How to Connect Bose Headphones to Your iPhone

Pair great sound with your iPhone via Bluetooth

By
Brad Stephenson - Lifewire Writer
Brad Stephenson
Freelance Contributor
Brad Stephenson is a freelance tech and geek culture writer with 12+ years' experience. He writes about Windows 10, Xbox One, and cryptocurrency.
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Brad Stephenson
Updated February 27, 2020

Bose Bluetooth headphones are some of the most popular headsets on the market, due to their high quality audio and noise cancellation features. All Bose headsets can connect to an iPhone via a traditional audio jack, but you'll probably want to know how to connect Bose headphones to your iPhone via Bluetooth for better comfort and freedom of movement.

Bose headphones can connect to iPhone using Bluetooth options within the native iOS Settings, or by using Bose’s own Bose Connect app. Each method works perfectly well for making the initial connection, but the Bose Connect app tends to be more popular, as it enables more functionality after the pairing is completed.

How to Connect Bose Headphones to iPhone Using Bose Connect

The Bose Connect app is a free iOS app created by Bose for pairing their headphones and speakers to Apple’s iPhone.

In addition to simplifying the entire connection process, the Bose Connect app is also used for installing new firmware updates, which can add support for new features in addition to fixing audio bugs or glitches.

While new Bose Bluetooth headphones can ship with some charge in their batteries, they may need charging before they can be turned on and connected to your iPhone or other smart device.

  1. Download the Bose Connect app onto your iPhone from the App Store.

  2. Turn your Bose Bluetooth headset on by flicking the switch on the right earpiece from red to green. 

  3. Once downloaded and installed on your iPhone, open the Bose Connect app.

    Make sure you have Bluetooth enabled on your iPhone.

  4. Your new Bose headphones should automatically be detected by the Bose Connect iPhone app. If they are, you will be shown an image of your headphones and the text "Drag To Connect." Swipe down on the screen to begin connecting your Bose headset to your iPhone. If your headphones aren't detected, you'll be shown a screen offering you several tips for helping your iPhone find them.

    Bose Connect app on an iPhone.

    You don’t need to, but you may want to wear the Bose headphones during the connect process. If you do, you will hear audio confirmation of the connection once it’s finished.

  5. The Bose Connect app will begin to sync with your iPhone and the word "Connecting" will appear.

  6. After the connection is confirmed, you should see the phrase "Ready To Play" at the bottom of your iPhone screen. You can now use your Bose Bluetooth headset to listen to all audio on your iPhone.

    Bose Connect app on iPhone.

You may also see a "Preparing product update" message along the top of the Bose Connect app. This is completely normal and simply means the app is downloading an update it will wirelessly send to your Bose headphones as soon as it’s ready.

How to Pair Bose Headsets With iPhone Using Settings

While the Bose Connect app is the recommended method for pairing Bose headphones to an iPhone, you can also connect a Bose headset by using the iOS Settings app.

  1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth.

  2. Turn on your Bose headphones by turning the switch on the right earpiece from red to green.

  3. Under Other Devices, tap your headphones’ name.

    iOS Bluetooth settings.

    Your headphones’ name should have "Bose" in it somewhere.

  4. Your Bose headphones are now connected to your iPhone.

While this method works for connecting your Bose headphones to your iPhone, you'll need to use the Bose Connect app to install updates and to control the level of noise cancellation you want.

How to Disconnect Bose Headphones From an iPhone

Turning off your Bose Bluetooth headphones is fairly simple. All you need to do is flick the switch on the right earpiece from green to red.

If you want to disconnect them from your iPhone while still using them on another device, you can do that, too. Open the Bose Connect app, tap the image of your headphones, then tap Disconnect. You can also turn off Bluetooth on your iPhone to disable the wireless connection.

To completely remove Bose headphones from an iPhone to prevent them from pairing automatically in the future, go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the i symbol next to the headphones’ name, then tap Forget This Device.

iOS Bluetooth device settings.