How To Connect a Bluetooth Speaker to a Laptop

Most laptops include built-in speakers, although they can sometimes lack the capacity to do your music justice at the intensity or clarity level you prefer. That is why connecting a Bluetooth speaker to your laptop is a fantastic idea.

Some of the finest Bluetooth speakers are less expensive than you may think, and once you've selected one, syncing a laptop to a Bluetooth speaker is a relatively easy process. You will no longer strain to hear people on Zoom calls or discern music lyrics in a tangle of echoing sounds.

To connect a speaker, your laptop should have Bluetooth capability. However, most laptops have this functionality as standard, so if you purchased your laptop within the previous few years, chances are it will support Bluetooth.

How To Pair a Bluetooth Speaker to a Laptop

To link Bluetooth speakers to any laptop, first ensure that they are discoverable. This means that they should be in pairing mode. Usually, you'll hold down the power or Bluetooth button for roughly five seconds. Once the Bluetooth LED blinks, the speaker is ready to pair with the laptop.  If you're not seeing the blinking LED, visit the speaker's manual or the company's website for precise instructions.

Pairing Your Windows 7 Laptop to a Bluetooth Speaker

Although Bluetooth is supported by the vast majority of recent Windows computers, there might be some that do not. If you can't seem to find the Bluetooth settings, you may activate Bluetooth compatibility by purchasing and installing a hardware USB receiver.

Here's how to pair your Bluetooth speakers with your laptop:

• Switch on your speaker and make it discoverable.
• Choose "Start."
• Tap "Devices and Printer".
• Choose "Add a device."
• Select the Bluetooth Speaker from the list and then press "Next."
• Follow any additional instructions that may appear. Otherwise, you're ready to go.

When your Bluetooth speaker and laptop are within range of each other and have Bluetooth switched on, they will instantly connect.

Pairing Your Windows 8 Laptop to a Bluetooth Speaker

As with Windows 7, ensure that your Windows 8 laptop supports Bluetooth before pairing your Bluetooth speaker.

Pairing your Windows 8 laptop to your Bluetooth speaker is a simple process:

• Switch on your Bluetooth speaker and make sure it's discoverable. Follow the manual on the Bluetooth speaker on how to make it discoverable.
• On your laptop, tap "Start."
• Type "Bluetooth."
• Choose "Bluetooth settings" from the drop-down menu.
• Select "Turn on Bluetooth."
• Pick the Bluetooth speaker from the list and hit the "Pair" button.
• Your Bluetooth speaker is now connected to your Windows 8 laptop.

When your Windows 8 laptop and Bluetooth speaker are both powered on and within range of each other, they will immediately sync.

Pairing Your Mac to a Bluetooth Speaker

Pairing a laptop running OS X or macOS with a Bluetooth speaker follows the same steps as attaching a component on Windows:

• Launch the Apple menu. Click the "Apple" symbol in the upper right corner of your screen.
• A new window with several choices. Choose "System Preferences."
• Select" Bluetooth" from the System Preferences menu.
• Your Mac will now begin looking for nearby Bluetooth devices, so make sure your Bluetooth speaker is discoverable. If you're not sure how to accomplish this with your specific device, see the manual that came with your Bluetooth speaker.
• When your speaker shows in the Bluetooth devices list, hit "Connect."  Your device should show in a matter of seconds.
• Your laptop's speaker should now be connected. To confirm that everything is working properly, try playing music or video and see if the sound registers on the Bluetooth speaker.

How To Connect a Bluetooth Speaker to a Laptop Running Windows 10

Most of us have been streaming audio from our smartphones to Bluetooth speakers, but what about a laptop? 

You can have the same wire-free audio experience on your Windows 10 laptop if you have the right hardware installed. Selecting the speaker icon in the bottom right corner near the clock is a simple way to check if your recent Windows 10 upgrade comes with Bluetooth capability. Clicking on this will display the current audio output, and if you need to alter something quickly, the icon will bring up all of your available options.

Here are the steps to pair your Bluetooth speaker with your Windows 10 laptop: Navigate to "Settings."

• Go to the "Devices" tab.
• In the left sidebar, choose "Bluetooth & other devices."
• Flick on the toggle switch at the top.
• Tap "Add Bluetooth or other devices" to add a new device.
• Choose "Bluetooth."
• Select the Bluetooth speaker from the drop-down menu.
• Some Bluetooth devices will require you to input a PIN to authenticate pairing, but once that's done, you're good to go.

When you turn on and pair your Bluetooth speaker with your laptop, it will connect exactly like headphones, and this should now be the primary audio output.

If you want to pair your Bluetooth speaker to your Windows 10 laptop but don't have a built-in Bluetooth, don't worry. You could always purchase a USB dongle to enable Bluetooth capability on your laptop. Alternatively, if you're looking to upgrade your internals, certain Wi-Fi cards also include a built-in Bluetooth.

Bluetooth Speaker Is Connected but No Sound Coming Out

What if you've linked your laptop to your Bluetooth Speaker but can't hear anything? Here are some actions you can take:

• Check that the audio is not muted. Perform this action from both the laptop and the speaker.
• Turn your speaker off and then back on.
• Turn off your laptop's Bluetooth and then re-enable it using the Settings app. Navigate to "Settings," then "Devices." Turn the toggle off and then back on.

Another method for resetting your Bluetooth is as follows:

• Open the Run program using the Windows logo key + R.
• Type "control panel" and hit "Enter" or tap "Ok."
• Look for network adapters, then select "View network connections."
• Right-click your "Bluetooth Network Connection" and select "Disable."
• Repeat the last step, but this time select "Enable."

If this doesn't work, try restarting your laptop, since this usually solves the problem.

The next time you're planning to listen to some tunes or stream movies during your downtime, elevate your audio experience by pairing your high-quality sound Bluetooth speaker with your laptop.