Bluetooth earbuds or car will not pair or connect

"Forget" the device on the phone, put the device back into pairing mode, and pair from scratch. That clears most Bluetooth trouble.

What you seeCouldn't pair / Connection unsuccessful / Pairing rejected / the device does not appear in the list

1. Pair from scratch

1. On the phone, remove the old pairing. - Android: Settings › Connected devices › the gear beside the device › Forget. Samsung: Settings › Connections › Bluetooth. - iPhone: Settings › Bluetooth › the (i) beside the device › Forget This Device.
2. Turn Bluetooth off and on, or restart the phone.
3. Put the accessory in pairing mode: usually hold its button, or the button on the earbud case, for several seconds until the light blinks white, blue or alternating colours. Switching it on is not enough; check its leaflet.
4. On the phone, open the Bluetooth screen, tap Pair new device (Android) or wait for it under Other Devices (iPhone), and choose it.

Keep the two within a metre while pairing.

2. If the device does not appear

• It is still connected to something else. Earbuds reconnect to the last phone, laptop or tablet they used. Turn Bluetooth off on those, then try.
• It is not in pairing mode. Repeat the button press and watch the light.
• Battery. Charge the accessory, and the case, for half an hour.
• Android location setting. Scanning for Bluetooth devices needs Location switched on in older Android versions, and "Nearby devices" permission for the accessory's app from Android 12.
• Too many remembered devices on the accessory: reset it (step 4).

3. It pairs, then will not connect or keeps dropping

• Move the phone to the same side of your body as the receiving earbud; the body blocks Bluetooth.
• Stay away from crowded Wi-Fi, microwave ovens and USB 3.0 gear when testing.
• Battery optimisation (Android): set the accessory's companion app to Unrestricted. See notifications not coming for where.
• Update the accessory's firmware through its app, and the phone's system.
• Turn off the phone's Battery Saver, which can limit Bluetooth scanning.

4. Reset the accessory

Earbuds and speakers have a factory reset, usually: put both buds in the case, hold the case or bud button for 10 to 15 seconds until the light flashes a different colour. Then forget it on the phone and pair again. The exact method is in the maker's leaflet or support page.

For AirPods: put them in the case, close the lid for 30 seconds, open it, forget them in Settings › Bluetooth, then hold the back button about 15 seconds until the light flashes amber and then white.

5. Sound problems after connecting

• No sound: during playback, check the output. Android: the media output button in the volume or media panel. iPhone: the AirPlay icon in Control Centre.
• Only one earbud plays: put both back in the case, wait, take both out together. If it persists, reset the earbuds. Check the audio balance: Android Settings › Accessibility › Audio; iPhone Settings › Accessibility › Audio & Visual.
• Music is fine but calls are not (or the reverse): Android device settings › turn on both Phone calls and Media audio for that device.
• Sound is behind the video: Bluetooth always adds a small delay. Video apps compensate; games cannot fully. A "low latency" or game mode in the earbuds' app helps.
• Sound is poor: move closer; turn off other Bluetooth devices; in Android's Developer options, leave the Bluetooth codec on its default.

6. In the car

• Delete the phone from the car's list of devices as well as the car from the phone's, then pair again with the car in its pairing screen.
• Accept the prompts on the phone for contacts and call history access, or the car shows no phone book.
• Cars remember only a few phones; delete old ones.
• Update the phone. Car systems are rarely updated, so a new phone and an old car may need a dealer software update.
• For Android Auto or CarPlay by cable, a faulty or charge-only cable is the usual cause of drop-outs.

7. Reset the phone's Bluetooth

• Android: Settings › System › Reset options › Reset Bluetooth & Wi-Fi (or Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth). Also Settings › Apps › Show system › Bluetooth › Storage & cache › Clear cache.
• iPhone: Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Reset › Reset Network Settings.

Every paired device is forgotten and must be paired again.

8. The Bluetooth switch will not stay on

If Bluetooth turns itself off or the switch is greyed out, restart and update; start Android in Safe Mode to rule out an app. If it still fails, and Wi-Fi misbehaves too, the wireless chip is faulty: service centre.

For Android phones and iPhones. Written in November 2026 for Android 13 to 15 and iOS 17 and 18. Phone makers rename menus; use the search box in Settings if a name differs. Back up before any reset. This is an independent guide, not connected with Google, Apple, Samsung or any phone maker or operator.