Have you fallen victim to the AirPods connectivity issue with Apple TV? Especially when you’ve planned a romantic movie night with your partner.
You’ve already found out that resetting the AirPods is not the way to fix this in your case. Maybe you’ve applied other techniques to resolve the issue, resulting in wasted time and a bad mood.
But hey, don’t freak out!
I was in your exact shoes a couple of months ago. So, I researched for 2 hours and spent 3 hours of unlimited try to fix the problem.
In this article, we will go through the reasons that caused the issue and how we can conveniently fix them.
So, why won’t my AirPods connect to Apple TV?
Read each part of the article to understand what to do in your situation and how you can do them consequently.
Let’s have an in-depth exploration, shall we?
How to Fix AirPods Not Working with Apple TV
AirPods are a fantastic piece of technology we use in our day-to-day life. And interestingly, it keeps updating with time and technological enhancement.
Everything goes fine with your Apple ecosystem — AirPods are connected to the Apple TV, and you get a home theatre vibe while watching movies, listening to music, and enjoying random videos.
Such a lovely environment, isn’t it?
But it can turn into a hell of a day if you face your AirPods not connecting with Apple TV.
One of your conscious minds might have asked, How do I get my AirPods to work with Apple TV already.
In my case, resetting the AirPods, unpairing them, and removing them afterward from the iCloud account didn’t resolve my issue initially.
So, I can’t say for sure which method will resolve your issue.
But with my research and expertise, I gathered 7 working methods for you that will certainly resolve your issue.
Here’s a complete guide on how to fix AirPods not working on one side.
Here are the top 7 methods you can apply sequentially to fix AirPods not working with your Apple TV:
Method 1: Unpair Other Bluetooth Device
People often connect their sound system or gaming controller to their Apple TV and then complain when they can’t connect their AirPods to the Apple TV.
Either they forgot Bluetooth doesn’t support the connection of other devices, or they don’t know about it.
So, make sure you unpair other Bluetooth devices from your Apple TV before connecting it to the AirPods.
Here’s a way to unpair Bluetooth devices from Apple TV:
- Navigate to Settings and move to Remotes & Devices.
- Select Bluetooth and pick the connected Bluetooth device.
- Pick Unpair Device and confirm your decision by choosing Unpair Device again from the affirmation prompt.
- Flip-up the lid of your AirPods’ charging case.
- Press and hold the pairing button on the back of the case until the front light start flashing white.
- Go to the Settings. Move to the Remotes and Devices.
- Choose Bluetooth and pick your AirPods from the list.
- Use your remote to select them.
- Move to the My Device section to see if the status is Connected.
See if the Apple TV Bluetooth is not working with AirPods issue is resolved finally.
Quickly check out our epic guide on how to fix Airpods not working on Messenger Calls.
Method 2: Set AirPods as Sound Output Device
As you’ve successfully unpaired every device, it’s time to set your AirPods as the sound output device.
Here’s the process to set AirPods as the sound output device:
- Press and hold the Play/Pause button on your Apple TV remote when you are on the home screen.
- Choose AirPods from the list that’ll appear on the screen.
The above two methods would fix this issue most of the time. Yet if your problem persists, move on to the following method.
Method 3: Update your Apple TV
If you got an outdated version of Apple TV, there is a huge probability you are facing your AirPods, like AirPods Pro not connecting to Apple TV.
You need to install the latest tvOS update to fix the issue.
Here’s the fastest way you can follow to update your Apple TV:
- Navigate to Settings and move to System.
- Select Software Update and choose Update Software.
I hope this resolves AirPods Pro not connecting with the Apple TV problem.
Note: You must need at least an Apple TV with tvOS 11 to run 1st generation AirPods and tvOS 12.2 or later to run 2nd generation AirPods.
Follow our guide to know Ccn you use AirPods for PS5.
Method 4: Restart your Apple TV
Your Apple TV might get a temporary system malfunction or glitch that can create your AirPods not working with it. So, if this is the case with you, a restart of your Apple TV is needed.
