To fix Beats that won’t connect to your phone, charge them, bring them close to the phone, restart Bluetooth, and put them in pairing mode before reconnecting. If connecting still fails, forget the saved pairing and pair them again, then use the reset instructions for your exact Beats model.
Retry the connection after each fix so you can stop once your Beats connect. Android menus vary by manufacturer, with separate Pixel and Samsung paths where needed. The Beats-specific iPhone menus below use iOS 27 or later.
The short version
- Start with power: Charge your Beats and phone, and keep them close together.
- Retry Bluetooth: Turn Bluetooth off and on in your phone’s settings, then select your Beats.
- Pair again: Activate your model’s discovery mode and remove the old pairing if reconnecting fails.
- Reset carefully: Use the button combination for your exact Beats model before considering broader phone settings resets.
| Fix | When to try it | Main catch |
|---|---|---|
| Charge and move closer | No response or an unstable connection | Seat both earbuds in their charging case |
| Restart Bluetooth | Previously paired Beats will not reconnect | Use iPhone Settings for a complete Bluetooth restart |
| Activate discovery mode | Beats do not appear in the device list | Controls differ by model |
| Forget and pair again | The saved connection keeps failing | Repeat pairing afterward |
| Check the audio destination | Beats show as connected but stay silent | Playback may be routed elsewhere |
| Restart and update | Basic connection fixes fail | Firmware updates require a Bluetooth connection first |
| Repair the Android app connection | The Beats app cannot find the accessory | Check app permissions and Bluetooth pairing separately |
| Reset the Beats | Pairing still fails | Use your model’s buttons and timing |
| Cross-test and reset phone settings | Persistent failure after simpler fixes | Phone resets can remove saved connections and other settings |
Charge your Beats and remove connection obstacles
Bring your Beats beside your phone while troubleshooting, keeping them within 30 feet of each other. Move away from microwaves, cordless phones, power cables, and other wireless electronics, and remove metal or concrete obstructions between the devices. For intermittent connections, move nearby USB 3 hubs away or turn unused hubs off; moving compatible Wi-Fi devices to 5 GHz can also reduce nearby 2.4 GHz traffic.
For Solo 4, Studio Pro, Beats 360, Flex, or the current Pill, connect the accessory to a power outlet with a USB-C cable and compatible adapter. For Fit Pro, Powerbeats Fit, Powerbeats Pro 2, Solo Buds, or Studio Buds +, seat both earbuds in their case and connect the case to USB-C power. Solo Buds need external power to charge their earbuds, so putting them in an unplugged case is not enough.
Charge your phone too before continuing. If the phone itself will not take a charge, first address a phone that will not charge, then return to pairing.
When Studio Buds, Studio Buds +, Fit Pro, or Powerbeats Fit earbuds fail to charge, remove them and disconnect the case’s charging cable before cleaning the contacts. Use a cotton swab slightly dampened with warm water on the earbud contacts and a slightly dampened lint-free cloth on the case pins. Apple permits 70 percent isopropyl alcohol if necessary. Keep liquid out of openings and let everything dry before use.
Restart Bluetooth and reconnect
Turn your Beats off and back on if your model has a power control. On an iPhone, open Settings > Bluetooth, turn Bluetooth off and on, then tap your Beats name. Use this Settings switch for a complete Bluetooth restart, because disconnecting accessories in Control Center leaves Bluetooth available for certain system features.
On a Pixel, open Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Bluetooth, then turn Use Bluetooth off and on. On a Samsung Galaxy, open Settings > Connections > Bluetooth and select your Beats to retry the connection. If your Beats never appear, continue with discovery mode.
Make your Beats discoverable and pair manually
If the setup animation does not appear, put your Beats in discovery mode using your model’s controls, then select them in your phone’s Bluetooth settings. For more help with the connection process, follow the steps to pair Beats headphones and earbuds.
For Fit Pro, Studio Buds +, Powerbeats Fit, and Powerbeats Pro 2, place both earbuds in the case and leave it open. Hold the case’s System button until the light flashes. For Solo Buds, put both earbuds in the open case and hold either earbud’s button above its “b” logo until a tone repeats.
