How to Connect Bose Headphones to a Mac

This article walks through the steps for pairing Bose wireless headphones with a Mac via macOS Bluetooth preferences. These instructions apply to Macs running macOS Big Sur (11.0), macOS Catalina (10.15), and macOS Mojave (10.14).

How to Pair Bose Headphones to Macs

Use the Bluetooth preferences to set up and use any set of wireless Bose headphones with your Mac.

1. Open System Preferences > Sound.

   You can also access Bluetooth settings from the menu bar. Select the Bluetooth icon and then choose Open Bluetooth Preferences.

2. Select Bluetooth.

3. Ensure Bluetooth is on. If it isn’t, choose Turn Bluetooth On to activate it.

4. Long-press the power button on your Bose headphones to enter pairing mode.

   You’ll know your headphones are in pairing mode when you see the blinking status light near the Bluetooth icon.

5. Look for your headphones at the bottom portion of the Devices box and select Connect next to your device.

6. Find your Bose headphones listed at the top of the Devices box with the Connected message underneath the name.

   If you don't see your Bose headphones from the available devices list, turn Bluetooth off and on again on your Mac and re-enter pairing mode on your headphones.

Customize Bose Headphones Settings on Your Mac

Once you’ve connected your Bose headphones, you can customize system sounds and sound settings for your headphones.

1. Open System Preferences > Sound.

   You can also get to this menu from the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar. Hover over the name of your Bose headphones under Devices and then choose Open Sound Preferences.

2. From the Sound Effects tab, select the sound you’d like to receive for alerts. Highlight the name to select it and adjust the volume by moving the indicator on the Alert volume bar.

   To preview the sound, double-click the name of the sound effect.

3. Select Output and use the toggle bars to adjust Balance and Output volume.

   You can also adjust the output volume from the other two tabs in the Sound dialog box: Sound Effects and Input.

4. From the Input tab, adjust the input volume by moving the toggle left or right.

   Double-click the microphone icons to turn the input level up or down. Ensure you don’t have the input level turned down entirely if you want to use the built-in microphone on your headphones.

How to Disconnect Bose Headphones From a Mac

If you use multiple pairs of Bose or Bluetooth headphones, it’s easy to switch between them. Disconnect the model you’re not using while still maintaining the pairing connection.

1. Open the Bluetooth menu and select Open Bluetooth Preferences.

2. Select and right-click the name of your connected Bose headphones and choose Disconnect. Your headphones will still appear in the top portion of the Devices list with Not Connected underneath it.

   Another approach: Select the Bluetooth menu icon, click the name of your headphones, and select Disconnect.

3. To reconnect, right-click the name and select Connect.

How to Unpair Bose Headphones from Your Mac

Whether you need to unpair due to connectivity issues or otherwise, the process is fast.

1. Open System Preferences > Bluetooth.

2. Select your headphones from Devices, right-click the name, and select Remove.

3. A dialog box appears confirming you will need to pair your headphones to use them again. Select Remove to confirm the deletion.

   You can also advance this process by highlighting the name of your headphones under Devices and selecting the x icon, which appears to the right of its name.

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