How to Connect AirPods to an HP Laptop?

Contrary to popular belief, AirPods are not compatible with Apple devices only. 

Keep on reading to find out how to connect AirPods to an HP laptop and other Windows PCs.

How to Connect AirPods to an HP Laptop?

Since AirPods use Bluetooth, connecting them to an HP laptop, or any Windows device, requires you to turn Bluetooth on, pair the AirPods to the PC and connect them.

Here is a more detailed look at what you need to do to connect your AirPods to your HP laptop

1. Make sure your AirPods are charged and ready to use. If not, put them in the charging case and wait until they are fully charged.

2. Go to the Settings App (by clicking on the Start menu button⇒Settings or by pressing Windows key + I) and search for and click on Bluetooth & other devices

3. Click the Bluetooth toggle to turn it on if it is off

4. Click on Add device

5. Click on Bluetooth as the device you want to add

6. Now press and hold the button on the AirPods’ charging case until it flashes white

7. On your laptop, find the AirPods on the list of discovered devices

8. Wait a few seconds for the AirPods to pair with your PC and click Connect.

Once the connection is set up, your AirPods will reconnect to your HP laptop every time they are in range. You can disconnect them at any time and then manually connect them again. 

How to connect AirPods to a PC?

The same procedure can be used on any Windows computer. In some cases, you might find different names for the options (instead of Add Device it could be +Add Bluetooth or other device)—other than that the steps involved in connecting AirPods to a PC are the same as connecting AirPods to an HP laptop. 

How to unpair AirPods from an HP laptop?

To unpair the AirPods from the PC, you need to

1. Go to Bluetooth Settings 

2. Select AirPods and click on Remove device 

Alternatively you could just turn Bluetooth off. 

Why Won’t My HP Laptop Detect My AirPods?

There are several reasons why your AirPods won’t connect to your HP laptop. 

The first thing to do is to eliminate the Bluetooth on your laptop as the issue—try connecting another device via Bluetooth. If that  doesn’t work, you need to figure out what is wrong with the Bluetooth before you can connect your AirPods to your HP computer. 

Most common issues include:

• Bluetooth might not be enabled. Try disabling and enabling it again. Then take the AirPods out of the case and see if they will pair. 
• Bluetooth drivers might be out of date. Update the driver and check the connection again. 
• Too many devices are connected via Bluetooth. If you have a mouse, keyboard or other devices connected to your laptop via Bluetooth, try disconnecting some of them as they might stop the module from forming a stable connection. 
• Other devices nearby might have Bluetooth enabled—if you have another laptop around or a phone in your pocket, disable Bluetooth on those devices and try pairing your AirPods to your HP laptop again.

Often the best way to fix issues with Bluetooth on Windows is to use the troubleshooter. You can find it in Settings under Troubleshoot⇒Other troubleshooters⇒Bluetooth. If issues come up, the Troubleshooter will suggest relevant solutions. 

If Bluetooth is not the issue, then:

• Your Airpods might not be in pairing mode—the light on the case needs to be blinking to make the connection. Reset your AirPods and try to connect them again.  
• Your AirPods could be connected but not enabled. This is usually the case with laptops that don’t automatically switch the audio output. In this situation, you will need to manually switch from the existing output to your AirPods—click on the speaker icon⇒dropdown menu, then select Headphones⇒AirPods. If you are not getting any results, then go to the Sound Control Panel⇒Settings and make Headphones (AirPods Pro Stereo) the default audio device. 

Which Features Do I Lose When I Connect AirPods to an HP Computer?

Connecting AirPods to a PC will give you outstanding sound quality, however, you might lose out on some other features, such as:

• You can’t use Siri—the voice assistant is only available through AirPods when they are connected to an iOS device;
• Automatic Ear Detection is unavailable. This handy feature automatically pauses audio when you take one of the buds out;
• You won’t be able to tell how much battery is left in the AirPods (although there are some apps you can install to get around this issue).