For Flex, hold the right control module’s Power button until the light flashes. On Solo 4, hold the Power button until the lights flash. On Studio Pro, hold the right earcup’s System button until the lights flash. For Beats 360, hold Power behind the left earcup until the lights flash.
On your iPhone, open Settings > Bluetooth, enable Bluetooth, and tap your Beats name when it appears. On Android, swipe down, touch and hold Bluetooth, tap Pair new device, and select your Beats. If that option is missing, check Available devices or select More > Refresh, then follow the pairing prompts.
On Samsung, open Settings > Connections > Bluetooth, select the Beats, and tap Pair. Android layouts vary, and Google documents some of these controls for Android 15 and later.
Forget the old pairing and connect again
If your Beats appear in the saved device list but refuse to connect, remove that pairing before trying again. On an iPhone, open Settings > Bluetooth, tap the Information button beside your Beats, then tap Forget This Device and Forget Device. Put the Beats back into discovery mode and select them again.
On Pixel and Android interfaces that use Forget, touch and hold the Bluetooth Quick Settings tile. Find your Beats under Media devices or Saved devices, using See all if needed, then tap their Settings button and Forget. Activate discovery mode and pair again.
On Samsung, open Settings > Connections > Bluetooth, tap the Beats’ Settings button, tap Unpair, and confirm with Unpair. Put the Beats into discovery mode and pair them again.
If your Beats connect to another device but refuse to connect to your intended iPhone, unpair them from that other phone, tablet, or computer. Then activate discovery mode and pair with the iPhone again.
Check the audio destination if Beats show as connected
When your phone says the Beats are connected but you hear nothing, play a downloaded track and raise the volume on both the phone and Beats. If downloaded audio works, investigate the affected streaming app or its connection.
On an iPhone, wear the connected Beats, tap the Playback Destination button in Now Playing, on the Lock Screen, or in Control Center, and select your Beats. If a car or speaker keeps taking over playback, open Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity and turn on Keep Audio with Headphones.
On Android phones with Bluetooth audio profile controls, open Settings > Connected devices, opening Bluetooth and Saved devices if shown. Tap the Beats’ Settings button, then enable Media audio for music or Phone audio for calls. These controls address paired Beats with missing audio, so return to pairing fixes if the phone cannot discover them.
Restart your phone and update its software
For an iPhone X or later, hold either Volume button and the Side button until the power-off slider appears. Drag the slider, wait 30 seconds, then hold Side until the Apple logo appears. On an iPhone SE second or third generation, hold only Side to display the slider, then follow the same shutdown and restart steps.
On Pixel 6 or later, hold Power + Volume Up for a few seconds, then tap Restart. On Pixel 5a or earlier, hold Power and tap Restart. For Samsung Galaxy, swipe down from the top right to open Quick settings, tap the Power icon, and tap Restart.
To update an iPhone, back it up, connect it to power and Wi-Fi, then open Settings > General > Software Update. Tap Download and Install if an update is offered and follow the instructions.
On Google’s Android interface, connect to Wi-Fi, charge the phone, and open Settings > System > Software updates. Follow the available update instructions and restart when required. On Samsung, use Settings > Software update > Check for updates, with carrier versions sometimes using System updates or Download and install.
Beats firmware updates require an initial Bluetooth connection, so save this step until the accessory can connect. With an updated Apple device connected to Wi-Fi, connect and fully charge the Beats, then close both earbuds in their case or turn off button-powered Beats. Leave them within Bluetooth range for at least 30 minutes, then reconnect.
On Android, update the phone, connect to Wi-Fi, and connect powered-on Beats by Bluetooth. Open the Beats app and tap Update if offered.
Repair the Beats app connection on Android
If Bluetooth pairing works but the Android app does not connect, check the app separately. The current Beats app requires a compatible device running Android 14 or later; install Apple’s Beats app from Google Play. If you have the older Beats Pill+ app installed, Apple requires you to uninstall it before installing Beats.
Open Beats, tap Connect, and select your model under Select Your Beats, then tap Agree if requested. If connecting fails, tap Help Connect, choose your model under Select Your Beats, and follow its instructions.
