How to Connect and Pair Bose Headphones With Any Device

How to Connect Bose Headphones or Earbuds

To connect Bose headphones or earbuds, put them in pairing mode and select them in your device's Bluetooth settings. Bose's owner's guides use this order for every model below:

1. Put your Bose in pairing mode (your model's button is in the table below).
2. On your device, open the Bluetooth settings and turn Bluetooth on.
3. Select your Bose in the list: the name you gave them in the Bose app, or the default name, such as BOSE QC ULTRA 2 EARBUDS, BOSE QC ULTRA 2 HP, Bose QC Headphones, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds or Bose Ultra Open Earbuds.
4. Wait for your Bose to appear in the list of connected products.

"Syncing" Bose headphones means this same pairing; there is no separate sync step.

Pairing Mode by Bose Model

Pairing mode is the only step that changes by model. Each row uses the wording of that model's Bose owner's guide:

Model	Pairing-mode action	How you know it's ready
QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)	Both earbuds in the case, case open: press and hold the button on the back of the case	The earbuds status light slowly pulses blue
Ultra Open Earbuds	Both earbuds in the case, case open: press and hold the same case button	The earbud status lights slowly pulse blue
QuietComfort Earbuds (2024)	Touch and hold either earbud for 4 seconds (first time: wait for the status light before you take them out)	You hear "Ready to pair"
QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)	Powered on: hold the Bluetooth/Power button past the power-off tone and two white blinks	The status light pulses blue
QuietComfort Headphones	Slide the Power/Bluetooth switch to the right and hold for 3 seconds	You hear "Ready to connect" and the light blinks blue

We didn't read the guides for older models such as QuietComfort Earbuds II or QuietComfort 45, so they aren't listed; check your model's guide on support.bose.com. Bose also says most voice prompts "were replaced with simple tones" on certain products, so watch the light too.

Connect Bose to Your Device

Pairing mode stays the same on every host; only the menu changes. These paths come from Bose's "Connecting a Bluetooth Device" article:

Device	Where to pair	Full guide
iPhone	Settings > Bluetooth (turned on), then tap your Bose under "Other Devices"	This page
Android phone	The Fast Pair notification (QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) models, Ultra Open Earbuds) or Bluetooth settings	How to Connect Bose Headphones to Android
Windows PC	Bluetooth icon in the system tray > "Add a Bluetooth Device"	How to Connect Bose Headphones to a Windows PC
Mac	Apple menu > System Settings > Bluetooth, then Connect (Bose's article says System Preferences)	This page
TV	The TV's "Bluetooth" or "Audio" settings > "Add a Bluetooth Device"; Bose calls these general steps	For a console, see how to use wireless headphones with an Xbox

Do You Need the Bose App?

No: every model above pairs from your device's Bluetooth menu. The Bose app manages Bluetooth connections and settings and delivers future updates, and Bose recommends it for setup. QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) use the Bose QCE app, which you open after pairing in Bluetooth settings. The Bose Music app is now called the Bose app.

How to Check Your Bose Are Connected

Your Bose are connected when the light confirms it and your device lists them:

1. Watch the light: it glows solid blue on QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) and Ultra Open Earbuds, and solid blue for 10 seconds on both QuietComfort headphone models. QuietComfort Headphones also say "Connected to" and your device's name.
2. Check your device's Bluetooth list for your Bose as connected (the only check the QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) guide gives).
3. Press play. If you hear nothing, turn up the volume on the Bose, your device and the music app.