To set up Bluetooth on Android, turn on Bluetooth, put your accessory in pairing mode, then open Settings > Connected devices > Pair new device and select it. On Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets, pair through Settings > Connections > Bluetooth. Menu labels vary by manufacturer, and some of Google’s Bluetooth controls require Android 15 or later and compatible hardware.
The short version
- Standard pairing: Turn on Bluetooth, put the accessory in pairing mode, and select its name on your phone.
- Samsung Galaxy: Open Settings > Connections > Bluetooth to find nearby accessories.
- Fast Pair: Enable Bluetooth and Location, keep an internet connection available, and bring a compatible accessory within 0.5 meters.
- Later connections: Select an accessory under Saved devices to reconnect.
| Option | Where to start | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Android Settings | Settings > Connected devices | Turning on Bluetooth and pairing an accessory |
| Quick Settings | Touch and hold Bluetooth | Opening pairing settings from the panel |
| Samsung Galaxy pairing | Settings > Connections > Bluetooth | Pairing on Galaxy phones and tablets |
| Fast Pair | The nearby accessory’s Connect notification | Supported accessories and Android devices |
| Fast Pair discovery and saving | Your profile in Settings, then All services | Discovery notifications and account synchronization |
| Galaxy Buds notification | Open the charged earbuds’ case near your phone | Compatible Galaxy phones and earbuds |
| Galaxy Wearable | Open Galaxy Wearable | Pairing supported Galaxy Buds through their app |
| Galaxy Buds hardware controls | The pairing control for your earbuds model | Putting the earbuds into pairing mode manually |
| Hearing device pairing | Settings > Accessibility > Hearing devices | Compatible phones and hearing devices |
| Hearing device shortcuts | Hearing device shortcut or Quick Settings controls | Accessing supported hearing device controls |
| Car-initiated pairing | Your vehicle’s Bluetooth system | A Galaxy phone that cannot discover the car |
| Wireless Android Auto | Your parked vehicle’s infotainment system | Compatible phones and vehicles |
| Accessory management | Saved devices and the accessory’s Settings icon | Reconnecting, disconnecting, renaming, or removing a pairing |
| Companion app permission | The app’s Permissions settings | Allowing requested nearby device access |
| Media and call audio | The paired accessory’s Settings icon | Enabling supported playback or call functions |
| Galaxy connection reset | General management > Reset | A later troubleshooting step that removes saved connections |
Turn on Bluetooth and open pairing settings
On devices with Google’s menu layout, open Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Bluetooth, then turn on Bluetooth. You can also swipe down from the top of the screen and tap Bluetooth to toggle it. On Pixel phones, tapping the tile opens a panel of recent devices instead, where you turn Use Bluetooth on or off. Touch and hold Bluetooth to open its settings.
On a Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet, open Settings > Connections > Bluetooth and enable the switch. Alternatively, swipe down with two fingers and hold Bluetooth. Panel access and confirmation labels vary by One UI version.
Put your accessory in pairing mode and select it
Put the accessory in pairing mode, then open Settings > Connected devices > Pair new device. Under Available devices, tap the accessory you want to connect. Complete any accessory-specific confirmation that follows.
From the Bluetooth settings opened through Quick Settings, tap Pair new device, then select the accessory. If your layout lists accessories directly under Available devices, select it there instead. If the accessory is missing, keep it in pairing mode and use More > Refresh where those controls appear.
On a Galaxy phone or tablet, select the accessory under Available devices on the Bluetooth screen. Tap Pair when requested, or OK if your Samsung interface uses that confirmation.
Use Fast Pair with a supported accessory
You can use Fast Pair with supported accessories on Android 6.0 or later with supported Google services. Enable Bluetooth and Location, keep an internet connection available, and put the accessory in pairing mode within 0.5 meters of your phone. Tap Connect in the notification, then tap Set up if offered.
If the notification does not appear, open Settings, tap your profile, then select All services > Connected devices & sharing > Devices. Turn on Scan for nearby devices. You can also pair directly through Settings > Connected devices > Pair new device.
On devices with these Fast Pair settings, you can enable Automatically save devices to save supported accessories to your Google Account. Associated accessories can then prompt pairing on other devices using that account. To stop nearby discovery notifications, turn off Scan for nearby devices.