On Android versions with the nearby-device permission, open Settings > Apps > Beats > Permissions, using See all apps if necessary. Select Nearby devices, then select Allow. If the app still cannot complete pairing, tap Go to Bluetooth on its Connect screen and select your Beats under Available devices. Activate discovery mode again if they are absent.
For a malfunctioning Beats app on Samsung Galaxy, try Samsung’s general app-recovery step at Settings > Apps > Beats > Storage > Clear cache, then reopen it. If that fails, tap Clear data, then Delete, and reopen Beats to set it up again. Clearing data removes the app’s saved settings and data; this step addresses an app malfunction.
Reset your exact Beats model
When charging and fresh pairing fail, use the reset for your model. For Fit Pro, Studio Buds +, Powerbeats Fit, and Powerbeats Pro 2, put both earbuds in the open case, hold System for 15 seconds, and release when the light flashes red and white. For Solo Buds, leave both earbuds in the open case and hold both buttons above their “b” logos for at least 10 seconds.
Reset Flex by holding the left module’s Volume button and the right module’s Power button for 15 seconds, then release when the light flashes. On Solo 4, hold the left Volume Down button and the Power button for 10 seconds, releasing at red and white flashes. Use these combinations only for the named model.
For Studio Pro, hold the right earcup’s System button for 10 seconds, then release; five white lights followed by one red light repeat three times. On Beats 360, hold the left earcup’s Power + Listening Mode buttons for 10 seconds until five status-light flashes, then release. After any Beats reset, activate discovery mode and pair again.
Isolate the failing device before broader resets
Try your Beats with another phone or computer, then try another Bluetooth accessory with the original phone. Use those results to identify which device needs further help. On Galaxy phones with Samsung Members installed, open Samsung Members > Support > Get started and select Bluetooth, then follow the diagnostic instructions.
If the problem points to a Pixel, open Settings > System > Reset options > Reset Bluetooth & Wi-Fi, then tap Reset settings. On Samsung, open Settings > General management > Reset > Reset Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings, then tap Reset settings. Reconnect Wi-Fi and pair your Bluetooth accessories afterward.
After simpler fixes fail on an iPhone, open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings. Apple says this removes Bluetooth pairings and resets other settings, including Apple Pay cards and Apple Watch pairings, while keeping personal media and apps. Reconnect Wi-Fi and pair your Beats again afterward.
If the Beats still will not pair, charge, or reset, open Beats Support and choose Contact Us. For repair choices, select Service Options > Find Out More.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Android Fast Pair notification never appear?
Fast Pair-compatible Beats need Bluetooth, Location, and Wi-Fi or mobile data, with the Beats in pairing mode within 0.5 meters of the phone. On Android phones with Google Fast Pair, open Settings, tap your profile, and open All services; under Connected devices & sharing, tap Devices and turn on Scan for nearby devices. When the pairing notification appears, tap Connect. Fast Pair requires Android 6.0 or later and the required Google services.
Can you listen through a cable while Bluetooth is not working?
You can connect Solo 4 or Studio Pro to a compatible phone using the included USB-C cable or a 3.5 mm cable with a compatible phone audio output. Solo 4’s analog connection works without headphone battery power. After disconnecting USB-C from Studio Pro, turn the headphones on again before Bluetooth listening.
Can Powerbeats Pro 2 charge without a USB-C cable?
You can charge the Powerbeats Pro 2 case on a powered Qi-certified charger. Place the case with its status light facing upward.
What should you check if connected Beats pause while you are wearing them?
Check Automatic Ear Detection on supported models, including Fit Pro, Powerbeats Fit, and Powerbeats Pro 2. With the Beats connected, open iPhone Settings, select the Beats name, and turn off Automatic Ear Detection to check its effect. On Android, open the Beats app menu, select My Beats, and turn off Automatic Ear Detection.
How do you put the current Beats Pill into pairing mode or reset it?
Hold the Pill’s Power button until a tone repeats and its light flashes to enter discovery mode. To restart it while retaining settings, hold the center button for at least 10 seconds. To erase settings, hold the center button and Volume Down for at least 15 seconds, then pair it again.