How to Connect Sony Headphones to Android

How to Pair Sony Headphones With an Android Phone

To pair Sony headphones with Android, start pairing mode on the headphones, then tap Pair new device in the phone's Bluetooth settings:

1. Put the headphones in pairing mode (table below). On the WH-1000XM6, the indicator (blue) repeatedly flashes twice in a row and you hear "Pairing".
2. On the phone, swipe down from the top of the screen and touch and hold Bluetooth (Google's steps). Sony's own example path is [Settings] - [Device connection] - [Bluetooth].
3. Tap Pair new device, then tap the model name, for example WF-1000XM5.
4. If a passkey is requested, enter 0000. A notification sound tells you the connection is established.

Menus vary by phone maker: Google says some of these steps only work on devices with supporting hardware, and some only on Android 15 and up.

Pairing Mode for Each Sony Model

Sony's Android pages use a different control for each model family. The first time, every model below enters pairing mode automatically when you turn it on or take the earbuds out of the case:

Sony model	Control for a second phone	Hold for	Voice guidance
WH-1000XM6, WH-CH520	(Bluetooth) button	about 5 seconds or more	"Pairing"
WH-1000XM5	(power) button	about 5 seconds	"Pairing"
WF-1000XM6, WF-1000XM5, WF-C510	Pairing button on the back of the case, lid open	about 5 seconds or more	"Pairing"
WF-C500	Buttons on both earbuds	about 5 seconds	"Bluetooth pairing"

Other models, and the light each one shows, are in How to Connect and Pair Sony Headphones With Any Device.

The Sony Sound Connect App on Android

The Sony | Sound Connect app is optional on Android; pairing never needs it. Sony says to download it from the Google Play store (for models outside Chinese mainland). On the WH-1000XM6 it adds software updates, multipoint connection to 2 devices, the sound quality mode and automatic power off. If the app's connection is unstable, Sony says to connect from Bluetooth settings instead. Google's Android page mentions a pairing notification for devices with Fast Pair, but no Sony guide we read confirms it for these models; Google Fast Pair for earbuds explains the feature.

On a Samsung Galaxy Phone

Pairing mode works the same with a Galaxy phone, but Samsung names the phone's menus differently. Samsung's support page uses Settings > Connections > Bluetooth, and its option for removing a device is Unpair rather than Google's Forget.

How to Check Your Sony Headphones Are Connected to Android

Sony headphones are connected to Android when you hear the confirmation and audio plays through them:

1. Listen for the notification sound that says the connection is established (WF-C500: the voice guidance says "Bluetooth connected").
2. Open Bluetooth settings: the model stays in your list, because Google says devices "stay paired until you unpair them".
3. Play music on the phone and check it comes from the headphones.