How to pair Bluetooth headphones with your Apple Watch

Pairing Bluetooth headphones with Apple Watch Series 7
(Image credit: Luke Filipowicz / iMore)

While the Apple Watch has a speaker, it's only meant for tones, calls, Siri, and other short and simple sounds. If you want to listen to your music, podcasts, or any other audio you've synced with your Apple Watch, you'll need to pair up some Bluetooth headphones to your Apple Watch.

Of course, the pairing process is a little different if you have a pair of AirPods Pro or any headphones with Apple's W-series or H-series chips. However, regular Bluetooth headphones can be paired to your best Apple Watch via Settings. Here's how to pair Bluetooth headphones with your Apple Watch.

How to pair Bluetooth headphones to your Apple Watch

Some of the best workout headphones for Apple Watch are just standard Bluetooth headphones that Apple doesn't produce. These headphones need to be paired via Settings.

Note: Make sure your Bluetooth headphones are in pairing mode before you start.

1. Launch the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
2. Tap Bluetooth.
3. Tap the name of the device you want to pair.

(Image credit: iMore)

How to disconnect Bluetooth headphones from your Apple Watch

Once you've connected a pair of headphones to your Apple Watch, you can disconnect them at any time.

1. Launch the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
2. Tap Bluetooth.
3. Tap the name of the device you want to disconnect.

(Image credit: iMore)

4. Tap the info button (it's the "i" in the circle) next to the device you want to disconnect.
5. Tap Disconnect Device or Forget Device.

(Image credit: iMore)

If you choose to disconnect the device, that will sever the Bluetooth connection between your Apple Watch and the device. However, the next time you turn that Bluetooth device in range of your Apple Watch, it should automatically connect again.

If you chose to forget the device this will cut the connection between your headphones and your Apple Watch more permanently. If you want to pair those headphones to your Apple Watch in the future, you'll need to pair them again manually. 

AirPods pair a bit differently

As you can see, it's very easy to pair Bluetooth headphones with your Apple Watch. This applies to pretty much any Bluetooth earbuds or headphones out there that aren't AirPods.

Of course, pairing a set of AirPods to your Apple Watch is even easier because as soon as you pair your AirPods with your iPhone, they will automatically pair to your Apple Watch as well. That's the beauty of the Apple-made chips inside each pair of AirPods. 

Updated July 2022: Updated for the latest version of watchOS.

Luke Filipowicz
Staff Writer

Luke Filipowicz has been a writer at iMore, covering Apple for nearly a decade now. He writes a lot about Apple Watch and iPad but covers the iPhone and Mac as well. He often describes himself as an "Apple user on a budget" and firmly believes that great technology can be affordable if you know where to look. Luke also heads up the iMore Show — a weekly podcast focusing on Apple news, rumors, and products but likes to have some fun along the way. 


Luke knows he spends more time on Twitter than he probably should, so feel free to follow him or give him a shout on social media @LukeFilipowicz.