Listening to audio on your computer with wired headphones can lead to tangled cables and other annoyances. So if you’ve decided to use Bluetooth headsets with your Mac, no one can blame you.
At the same time, wearing Bluetooth headphones does not always mean that you will get rid of all your troubles. Sometimes the sound may stop working.
If you can’t hear anything through your Mac-connected Bluetooth headphones, this article will help you troubleshoot the problem.
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What Causes Your Mac’s Bluetooth Headphones To Stop Playing Sound?
Even if your Mac says you’ve plugged in your wireless headphones, they may stop working properly for a number of reasons.
In some cases, the headphones may stop playing sound, or you will hear the audio much lower than usual, because they are low on battery power. If this is the case, plug your headphones into a USB charger and it should fix the problem.
At other times, your Bluetooth headphones may stop playing sound due to a problem with their signal. For example, something could interfere with the connection.
How to fix any sound problems without disconnecting the headphones
While you can unplug your Bluetooth headphones from your Mac before pairing them again, let’s face it: doing so takes a lot of effort.
Before unplugging your headphones, try to check if you can fix the problem on your Mac. For that, check your volume output. To do this:
Step 1: Go to the Apple logo at the top left of your Mac’s toolbar.
Step 2: Click on System Preferences when the drop-down menu appears.
Step 3: Find the Sound option, which is the microphone icon with sound waves.
Step 4: In the next window, select the Output tab at the top.
Step 5: If your device is connected, you should see it in the big white box. Highlight this and your audio should play on your headphones immediately.
You can also change the output volume below the white box and make things louder by moving the slider to the right. Make sure the Mute box is not checked as well; you will see this right next to it.
Once you’ve changed your audio output, start playing a song, video, or podcast to verify you’ve fixed the problem.
How to disconnect and reconnect your headphones
If the above solution didn’t work, you can try disconnecting and reconnecting your Bluetooth headset to your Mac. Although doing so requires a bit more time, the process is fairly straightforward and shouldn’t take too long.
First, you will need to disconnect your headphones. You can do this by turning them off from the device itself, either by holding down the button that does this or by putting the headphones back in their case.
Alternatively, you can disconnect them using your Mac. You have a few options; the first is to disconnect them from your Mac’s toolbar. To do this:
Step 1: Click on the Bluetooth icon at the top of your screen. You’ll find it closer to the right side, and it should be between the volume and the Wi-Fi icon (or more or less).
Step 2: Once you have selected the Bluetooth icon, a list of connected devices will appear. If your headphones are connected, the headphones logo will appear in a blue circle. Click this once to disconnect them.
Alternatively, you can disconnect them from the Bluetooth subsection. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Click Bluetooth Preferences under the Bluetooth icon.
Step 2: Next to your headphones, you will see a little x icon once you have highlighted them. Tap on this.
When you’re ready to reconnect your headphones to your Mac, turn them back on. If you disconnected your headphones by turning them off on the devices themselves or with the first Bluetooth option, they should pair again once you’re within range of your Mac.
However, if you choose the final option, you will need to reconnect them manually. To do this:
Step 1: Go back to Bluetooth Preferences.
Step 2: Next to your headphones, select Connect once you’ve turned them on.
After reconnecting your headphones, you shouldn’t have a problem hearing your Mac’s audio through them.
Fix Sound from Bluetooth Headphones on Mac
When your Bluetooth headphones aren’t playing sound through your Mac, it can significantly disrupt your day. Fortunately, this problem is easy to fix and shouldn’t take long.
If you’ve tried everything in this article and it’s still not playing sound, your headphones may need to be replaced.
