--- title: "Sony Headphones Not Connecting to Mac: Fixes" description: "MacBook can't find your Sony headphones, or the XM4 won't connect? Check pairing mode and other devices, pair again, then reset Bluetooth or the headphones." url: https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/sony-headphones-not-connecting-mac language: en --- # Sony headphones won't connect When a Mac can't find or connect to Sony headphones, the cause is almost always on one side of the pairing. Work through these checks in order. Applies to: [MDR-1000X](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/mdr-1000x), [WH-1000XM2](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm2), [WH-1000XM3](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm3), [WH-1000XM4](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm4), [WH-1000XM5](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm5), [WH-1000XM6](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm6), [WH-1000XX](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xx) · Updated 2026-11-03 ## Short answer If your Mac can't find or connect to your Sony headphones, try these in order: 1. **Put them in pairing mode** with the right button: power for about 7 seconds on the MDR-1000X to WH-1000XM4, power for about 5 seconds on the WH-1000XM5, the separate Bluetooth button for about 5 seconds on the WH-1000XM6 and WH-1000XX. 2. **Free them from other devices.** Turn off Bluetooth on your phone, tablet or other computer for a moment. 3. **Forget and pair again** in **System Settings → Bluetooth**. 4. **Restart Bluetooth**, then the Mac, then reset the headphones. ## 1. Make sure they're in pairing mode A Mac only finds headphones that are in pairing mode, and Sony headphones that already know another device don't enter it on their own. Start with them switched off: | Model | Pairing mode | | --- | --- | | MDR-1000X, WH-1000XM2, WH-1000XM3, WH-1000XM4 | Hold power about 7 seconds | | WH-1000XM5 | Hold power about 5 seconds | | WH-1000XM6, WH-1000XX (1000X The Collexion) | Hold the Bluetooth button about 5 seconds | Then open **System Settings → Bluetooth** and look under **Nearby Devices**. Pairing mode ends after about five minutes, so if the name doesn't appear, start again. If a passkey is requested, it's **0000**. The [pairing guide](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/connect-sony-headphones-to-mac) has the full steps. ## 2. Check for a phone or another computer If the headphones are already connected to your phone, they may not show up on the Mac at all, or drop the Mac's connection attempt. This is the most common reason a MacBook "can't find" headphones that worked yesterday. - Turn off Bluetooth on the phone (or disconnect the headphones there), then connect from the Mac. - The WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM5 connect to two devices at once only when **Connect to 2 devices simultaneously** is on, and never to three. The WH-1000XM6 (with the same setting, in Sony | Sound Connect) and the WH-1000XX also take two. If both slots are taken, the Mac has to wait. - The MDR-1000X, WH-1000XM2 and WH-1000XM3 play music from one device at a time. [Using Sony headphones with a Mac and an iPhone](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/sony-headphones-mac-iphone) explains the two-device setup per model. ## 3. Forget the headphones and pair again Sony headphones remember up to eight devices and forget the oldest when a ninth is added, and a reset can clear them too. The Mac may still list the headphones as paired while they no longer know the Mac. Pairing again fixes that: 1. In **System Settings → Bluetooth**, click the info button next to the headphones and choose **Forget This Device** (or Control-click the name and choose **Forget**). 2. Put the headphones in pairing mode (step 1). 3. Click **Connect** next to them under **Nearby Devices**. ## 4. Restart the Mac's Bluetooth If the Mac doesn't see any Bluetooth devices, or the connection hangs on "Connecting": 1. Turn Bluetooth off and on again, in **System Settings → Bluetooth** or in Control Center. 2. Restart the Mac. This restarts all of its Bluetooth services and often clears a stuck connection. Older advice says to hold Shift and Option and click the Bluetooth menu to reset the Bluetooth module. Apple removed that option in macOS Monterey, so it isn't there on a current Mac. A common third-party workaround is to run **sudo pkill bluetoothd** in Terminal, which stops the Bluetooth background process so macOS starts it again. