To pair Bose QuietComfort headphones, put the headphones into Bluetooth discovery mode, open Bluetooth settings on the phone, computer, or TV, and choose the headphones from the device list. The exact switch movement, hold time, and confirmation sound differ between the QuietComfort Headphones sold from 2023, QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), and the older QC35, so identify the model before starting.
The Bose app can guide setup, but direct Bluetooth pairing does not require the app on the 2023 QuietComfort support instructions. Keep the source device close while pairing and use the model-specific steps below.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Identify your QuietComfort model first
Bose has used similar names for several generations. A pairing instruction that works for one model may not produce the expected sound or light on another. Check the model name in the Bose product-support page, the owner’s guide, the packaging, or the Bose app before holding the switch.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →| Model | How to enter pairing mode | Confirmation | App route | Documented device capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuietComfort Headphones, sold from 2023 | Hold the Power switch all the way to the right, toward the Bluetooth icon. | Bluetooth light blinks blue and the voice prompt says “Ready to connect.” | In Bose app: My Bose > plus button > Headphones and Frames > choose the headphones. | Not stated in the cited 2023 pairing article. |
| QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) | Slide the Power/Bluetooth switch forward toward the Bluetooth symbol and hold for about three seconds. | A “Discoverable” tone sounds, the status light blinks blue, and a successful connection is announced by voice; the light then stays solid blue for 10 seconds. | In Bose app: Source > Bluetooth > Add New. | Stores up to eight devices; actively connects to two, but plays audio from only one at a time. |
| QuietComfort 35 | Slide and hold the Power/Bluetooth button toward the Bluetooth symbol. | “Ready to pair” is heard or the Bluetooth indicator blinks blue. | Use the owner’s guide and the source device’s Bluetooth menu; the cited QC35 guide does not specify the newer app labels. | Not stated in the cited owner’s guide. |
These model-specific actions and phrases come from Bose support and the QC35 owner’s guide. Do not assume that a three-second hold or a 15-second reset applies to every QuietComfort generation.
#1 Best Overall
- NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES: Effortlessly combines noise cancellation technology with passive features so you can shut off the outside world, quiet distractions, and take music beyond the beat
- COMFORTABLE HEADPHONES: Plush over-ear cushions softly hug your ears, while a secure and comfortable padded band gently keeps your studio headphones in place for those extra-long listening sessions
- 2 LISTENING MODES: These wireless Bluetooth headphones feature Quiet and Aware Modes that let you toggle between full noise cancelling or full awareness of your surroundings for seamless sound control
- HIGH-FIDELITY AUDIO/EQ CONTROL: Supercharge your favorite tracks with high-fidelity audio and Adjustable EQ that puts you in control of the bass, mid-range, and treble for unmatched bold sound
- ALL DAY BATTERY LIFE: Bose QuietComfort wireless headphones provide up to 24 hours of battery on a single charge, plus a 15-minute charge via USB-C gives you up to 2.5 hours of additional play time
Pair the 2023 QuietComfort Headphones
Using the Bose app
- Turn on the headphones.
- Hold the Power switch all the way to the right, toward the Bluetooth icon.
- Continue until the Bluetooth light blinks blue and you hear “Ready to connect.”
- Open the Bose app.
- Open My Bose, tap the plus button, choose Headphones and Frames, select your headphones, and follow the prompts.
The app route adds the headphones to your Bose account and provides Bose’s guided setup. The app is not required simply to create a Bluetooth connection.
Pairing directly from a phone or tablet
- Put the headphones in pairing mode by holding the Power switch to the right until the blue light blinks and the “Ready to connect” prompt plays.
- On the phone or tablet, open its Bluetooth settings. On an iPhone or iPad this is usually Settings > Bluetooth; Android labels vary by manufacturer and software version.
- Turn Bluetooth on if it is off.
- Wait for the headphones to appear in the available-device list, then tap the Bose QuietComfort entry.
- Start audio and confirm that the output is routed to the headphones rather than the phone’s speaker.
Bose’s direct-pairing guidance says the app is optional for this phone or tablet connection. If the name does not appear, leave the Bluetooth page open while the headphones remain in discovery mode and move the devices closer together.
Pair with a Windows PC
Windows 11 and current Windows 10 menus
- Put the headphones into discovery mode using the instructions for your model.
- Open Settings on the PC.
- Choose Bluetooth & devices in Windows 11, or Devices and then Bluetooth & other devices in many Windows 10 installations.
