How to pair the Sony WH-1000XM5 to a phone or laptop

While these are nearly two years old, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are still among the best headphones you can get right now. We know many of you are spending big bucks on these, but you may be having a hard time getting them paired. If you need some help, we’re here to show you how to pair the Sony WH-1000XM5 to MacOS, Windows, iOS, and Android.

Editor’s note: We used a MacBook Pro running MacOS 14, a custom PC running Windows 11, an Apple iPhone 12 Mini running iOS 17.3.1, and a Google Pixel 7 running Android 14 to come up with these instructions. Keep in mind some menus may change depending on your device and its software version.

How to put the Sony WH-1000XM5 in pairing mode

First things first, you will need to learn how to put the Sony WH-1000XM5 in pairing mode. If you’ve never paired the headset to a device, it should enter pairing mode the first time you turn it on. If it doesn’t, or you’ve paired the headphones with a device in the past, follow the instructions below.

1. Make sure your Sony WH-1000XM5 is charged. Plug it in for some time.
2. Once you’re ready, press and hold the power button for about five seconds.
3. You can let go once the indicator LED light flashes blue. Additionally, the headphones will say “Pairing.”

Once the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones enter pairing mode, you can move on to the device you want to connect them to. Let’s show you the process on all the most popular platforms.

How to connect the Sony WH-1000XM5 to a Mac or MacBook

Are you using a Mac computer? Here’s how to link it to your Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones.

1. On your Mac computer, click on the Apple menu, in the top-left corner.
2. Go into System Settings.
3. Select Bluetooth.
4. Hold the cursor over WH-1000XM5 and click on Connect.
5. The headphones will connect after a few seconds.

How to connect the Sony WH-1000XM5 to a Windows PC or laptop

Those of you rocking Windows will have to dig a bit more, but the process is still pretty straightforward.

1. On your Windows computer, launch the Settings app.
2. Go into Bluetooth & devices.
3. Select the Add device option.
4. Click on Bluetooth.
5. The tool will search for available devices. Select WH-1000XM5.
6. The headphones will connect after a few seconds.

How to connect the Sony WH-1000XM5 to an iPhone

Let’s move on to mobile. We know many of you are rocking iPhones, so we’ll cover the iOS instructions.

1. On your iPhone, launch the Settings app.
2. Go into the Bluetooth option.
3. Look under Other Devices. WH-1000XM5 should show up there. Tap on it.
4. The headphones will connect after a few seconds.

How to connect the Sony WH-1000XM5 to an Android Phone

Let’s end things with our favorite platform. Here’s how to connect your Sony WH-1000XM5 headset to an Android device.

1. On your Android phone, launch the Settings app.
2. Go into Connected devices.
3. Tap on the Pair new device option.
4. Look under Available devices. WH-1000XM5 should show up there. Tap on it.
5. Select Pair.
6. The headphones will connect after a few seconds.

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