How to Connect Your Bose Headphones to Mac

Learn how to connect and disconnect your Bose headphones to your Mac, even without the Bose Connect app.

Bose headphones are designed to pair easily, especially with the convenience of the Bose Connect app. However, the app is not available on Mac OS, which can come as a surprise to seasoned Bose users.

That’s why, unlike mobile devices, pairing Bose headphones with a Mac requires you to tweak your computer’s settings. And this might confuse anyone who is used to the Bose Connect app.

In this article, we’ll show you exactly how to connect Bose headphones to your Mac. We’ll also explain how to adjust the headphones’ settings without the Bose Connect app. Let’s get started!

How to Connect Bose Headphones to Mac

You can pair Bose Bluetooth headphones with your Mac in a few simple steps. Here’s how:

1. Click the Apple icon on the top left and select System Settings.

   

2. Select Bluetooth from the panel on the left.

   

3. Ensure Bluetooth is On. If it isn’t, toggle the button on to activate it. 
   Doing so opens up two lists: My Devices (previously paired devices) and Nearby Devices (unpaired devices nearby).

   

4. Take your Bose headphones, slide the Power/Bluetooth button to the Bluetooth symbol and hold it until you hear “Ready to pair” or the Bluetooth indicator blinks blue.

   

5. On your Mac, look for your Bose headphones under Nearby Devices and select Connect next to your device. Wait until the label beside your headphones on the screen says “Connected.”

   

Next time you want to connect your Bose headphones to your Mac, you can easily find them by clicking on the Bluetooth icon in the top right corner of your screen.

How to Adjust Bose Headphones Settings on Mac

Apart from enabling easy pairing, the Bose Connect app also allows users to adjust their headphones’ audio settings. So, in the absence of the app, Mac users need to know how to make these adjustments on their devices.

Fortunately, through Mac’s sound settings, you can set default volume levels for alerts, audio output, and input (microphone).

To adjust Bose Headphones Settings on Mac, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Apple icon in the top left and select System Settings.

   

2. Choose Sound from the left panel.

   

3. Under the Sound Effects panel, locate Play sound effects through and select your Bose headphones.

   

4. Next, adjust the Alert Volume slider according to your preference.

   

5. Then, under the Output & Input tab, click on Output.

   

6. From here, you can adjust the sliders for Output Volume and Balance.

   

7. Finally, click on Input under the same tab.

   

8. Adjust the Input Volume slider to set your microphone’s loudness.

   

How to Disconnect and Unpair Bose Headphones on Mac

It is also helpful to know how to disconnect your Bose headphones. For example, you might want to play audio from your Mac through a different Bluetooth device.

Or, you may even want to unpair your Bose headphones from your Mac if you want to connect to a new device.

Follow these steps below to disconnect and/or unpair your Bose headphones from your Mac:

1. Go to System Settings and click Bluetooth.

   

2. Select your Bose headphones in the My Devices box and select “Disconnect.”

   

3. To unpair the device, click on the (i) icon next to it and select Forget This Device. In the new window, click on Forget Device.

   

What to Do When You Can’t Connect Bose Headphones to Mac

The unfortunate truth is that Bluetooth pairing issues can happen to anyone, even if you use high-end brands like Bose and Apple. That said, here are some easy solutions that could solve your Bluetooth pairing problems:

• Reset your Bose headphones
• Clear the pairing list
• Check for macOS software updates
• Reset Mac’s Bluetooth module

Reset your Bose headphones

If you’re facing connectivity issues, resetting your headphones would generally be your best bet at troubleshooting. Resetting removes all the unwanted bugs on your headphones’ firmware, ultimately helping them function as good as new.

You can reset your Bose headphones by following these steps:

1. Disconnect your headphones from all cables.
2. Plug the charger into an outlet. Alternatively, you may also connect one end of the USB cable to a computer that is turned on.
3. Press and hold the power button. Concurrently, connect the other end of the USB cable to the USB-C port on the right ear cup.
4. Wait for the Bluetooth light to blink blue.
5. Release the power button.

If you use Bose earbuds, the resetting process varies based on your device model.

Clear the pairing list

Bluetooth speakers and headphones can store pairing profiles for multiple devices. However, there is a limit to the number of devices’ pairing information that they can store.

Usually, headphones clear their pairing list whenever you reset them. But Bose headphones are different.

Resetting your Bose headphones only removes bugs and glitches, but not your settings or pairing list. With that, you’ll need to manually clear the list via the power button.

If your problem persists, we recommend reading about fixing Bose Bluetooth pairing problems for more information.

Check for macOS software updates

The saying “It takes two to tango” also goes for a Bluetooth connection. If you’re still facing connectivity issues, it may be time to take a closer look at your Mac.

Outdated software can cause incompatibility issues resulting in unstable pairing processes. That said, updating macOS improves your Mac’s overall stability, performance, and compatibility.

Furthermore, doing so can fix bugs and incorporate security improvements.

You can check for/perform software updates by following these simple steps:

1. From the Apple menu in the corner of your screen, choose System Preferences.

   

2. Click Software Update.

   

3. Click Update Now or Upgrade Now.

   

Reset Mac’s Bluetooth module

You can also reset your Mac’s Bluetooth module to clear Bluetooth profiles and restore it to its primary state.

Follow these steps to reset your Mac’s Bluetooth module:

1. Ensure that the “Show Bluetooth in the menu bar” is checked.

   

2. Holding the Shift + Option (Alt) keys on your Mac’s keyboard, click the Bluetooth symbol in the top-right corner of the macOS menu bar.

   

3. Hover your mouse cursor over “Debug” to reveal its submenu.

   

4. Click Reset the Bluetooth module.

   

5. Restart your Mac to save the changes and avoid bugs.

   

Is the Bose Connect App Available on Mac?

No, the Bose Connect app is not currently available for the Mac. The same goes for the Bose Music app.

While you can use your Mac’s Bluetooth settings to set default volume settings for your headphones, the Bose Connect app offers much more.

Considering these benefits, it is no wonder that users yearn for the Bose Connect/Music apps on Mac.

The release of the Mac Catalyst a few years ago gave users a glimmer of hope, as it is now possible to easily create apps for the Mac which share code with iPadOS.

Unfortunately, there is still no word from Bose on whether they’ll make use of this.

Conclusion

Armed with this knowledge, you can now easily connect your Bose Bluetooth headphones to your Mac and enjoy high-quality audio even when you’re working.

We hope this guide helped with your problem and answered all your questions.

What worked for you? Is there something we missed? Do let us know in the comments down below!