- Turn Bluetooth on, choose Add device (or Add Bluetooth or other device), select Bluetooth, and wait for the Bose headphones to appear.
- Select the headphones and wait for Windows to report that they are connected.
- Choose the headphones as the sound output from the taskbar sound control or Settings > System > Sound.
Menu wording changes between Windows releases and PC manufacturers. The headphone-side procedure is the same: the blue blinking light or the model’s spoken discovery cue must be active before Windows can list the device.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Rank #2
- NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES: Effortlessly combines noise cancellation technology with passive features so you can shut off the outside world, quiet distractions, and take music beyond the beat
- COMFORTABLE HEADPHONES: Plush over-ear cushions softly hug your ears, while a secure and comfortable padded band gently keeps your studio headphones in place for those extra-long listening sessions
- 2 LISTENING MODES: These wireless Bluetooth headphones feature Quiet and Aware Modes that let you toggle between full noise cancelling or full awareness of your surroundings for seamless sound control
- HIGH-FIDELITY AUDIO/EQ CONTROL: Supercharge your favorite tracks with high-fidelity audio and Adjustable EQ that puts you in control of the bass, mid-range, and treble for unmatched bold sound
- ALL DAY BATTERY LIFE: Bose QuietComfort wireless headphones provide up to 24 hours of battery on a single charge, plus a 15-minute charge via USB-C gives you up to 2.5 hours of additional play time
Important Windows entry-selection warning
Bose’s Windows troubleshooting guidance for QuietComfort Ultra notes that Windows can display two entries: one marked LE and another with a headphones or speaker icon. For that model-specific situation, choose the headphones/speaker entry rather than the LE entry for normal audio. This is a Bose tip for QuietComfort Ultra and should not be treated as a universal rule for every QuietComfort model or every Windows release.
Pair with a Mac
- Enter Bluetooth discovery mode on the headphones for the model you own.
- On macOS, open System Settings and choose Bluetooth. Older macOS versions may call the panel System Preferences.
- Turn Bluetooth on, find the Bose QuietComfort headphones under nearby devices, and click Connect.
- Open System Settings > Sound and select the headphones under output if macOS has not switched automatically.
If the Mac shows an old Bose entry as connected but no sound plays, disconnect that entry, put the headphones back into discovery mode, and select them again. Keep other nearby Bluetooth sources idle during the first connection so the Mac has a clear device list.
Pair with a television
- Put the headphones into Bluetooth pairing mode. Use the 2023, 2nd Gen, or QC35 instruction rather than a generic hold time.
- Open the television’s settings and look for a Bluetooth audio, Bluetooth speaker, sound-output, or external-speaker menu. Manufacturers use different labels and place the control in different sections.
- Start the TV’s search for Bluetooth devices.
- Select the Bose QuietComfort headphones when they appear and confirm the connection.
- Play a program and check that sound comes through the headphones. If the TV offers a separate audio-output selector, choose the connected Bluetooth headphones there.
Bose describes the computer and TV process as the same basic sequence: make the headphones discoverable, open the source’s Bluetooth settings, and select the headphones. For the exact television menu, consult that TV’s owner’s guide because menu names and capabilities vary by manufacturer and model.
Rank #3
- NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES: Effortlessly combines noise cancellation technology with passive features so you can shut off the outside world, quiet distractions, and take music beyond the beat
- COMFORTABLE HEADPHONES: Plush over-ear cushions softly hug your ears, while a secure and comfortable padded band gently keeps your studio headphones in place for those extra-long listening sessions
- 2 LISTENING MODES: These wireless Bluetooth headphones feature Quiet and Aware Modes that let you toggle between full noise cancelling or full awareness of your surroundings for seamless sound control
- HIGH-FIDELITY AUDIO/EQ CONTROL: Supercharge your favorite tracks with high-fidelity audio and Adjustable EQ that puts you in control of the bass, mid-range, and treble for unmatched bold sound
- ALL DAY BATTERY LIFE: Bose QuietComfort wireless headphones provide up to 24 hours of battery on a single charge, plus a 15-minute charge via USB-C gives you up to 2.5 hours of additional play time
If the TV cannot find the headphones
- Confirm the blue Bluetooth light is still blinking; leaving pairing mode before the TV searches can make the headphones disappear.
- Move the headphones and TV close together during setup.
- Turn Bluetooth off and back on in the TV menu, then start a fresh device search.
