Using bluetooth headphones with two devices

October 21, 2024 9:03 AM

How can I switch my earbuds between my iPhone and Mac easily?

I have a pair of JBL Tune 225tws. They work with my iPhone but I would also like to use them with my Mac. My Mac is unable to discover them. They are not displayed as a 'device' under the Bluetooth menu. What do I have to do to be able to switch between my iPhone and Mac?

posted by run"monty to Technology (7 answers total)

You may need to put the earbuds into pairing mode in order for your mac to discover them. A quick google suggests that you can do this by pressing and holding the button on the right earbud for about three seconds until the LED starts flashing blue. Then the computer should be able to see them.
posted by number9dream at 9:19 AM on October 21

Best answer: A lot of Bluetooth headphones can be simultaneously paired with multiple input sources (although only playing from one at a time). It looks like a lot of JBL models can do this although your model number doesn't seem to be on the list. Maybe call/chat with their tech support to make sure, though, because it looks like Tune models with both higher and lower model numbers have this functionality, so it's kind of weird that one model in the middle wouldn't.
posted by dr. boludo at 9:33 AM on October 21

Best answer: This says your headphones don't support multipoint (pairing to multiple devices at the same time so you can switch back and forth between them quickly).

It also provides instructions to pair with a different device: "To pair them to a different device, turn them off and back on, and hold both buttons for 5 seconds or until you hear a beeping sound (indicating “pairing mode”)."
posted by ssg at 9:35 AM on October 21

Some headphones you can pair with multiple devices, but there aren't good ways to swap between which device your headphones are connecting to. To get around this I normally just turn the bluetooth off on the device I don't want to use.
posted by gregr at 9:38 AM on October 21

I could never get multipoint to work reliably and consistently. I was forever repairing with the Mac or the phone.

I bit the bullet and bought AirPods and have been very happy ever since. Both AirPods and Beats earbuds have tight integration with Macs and iPods that enables them to automatically switch between your Mac and iPhone.
posted by caek at 10:53 AM on October 21

The only headphones I've used where this works well are Apple AirPods. With my Bose QuietComforts I often (but not always) have to turn them off and put them in pairing mode to reconnect with a second device; same with my ancient but honorable Sony over-the-ear headphones, which don't even pretend to be multipoint.
posted by lhauser at 5:26 PM on October 21

I can report that this happens pretty much effortlessly with AirPods. When my iPhone and Mac are in the same place and I put the AirPods in my ears, it usually IIRC defaults to the iPhone, however a small notification pops up in the Mac screen saying the pods have been noticed and asking me if I want to connect. If I say no, I can still choose them (if I still have them in my ears) from a drop-down menu of audio outputs.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 6:26 PM on October 21