How to Connect Sony Headphones to a Windows PC

How to Pair Sony Headphones With a Windows 11 PC

Put your Sony headphones in pairing mode, then on your PC go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Add device > Bluetooth and select the model name. The bracketed labels come from Sony's WH-1000XM6 guide; with another model, click that model's name in step 5.

1. Put the headset in pairing mode (control for your model in the table below).
2. On the PC, click [Start], then [Settings].
3. Click [Bluetooth & devices], click the [Bluetooth] switch to turn Bluetooth on, then click [Add device].
4. Click [Bluetooth].
5. Click the model name, for example [WH-1000XM6]. If a passkey is requested, enter 0000.

A notification sound confirms the connection. If the model name doesn't appear, Sony says to start again from [Start]. Microsoft's shortcut: select the Manage Bluetooth devices arrow on the Bluetooth quick setting, pick the headset under New devices, then select Done.

Pairing Mode for Each Sony Model

Sony headsets enter pairing mode by themselves the first time: turn the headphones on, or take both earbuds out of the case. For a second or later device, use the manual control for your model.

Model	Manual pairing control	Hold for
WH-1000XM6, WH-CH520	(Bluetooth) button	About 5 seconds or more
WH-1000XM5	(power) button	About 5 seconds
WF-1000XM6, WF-1000XM5, WF-C510	Pairing button on the back of the charging case, earbuds in the case, lid open	About 5 seconds or more
WF-C500	Buttons on both the left and right earbuds	About 5 seconds
WF-1000XM3	Touch sensors on both earbuds, worn in both ears	About 7 seconds

In pairing mode the blue indicator repeatedly flashes twice in a row (on the charging case for the WF-1000XM6, WF-1000XM5 and WF-C510); the WF-1000XM3 says "Bluetooth pairing" from the left earbud. Pairing mode is canceled after 5 minutes. Phones use the same controls: see How to Connect and Pair Sony Headphones With Any Device.

Pair Faster With Swift Pair

Swift Pair swaps the Settings steps for a pop-up:

1. Turn it on once: click [Start] - [Settings] - [Bluetooth & devices], then turn on the [Show notifications to connect using Swift Pair] switch.
2. Put the headset in pairing mode near the PC.
3. Select [Connect] from the pop-up menu.

The first time a device uses Swift Pair, Microsoft says a notification asks to allow it: select Yes.

How to Connect on Windows 10

Windows 10 uses the Devices menu instead:

1. Put the headset in pairing mode and wake the PC.
2. Click [Start], then [Settings] - [Devices].
3. Click the [Bluetooth & other devices] tab, turn the [Bluetooth] switch on, then click [Add Bluetooth or other device].
4. Click [Bluetooth], then your model name. Enter 0000 if a passkey is requested.

On Windows 10 version 1803 or later, Swift Pair works too: check [Show notifications to connect using Swift Pair] on the Bluetooth & other devices page.

Connected but No Sound? Pick the Sony Headphones as Output

Set the PC's audio output to the headset. Sony's WH-1000XM6 guide uses two steps:

1. Right-click the speaker icon on the toolbar, select [Sound settings], then select your model for [Output] and [Input].
2. Model not listed? Click [More sound settings], go to the [Playback] tab, right-click the model and select [Connect]. Do the same on the [Recording] tab for the microphone.

If music sounds poor, Sony says to check that the A2DP function "which supports music playback connections" is enabled in the computer settings.