- Remove an older Bose entry from the TV’s paired-device list if the TV says the maximum number of saved devices has been reached.
- If the TV has no Bluetooth-audio or external-speaker option, its owner’s guide is the authority on whether that model supports Bluetooth headphones.
Use the Bose app to make 2nd Gen headphones discoverable
For QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) already configured in the Bose app, Bose documents an in-app way to start a new pairing:
- Open the Bose app with the headphones powered on.
- Tap Source.
- Select Bluetooth.
- Tap Add New.
- On the phone, computer, or TV, open Bluetooth settings and select the headphones when they appear.
The physical-control method remains available: slide the Power/Bluetooth switch forward and hold for about three seconds until the “Discoverable” tone sounds and the status light blinks blue.
Understand 2nd Gen multipoint behavior
QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) can store up to eight paired devices and maintain active connections with two devices at once. Audio plays from only one of those connected devices at a time. This documented capacity applies to the 2nd Gen model, not automatically to every QuietComfort generation.
Rank #4
- LEGENDARY NOISE CANCELLATION: Effortlessly combines noise cancelling headphones technology with passive features so you can shut off the outside world, quiet distractions, and take music beyond the beat
- PREMIUM COMFORT: Plush earcup cushions softly hug your ears, while a secure and comfortable padded band gently keeps your over ear headphones in place for those extra-long listening sessions
- 2 LISTENING MODES: These wireless Bluetooth headphones feature Quiet and Aware Modes that let you toggle between full noise cancelling or full awareness of your surroundings for seamless sound control
- HIGH-FIDELITY AUDIO/EQ CONTROL: Supercharge your favorite tracks with high-fidelity audio and Adjustable EQ that puts you in control of the bass, mid-range, and treble for unmatched bold sound
- ALL DAY BATTERY LIFE: Bose QuietComfort wireless headphones provide up to 24 hours of battery on a single charge, plus a 15-minute charge gives you up to 2.5 hours of additional play time
What this means in practice
- You can leave a phone and a computer connected without pairing from scratch every time.
- Starting playback on one device may make it the active audio source; pause the first device before starting the second if audio does not switch as expected.
- A TV, phone, and computer can all be saved over time, but only two can be active simultaneously under the documented 2nd Gen limit.
- If a new device will not appear, remove an unused saved entry from the source or clear the headphone list as described below.
Bluetooth range and placement
Bose states a Bluetooth range of 33 feet (10 meters) for QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen). Walls, doors, appliances, and other wireless devices can reduce that distance. Keep the source nearby while pairing; if the headphones are not found, move the source closer before changing settings.
The 33-foot figure is the range stated in Bose’s 2nd Gen support material, not a guarantee for every QuietComfort model, room, or radio environment.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →What the pairing confirmations mean
| Observation | Meaning | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Blue light blinking | The headphones are discoverable and waiting for a source. | Open Bluetooth settings and select the Bose entry. |
| 2023 model says “Ready to connect” | The headphones are ready for a new Bluetooth connection. | Choose them on the phone, computer, or TV, or add them in the Bose app. |
| 2nd Gen says “Discoverable” and blinks blue | The 2nd Gen headphones are advertising themselves to nearby Bluetooth devices. | Search from the source device and select the headphones. |
| 2nd Gen announces a connection and the light is solid blue for 10 seconds | The connection completed successfully. | Set the headphones as the source’s audio output if sound remains on another speaker. |
| QC35 says “Ready to pair” or blinks blue | The QC35 is waiting for a Bluetooth source. | Open the source’s Bluetooth menu and choose the Bose QuietComfort headphones. |
Troubleshoot a failed pairing
Start with the basic checks
- Confirm the headphones are powered on and the source device’s Bluetooth is enabled.
- Keep the devices close and remove major obstructions during setup.
- Check that the source is searching for a new Bluetooth device rather than only displaying already paired devices.
- Pause or disconnect the headphones from another nearby source that may have connected first.
- Verify the model-specific discovery cue: “Ready to connect” for the 2023 model, “Discoverable” for 2nd Gen, or “Ready to pair” for QC35.
2023 QuietComfort: clear the old device list
Bose recommends restarting both the headphones and the phone or tablet, confirming Bluetooth is enabled, and clearing previously connected devices when the 2023 model will not pair.
