What does pairing mode mean?

It is the mode where the headphones make themselves findable to new devices, shown by a light blinking white or blue. Without it they do not appear in the list however long you look. Most headphones enter it when you hold the button for a few seconds.

Why do my headphones connect to the tablet instead of the phone?

Most headphones can be actively connected to one or two devices at a time and pick whichever they find first. Turn Bluetooth off on the tablet for a moment and the phone will find them instead.

Only one earbud plays, what should I do?

Put both in the case, close the lid for ten seconds and open it again. If that does not do it, reset the headphones the way the manufacturer describes and pair them again. That syncs the two earbuds back together.

Why does the sound stutter sometimes?

Bluetooth reaches about ten metres and dislikes bodies and walls in between. Keep your phone in a pocket on the same side you are walking and the distance short, and the sound stays even.

Bluetooth headphones will not connect? How to pair them

Headphones that do not appear in the list nearly always need to be put in pairing mode first, and that is the step most often missed. Charge them, hold the button until the light blinks, and keep them within a metre of the phone while you connect. The whole thing takes a couple of minutes.

Pairing means two devices learn about each other once, so they find each other automatically afterwards. Bluetooth is the wireless technology they use to talk to each other over short distances.

Try this first

Charge the headphones for at least ten minutes. A low battery makes them hard to find and drops the connection again and again.
Put the headphones in pairing mode. For earbuds in a case: put both in, open the lid and hold the button on the case until the light blinks white or blue. For over-ear headphones: hold the power button for about five seconds until the light blinks. A blinking light means they are findable.
Keep the headphones close, within a metre of the phone or computer, for the whole connection.
On iPhone: Settings > Bluetooth. Check Bluetooth is on and tap the headphones' name under Other Devices. With AirPods it is enough to open the case near the phone and tap Connect on screen. On Android: Settings > Connected devices > Pair new device.
On Windows: Settings > Bluetooth and devices > Add device > Bluetooth. On a Mac: System Settings > Bluetooth, then press Connect next to the headphones.

Once it goes through, the headphones' name sits under Connected, and the sound moves there by itself the next time you put them in.

If that did not help

Release them from the other device. Headphones can be actively connected to only one or two things at a time. If they are already paired with a tablet, a TV or a work laptop, turn Bluetooth off there first.
Forget the headphones and pair from scratch. On iPhone: tap the i symbol next to the name and choose Forget This Device. On Android: the gear icon next to the name, then Unpair. On Windows: the three dots next to the name, then Remove device. Then put them back in pairing mode.
Turn Bluetooth off and on, and restart both the headphones and the device. That is enough surprisingly often.
Reset the headphones as a last step. The method varies by model, often holding the button for 15 to 30 seconds with the earbuds in the case, and it is in the manual or on the manufacturer's site. After a reset you have to pair them with all your devices again, so do it when you have a moment.

If the headphones cannot be put into pairing mode at all, or keep dropping out on a full battery, it may be a fault covered by the warranty. Ask us and we will look at the model and what applies to it.