Here’s the only way you need to apply for restarting your Apple TV:
- Go to the Settings menu and move to General.
- Choose System, and inside the window, select Restart from the Maintenance
See if this works or not. If not, give your Apple TV a hard reset by simply pressing and holding the Back and TV buttons on the Siri remote. Make sure to press and hold Menu and TV button simultaneously if you have a 1st generation Apple TV.
Thus a system hard reboot can fix your problem.
Many people face the problem of AirPods double tap play/pause not working. You can fix it easily by following a few steps on our separate guide.
Method 5: Reset your Apple TV
In the community forums, I found people solved their not working AirPods with Apple TV issue by resetting their Apple TV.
- Go to Settings and move to General.
- Select System and choose Reset from the Maintenance
See if resetting Apple TV to its default settings may solve your problem.
Method 6: Hard Reset your AirPods
If there is a networking issue with your AirPods, I believe you wouldn’t mind giving them a hard reset. Because a hard reset can fix your AirPods not working perfectly with the Apple TV issue.
Here are the steps you must follow to give your AirPods a hard reset:
- Make sure your phone is sufficiently charged up.
- Put your AirPods in the charging case and close the cover.
- Open the cover after 20-25 seconds.
- Move to Settings and then Bluetooth on your iPhone.
- Tap on the i
- Select Forget This Device.
- Press and hold the setup button on the back of the case for 15 seconds.
- Hold the setup button for more 5-10 seconds till the front case light blinks amber/orange 3 times and then blinks white.
This method has worked for many people to solve their issues. So, give it a try to see if this works for you.
Method 7: Unpair your AirPods and Pair Again
It has been confirmed that simply unpairing your AirPods and pairing them again can resolve the AirPods not connecting with the Apple TV issue.
Here are the measures you need to take to unpair your AirPods from the Apple TV:
- Navigate to Settings and then move to Remotes and Devices.
- Go to Bluetooth and choose your AirPods.
- Select Forget Device and confirm your decision by picking Forget Device
I hope this solves your pathetic problem. Yet if none of the methods fix your issue, contact Apple Support.
Check out our separate post on how to fix AirPods not working on Tiktok.
FAQs
How can I connect my AirPods to Apple TV?
You can connect your AirPods to Apple TV by simply using the Bluetooth settings or iCloud.
Why are my AirPods not working when it says connected?
Your AirPods are not working when it says connected because of running out the juice, and a networking issue appears, some bugs dancing in the codes, etc.
How to connect multiple AirPods to Apple TV?
You can connect multiple AirPods to Apple TV by these easy steps: Press and hold the Home button on the Siri remote > Audio Controls > Select preferred headphones > Share Audio and thus follow the instruction displayed accordingly.
How to connect Apple AirPods to Apple TV?
You need to follow these baby steps to connect Apple AirPods to Apple TV through Bluetooth settings: Open Settings > Remotes and Devices > Bluetooth. Flip your AirPods’ lid. Press and hold the pairing button on the back of the case until it flashes white. Choose your AirPods from the Other Devices list.
How to connect Bluetooth devices to Apple TV?
You can connect Bluetooth devices to Apple TV by these quick steps: Open Settings > Remotes and Devices > Bluetooth > Other Devices.
How to pair game controllers to Apple TV?
You must navigate Settings > Remotes and Devices > Bluetooth > How to Pair Game Controllers and follow the on-screen instructions to pair game controllers to Apple TV.
What to do if Apple TV does not detect family members’ AirPods?
Add a new device in the ATV Bluetooth settings. Open your AirPods’ lid. Press and hold the pairing button on the back of the case until it blinks white to pair the AirPods.
A Final Thought
AirPods are one of the finest creations of this century, which I see as a blessing. However, this blessing can be turned into irritation and frustration when you face your AirPods not working with your Apple TV.
But where there is a problem, there is a solution.
I have mentioned the top 7 working methods you can apply with your devices to resolve your AirPods not connecting or working with the Apple TV issue.
Let me know which method resolved your problem. Also, if you have other issues to be solved, comment below.
Have a wonderful rest of your day!