Connect Galaxy Buds with their app or pairing controls
With compatible Galaxy phones and Galaxy Buds, open the charged earbuds’ case near the phone and tap Connect. Review the displayed permissions, tap Agree when offered, then tap Next. The setup flow depends on your earbuds and phone.
To pair through the companion app on a compatible Android phone or tablet, open Galaxy Wearable on Google Play and tap Install. Open Galaxy Wearable, tap Start, open the earbuds’ case, and select the detected earbuds. Tap OK to continue. To add another accessory, open Menu > Add new device.
For Galaxy Buds3 or Buds3 Pro, leave both earbuds in the open case and hold its bottom pairing button for more than three seconds. For Buds2 or Buds2 Pro, hold both earbuds in the open case for more than three seconds. For Galaxy Buds, Buds+, Buds Live, or Buds Pro, wear both earbuds and hold both touchpads for more than three seconds. After using the controls for your model, select the accessory on your phone.
Pair compatible hearing devices
On a compatible Android phone, put your hearing devices in pairing mode, then open Settings > Accessibility > Hearing devices > Pair new device. Select the first hearing device and wait for it to connect before selecting the second. If you need to expand the list, tap See more devices.
This route supports compatible hearing devices, especially ASHA devices, and some features require Android 14 or later. After pairing, open Settings > Accessibility > Hearing devices > Hearing device shortcut to configure an offered shortcut. On supported phones, you can also connect and disconnect hearing devices through their Quick Settings controls.
Connect your phone to a car
With a Galaxy phone and a compatible vehicle hands-free system, start pairing from the car if your phone cannot discover it. Open your phone’s Bluetooth settings, then use the vehicle’s Bluetooth system to search for the phone. Select your phone on the vehicle’s display and complete the vehicle-specific pairing prompts.
For a phone and vehicle that support wireless Android Auto, park the car and turn on its infotainment system. Keep Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Location Services enabled, then open your phone’s Bluetooth settings. In vehicles that support the shortcut, hold the steering-wheel voice-command button to open phone pairing. Complete the vehicle’s pairing flow; Android Auto should start afterward.
Reconnect and manage paired accessories
To reconnect an accessory, touch and hold Bluetooth in Quick Settings, then select it under Saved devices. For management controls, tap the Settings icon beside the accessory, using See all to expand the list when needed. Tap Disconnect to disconnect it, or tap Edit to rename it when that control is available.
Forgetting an accessory removes its saved pairing. To do this, open the accessory’s settings and tap Forget. On Galaxy phones and tablets, unpairing removes the saved pairing. Open Settings > Connections > Bluetooth, tap the Settings icon beside the accessory, then tap Unpair.
Fix permissions and audio when setup falls short
If a companion app requests nearby device access, open Settings > Apps > See all apps, select the app, then open Permissions > Nearby devices. Select Allow. This permission’s availability depends on your app and Android version.
If your accessory is paired but needs playback or calls enabled, open Settings > Connected devices. Open Bluetooth and Saved devices if shown, then tap the accessory’s Settings icon. Turn on Media audio for playback or Phone audio for calls, provided the accessory supports that function.
As a later troubleshooting step on Galaxy devices with the reset option, resetting Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings removes saved connection information. Open Settings > General management > Reset > Reset Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings, then tap Reset settings. Pair the accessory again afterward.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you change your Android phone’s Bluetooth name?
On devices with Google’s menu layout, open Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Bluetooth > Device name. Enter the name you want, then tap Rename.
Can you choose whether Android treats an accessory as headphones or a speaker?
On supported Android devices, open Settings > Connected devices, then open the accessory’s settings under Media devices and select Audio device type. Choose Not set, Speaker, Headphones, Car, Hearing device, or Other. Availability depends on your device, and some Bluetooth controls require Android 15 or later.
Can you turn on Bluetooth using Voice Access?
With Voice Access enabled, start it through the app or tap Touch to start in its notification, then say Turn on Bluetooth. Say Show numbers to display numbers you can use to select pairing controls. Command and language availability vary.
Can two headsets share audio from a Pixel phone?
On supported Pixel 8 and later devices, you can share audio with compatible Bluetooth LE Audio accessories. Connect LE Audio headphones, then open Quick Settings > Bluetooth > Share audio and tap Pair new device to add another compatible headset. You can also find sharing controls under Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Audio sharing.