Bose headphones connected to your Mac, you need to do it through Bluetooth. First, you have to set up Bluetooth so the Mac can discover the Bose headphones as a new device. Once the headphone is detected by your Mac’s Bluetooth, future paring becomes easier.

All you need to do afterward is just power the Bose headphones on and connect to it on your Mac. Your Mac will recognize and save the headphones as My Devices for easy access. We have provided a detailed step-by-step guide on how to connect Bose wireless headphones to Mac below.

Steps on how to pair Bose headphones to Mac

These are the detailed steps for how to pair Bose headphones with Mac-

On the top-left of your MacBook screen, you need to click on the Apple icon.
From the next drop-down menu, select System Settings or System Preferences.
In the left pop-up panel next, select Bluetooth.
Turn on the toggle switch beside Bluetooth to activate it.
You will find the previously paired Bluetooth devices in the My Devices section. And the option to discover and pair new Bluetooth devices will be in the section Nearby devices.
Find the power button on your own Bose Bluetooth headphones.
Next, you need to press and hold the power button on the headphones until the Bluetooth indicator light starts blinking blue. On some models, you might need to hold the button until you hear Ready to Pair to turn on the Bose headphones pairing mode.
Under the Nearby Devices section, find the name of your Bose headphones.
Click on Connect beside your headphone’s name. Then wait until the tab next to it says Connected to complete connecting Bose wireless headphones to your Mac.
If you can’t find your headphone name in the available Nearby Devices section, turn off Bluetooth. Then turn it on to pair the headphones once again.

An alternative method to access Bluetooth on your Macbook is-

Click on the Menu bar on your Macbook.
Go to Bluetooth Settings.
Click on the Bluetooth icon.
Press on Bluetooth Preferences.
Find the name of your headphones in the list of Nearby devices as instructed above.

How to customize Bose headphones settings on your Mac

Bose wireless headphones provide the chance to customize your own audio settings on your Macbook. You can choose the audio input and output level according to your preference in these headphones.

The microphone input through the headphones can be controlled in your Macbook. There is an option to set up default alerts with controlled volume levels. Macbook Sound Settings are the key to controlling the audio levels. Once you are done connecting Bluetooth headphones to your Mac, follow these steps to customize the audio settings.

On the top-left of your MacBook screen, you need to click on the Apple icon.
From the next drop-down menu, select System Settings or System Preferences.
From the left panel, click on Sound.
Go to the Sound Effects panel next.
Click on Sound Effects Through option.
Select the name of your Bose headphones from the next pop-up panel.
There will be options for the alert sounds. Play them by double-clicking on each sound and choosing an alert sound you’d like to set.
Next, move the indicator to the left and right in the Alert Volume slider and select a preferable volume for the alerts.
Go to the Output & Input tab and select Input.
Move the indicator left or right on the Input Volume indicator to set a preferred microphone volume. Make sure not to turn down the volume to zero, as you won’t be able to use the microphone if that happens.
Go to Output under the same tab.
You can adjust the Output Volume and Balance here by moving the slider to the left or right.

How to disconnect Bose headphones from Mac

Knowing how to disconnect the headphones from Mac is also as important as knowing how to pair Bose wireless headphones to Mac. According to Apple, you can connect 7 devices to the Mac at a time. But if you want seamless wireless audio output, it is better to disconnect the headphones you won’t be using first.

As an extremely good headphone brand, someone can own multiple pairs of Bose headphones. When you want to switch from one headphone to another, properly disconnect the former headphone. However, you might have to use the Bose headphones with something other than your Mac.

This process won’t unpair the headphones from your Mac. The next time you connect to the Mac, you will still find the Bose headphones paired with it. In the above-mentioned circumstances, follow the instructions below to disconnect the Bose headphones from Mac:

On the top-left of your MacBook screen, you need to click on the Apple icon.
From the next drop-down menu, select System Settings or System Preferences.
In the left pop-up panel next, select Bluetooth.
Go to Bluetooth Preferences.
Find the name of your Bose headphones in the My Devices section.
Click on Disconnect beside the headphone name.
The headphone will still be paired to the Mac for the next time you want to reconnect. You will only see a sign saying Not connected after disconnecting the headphone successfully.

How to unpair Bose headphones from Mac

Disconnecting the Bose headphones from Mac will only temporarily remove the connection between the two devices. If you intend to remove the wireless headphone from the Mac completely, you will need to unpair them manually.

Unpairing the headphones like this process will mean that you have to pair Bose headphones to Mac once again. Usually, there is no need to unpair the headphones, as simply disconnecting the headphones will be enough. If you are intent on forgetting the Bose headphones on your Mac, then follow these steps to unpair the headphones from Mac:

On the top-left of your MacBook screen, you need to click on the Apple icon.
From the next drop-down menu, select System Settings or System Preferences.
In the left pop-up panel next, select Bluetooth.
Find the name of your headphones in the My Devices section and right-click on it.
Select Remove/Forget This Device from the menu.
A pop-up bar asking for confirmation will appear. Select Remove in this section to complete the unpairing of the Bose headphones.

