Since their sound quality is way better than what you would get from your TV speakers, pairing them up with a TV is also a logical way to get better audio from your movies without investing in a soundbar, a home theater system, or Bluetooth headphones. Even though Apple is known to lock down some of its products and restrict what they can work with, the AirPods are luckily open and can pair with any Bluetooth appliance. The pairing will be simple if your TV is Bluetooth capable. Otherwise, you will need a Bluetooth adapter to get this done.
How to Connect Your AirPods to an Apple TV
Pairing your AirPods to an Apple TV is the easiest way to stream audio straight to your favorite earphones. You can connect them through Bluetooth or attach them to the TV via iCloud.
Here is how to connect them via Bluetooth
Get your AirPods into pairing mode by pressing the pairing button on the case until the white LED starts flashingLook for the Remotes and Devices option on the Apple TV settings appSelect Bluetooth and then ‘other devices’You should find your AirPods on the list. Select them to pair and start playing content immediately
How to connect AirPods to Apple TV through iCloud
If your Apple TV and AirPods are on the same Apple ID, you can pair the two automatically. You will find the pods ready to use under the ‘other devices’ sections. You can make the two be on the same iCloud configuration by:
Open your AirPods casePress and hold the play button on the Apple TV remote until you get a pop-upYour AirPods should be on the popup. Select it to start streaming audio through them
Using AirPods with Apple TV gives you access to a bevy of features that would otherwise be unavailable on other TVs. Some of the most notable are:
Automatic device switching to stream audio from different connected devicesControl over SiriSimpler pairing optionsEar detection for automatic play and pauseFreedom to customize AirPods double taps
Pairing AirPods to a Bluetooth-Enabled TV
If your TV already has Bluetooth, you can easily pair it with the AirPods as you would pair them with any other Bluetooth smartphone.
Press the pairing button behind your AirPods charging case to bring them to pairing mode. The LED indicator should start blinkingGo to your TV menu and navigate to the connectivity settings, then turn Bluetooth onIf it is an Android-powered TV, Chromecast with Google TV or a Samsung, you will find the pair option under ‘Remote and other Devices’ sectionOn the TV, scan for available devicesOnce your AirPods pop up, click on the pair buttonThe pairing should be successful though you might get a request for further permission if you are using an Android TV
You will not get any double-tap controls on the AirPods and might even have to use the TV remote to adjust the volume. All other proprietary AirPods controls that only work with Apple products will be unavailable.
How to Connect AirPods to a TV Without Bluetooth
Most TVs don’t have Bluetooth. If this is the case, you will need a Bluetooth adapter that plugs into the headphones jack, HDMI or Optical audio out port depending on what your TV has. You can grab some Bluetooth Audio dongles here
Plug the Bluetooth adapter to a USB port for power and the Audio jack to the TVPut the dongle into pairing modePut the AirPods into pairing mode too by pressing the button on the case until the white LED starts flashingWait for the two devices to locate each other and pair successfully
This can be a bit sketchy since most Bluetooth dongles want to auto pair with the first device they find. It might end up being another Bluetooth device nearby that is in pairing mode and not your AirPods.
Can I Connect My AirPods to a Streaming Device?
Go to the device’s Bluetooth setting with the AirPods in pairing mode to connect them like any other Bluetooth headphones.
Here is an example of how to connect AirPods to Roku
Pair your AirPods to your phoneGo to the App Store or Google PlayStore and download the Roku appConnect your phone to the same WiFi network as the Roku Launch and configure the Roku app and then look for the ‘Headphone’ iconTap on the icon to launch ‘Private Listening.’This will stream audio to the AirPods that are already connected to your smartphone.
Navigate to the settings menu and scroll to ‘controls and Bluetooth devices’Scroll over the devices already paired to the Fire TV and find the ‘Other Bluetooth Devices’ option at the very bottomPut your AirPods into pairing mode by pressing the button at the back of the AirPods case and ensure you see their white LED flashing.Click on the ‘Other Bluetooth Devices’ option on the Fire TV stick and wait for it to scan for new devices.Once you see your AirPods, click on them to automatically connect them to your Fire TV.
Bottom Line
Even though your AirPods will work with any Bluetooth TV, they could be a hassle to pair and only work best with Apple TV. Third-party earphones from other brands will do the job fine while giving you some controls like volume control, pause, and skip, unlike the Air Pods. Some notable alternatives include:
