Apple is known for having a suite of products that integrate together seamlessly. It’s kind of their thing, to be honest. From pairing your Apple Watch to your iPhone, using your iPad as an extension of your MacBook, or AirPlaying videos from your iPhone to your Apple TV, it’s remarkably simple to link together two Apple devices for optimal convenience.
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As it turns out, you can connect AirPods to Apple TV with this same ease. You just have to know how to do it. Thankfully, we’re here to walk you through it — step by step, complete with photos.
Why Connect AirPods to Apple TV?
Now, you know that you can connect AirPods to Apple TV, but you might be wondering why you’d want to do such a thing in the first place. As a matter of fact, there are a couple of reasons why connecting your AirPods to your Apple TV makes for a useful skill to have in your arsenal.
Convenience
Firstly, there’s convenience. Apple is known for remarkable convenience and relative ease in all its products, and this is a great way to emphasize that fact. It’s just plain convenient to be able to channel your Apple TV’s audio through your AirPods.
Whether you’re streaming the latest buzz-worthy series on Netflix, listening to music through the Spotify app, or renting a big blockbuster action movie through iTunes, it’s so nice to be able to amplify the Apple TV’s sound quality by bringing it right to your ears. This is especially convenient if your home theater setup has less-than-optimal sound quality.
Whether you just haven’t gotten around to buying a soundbar or haven’t taken the time to set up that surround sound system you’ve been meaning to get to, connecting your AirPods to your Apple TV is the next best thing to a theater-quality sound system. Not to mention, newer AirPods even boast Dolby Atmos sound quality — that’s something some older soundbars and speaker systems can’t even provide.
Quiet Listening
Another added benefit of knowing how to connect AirPods to Apple TV? The ability to listen quietly. Anyone with roommates, family members, or friends that share a common area can agree. Sometimes, you don’t really feel like being distracted by what other people are doing, saying, or listening to.
The inverse is also true. If your friend, roommate, family member, or partner is watching something you haven’t seen yet (or simply don’t want to), they can connect their AirPods and save you the trouble of having to plug your ears yourself.
This brand of quiet listening is such an underrated benefit of owning both AirPods and an Apple TV. They can enjoy their show, you can enjoy some peace and quiet, and you can both still be in the same room while doing so. Let’s hear it for the joys of modern convenience.
How to Connect AirPods to Apple TV
Remember how easy it was to pair your AirPods to your iPhone? It’s just as simple to connect AirPods to Apple TV. In just a few steps, you’ll be enjoying the convenience of quiet listening. Before we begin, make sure your AirPods are handy and in range and that your Apple TV is powered on and ready.
Step 1: Go to Settings on Apple TV
Firstly, you’re going to want to return to the Apple TV homepage. If you’re already there, then stay there. If you’re watching something, hit Menu and return home. Scroll over to Settings and hit Select on the remote. This will open up the Settings app.
Step 2: Navigate to Remotes and Devices
Step 3: Connect AirPods to Apple TV
Lastly, grab your AirPods (with the earbuds in the case and the case opened) and press down on the pairing button. This part of the process is the same as when you first connected your AirPods to your iPhone. You should soon see your AirPods pop up under the Other Devices heading on the Bluetooth page.
Select your device and watch as the pinwheel spins. This means it’s working! After a few seconds, your AirPods will officially connect and you’ll see a rundown of your Device Information as well as some device management settings. You can disregard all of this and simply hit Menu until you return to the homepage. You’re all set! Your AirPods are now connected to your Apple TV.