How To Manage Bose Headphones in macOS 13 Ventura

The macOS 13 Ventura is one of the latest updates on Macbooks. It is no different than the previous MacOS versions. Except a few of the operation names might be a little different.

The menu or function names on macOS 13 Ventura might confuse you at first. Other than that, pairing, customizing, disconnecting and unpairing are similar to the ones we have already mentioned.

Here is how to manage Bose headphones in macOS 13 Ventura:

Select the Apple icon from the left corner of the Mac.
Go to System Settings.
Click on Bluetooth.
Turn the toggle on to make sure the Bluetooth is turned on.
If the Bluetooth is on, there will be a message saying Discoverable as with your Mac name to indicate that it is ready to connect to a Bluetooth device.
Press and hold down the power button of your Bose headphones until it is ready to be paired.
Under the box named Devices, you will find the name of your headphones.
Hover the cursor on the headphone name and select Connect when the option appears.
Similarly, if you want to disconnect, hover the cursor on the name until the option Disconnect appears. Then click on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

You’ll get to know more about the Bose headphones connected to Mac in this section. In this section, we’ve included answers to some of the most frequently asked queries.

What to do if your Bose headphones are not connecting to your Mac?

No matter how high-quality headphones or devices you are using, you are bound to face some problems in connectivity at one point. If you find your Bose headphones not connecting to the Mac, there could be a few solutions for it. You can resort to these methods when your Bose headphones won’t connect to the Mac.

Reset The Bose Headphones

The best and the most common troubleshooting fix for the Bose headphones not connecting to Mac is reset it. Follow the proper resetting guide on the headphones to reboot it and make it function as a new pair of headphones.

Clear The Bose Headphones Pairing List

Usually, Bose headphones can remember up to 7 or 8 Bluetooth devices. Pairing them with more devices might disrupt connectivity. So, you should clear the pairing list of your Bose headphones manually. For that, slide the power button to the right side and wait 10 seconds. You will hear a confirmation saying “Bluetooth Device List Cleared” once you’re done.

Check for charge in your Bose headphone

Lack of battery or charge might be the reason why your Bose headphone isn’t connecting with your MacBook. You can find out the battery life of your Bose headphone on your phone from the Bose Connect app. So, if the headphone doesn’t have any battery, you should fully charge them before trying to connect to the Mac.

Update your macOS software

The macOS often provide software updates for the best performance of the device. Ignoring these software updates might mess with your Bluetooth connectivity. So, it is best to keep the software up to date in your macOS.

Clear Mac Bluetooth Pairings

Clearing out the Bluetooth pairings in your Mac can also solve connectivity problems. Keep in mind that this process will remove all the previously paired devices with the Mac. So, you will need to pair them again afterward manually.

How to put Bose headphones in pairing mode?

In order to pair with the Mac, the Bose headphones need to be in pairing mode first. The process to enter the pairing mode might slightly differ depending on the model of the Bose headphones. But in all of them, there are only two methods to put the Bose headphones into pairing mode. If you are wondering how to make Bose headphones discoverable, the answer to that question is also this. The two ways in which you can put the Bose headphones in pairing mode are-

Press and hold or Long press the Power button of your Bose Headphones. Wait until you hear Ready To Pair from your headphones.
Next, slide the Power button to the Bluetooth symbol on your headphones. Hold it there until the Bluetooth light flashes blue or sends a Ready to Pair message.

How to turn off Bose headphones?

Turning off your Bose headphones after usage is a good practice. It will save the battery life of the headphones by a long measure. All you need to do to turn off Bose headphones is to press one button. On the right earcup of your Bose headphones, press on the Power button until it is turned off.

Some of the Bose headphones feature the automatic turn-off option. In this setting, the headphones automatically turn off after being inactive for a certain period. This feature is very convenient for saving the battery of the headphones.

Is there a Bose Connect app for Mac?

No, there is not a Bose Connect app for Mac.

The Bose Connect app features easy access to the Bose headphones. This app lets you easily control pairing, connecting, and disconnecting. It includes sound customization options with some advanced settings.

However, this app is only available for Android and iOS. So, even if you can use the app with your iPhone, you won’t be able to use it with your Macbook. There still has not been a version of Bose Connect app for Macbook specifically.

Conclusion

If you are the owner of a pair of Bose headphones and a Macbook, this guide will immensely help you out. In order to enjoy high-quality music while working on something on your Mac, all you need to do is follow this guide. Learn how to pair Bose wireless headphones from this extensive guide, and then enjoy your music without any problems.

If you face any problems with the connectivity of the Bose headphones, you can resort to the FAQ section of this guide. It will certainly help in any trouble regarding how to connect Bose headphones to Mac. Once paired, you can keep enjoying the music in one tap unless you willingly unpair them from your Mac.

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