Best Value
- NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES: Effortlessly combines noise cancellation technology with passive features so you can shut off the outside world, quiet distractions, and take music beyond the beat
- COMFORTABLE HEADPHONES: Plush earcup cushions softly hug your ears, while a secure and comfortable padded band gently keeps your over ear headphones in place for those extra-long listening sessions
- 2 LISTENING MODES: These wireless Bluetooth headphones feature Quiet and Aware Modes that let you toggle between full noise cancelling or full awareness of your surroundings for seamless sound control
- HIGH-FIDELITY AUDIO/EQ CONTROL: Supercharge your favorite tracks with high-fidelity audio and Adjustable EQ that puts you in control of the bass, mid-range, and treble for unmatched bold sound
- ALL DAY BATTERY LIFE: Bose QuietComfort wireless headphones provide up to 24 hours of battery on a single charge, plus a 15-minute charge gives you up to 2.5 hours of additional play time
- Power on the headphones.
- Slide the Power/Bluetooth switch to the right and keep holding it for 15 seconds.
- Release it when the voice prompt says, “Bluetooth device list cleared. Ready to connect.”
- On the source device, remove any old Bose QuietComfort entry.
- Open Bluetooth settings, wait for the headphones to appear, and select them again.
Clearing the list removes the headphones’ remembered Bluetooth connections, so previously used phones, computers, and TVs must be paired again.
2nd Gen: remove duplicates and reset pairing
- On the source device, remove the QuietComfort headphones from the Bluetooth list.
- On the headphones, slide the Power/Bluetooth switch forward and hold it for 15 seconds until the tone sounds.
- If the source shows duplicate entries, remove the extra LE entries as well.
- Restart Bluetooth on the source, put the headphones into discovery mode again, and select the normal headphones entry.
Bose notes that if the headphones connect successfully to another source, the first device or its Bluetooth settings may be responsible. Test with the other source nearby and then revisit the original device’s saved entry.
When Windows connects but audio is wrong
For the QuietComfort Ultra Windows case covered by Bose, select the entry with the headphones or speaker icon rather than the entry marked LE. Then open Windows sound settings and make that headphones entry the output device. Because Bose identifies this as QuietComfort Ultra guidance, owners of other models should use their model’s support instructions if the entries look different.
When the headphones appear but will not connect
- Delete the saved Bose entry on the source and start a new search.
- Clear the headphone pairing list using the 15-second procedure for the applicable model.
- Temporarily turn off Bluetooth on other nearby devices that may be trying to reconnect automatically.
- Repeat the correct discovery-mode action and wait for the blue light before selecting the headphones.
- After connection, select the headphones as the audio output; pairing and audio-output selection are separate settings on some computers and TVs.
Pairing checklist by device
| Source | Where to look | What to select |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone or iPad | Settings > Bluetooth | The Bose QuietComfort headphones |
| Android phone or tablet | Bluetooth in Settings; the exact menu label varies | The Bose QuietComfort headphones |
| Windows PC | Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Add device | The headphones entry; for the Bose Ultra Windows case, avoid the LE entry |
| Mac | System Settings > Bluetooth | The Bose QuietComfort headphones, then choose them under sound output if needed |
| TV | Manufacturer-specific Bluetooth-audio or sound-output settings | The Bose QuietComfort headphones |
When to use the app and when to skip it
Use the Bose app when you want guided setup or when you need the documented 2nd Gen route of Source > Bluetooth > Add New. Skip the app when you only need a direct Bluetooth connection from a phone or tablet; Bose explicitly documents that direct route for the 2023 QuietComfort model.
The app does not replace the source device’s Bluetooth connection. The phone, computer, or TV still has to select the headphones in its own Bluetooth settings before it can send audio.
Quick decision tree
- Do you know the model? If not, check the model name in Bose support or the owner’s guide.
- Is the blue light blinking? If not, repeat the model’s pairing-mode action.
- Does the source list the headphones? If yes, select them. If no, move closer and restart the Bluetooth search.
- Does the source show an old or duplicate entry? Remove it, and for 2nd Gen remove duplicate LE entries.
- Still no connection? Restart both devices and clear the headphone pairing list using the model-specific 15-second procedure where Bose documents it.
- Connected but silent? Set the headphones as the computer or TV’s audio output and check that another device is not currently playing audio.
The Bottom Line
Use the model-specific switch action to make the headphones discoverable, then select them in the source device’s Bluetooth settings. The 2023 model, 2nd Gen, and QC35 use different confirmation cues, so identifying the generation is the key first step.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems
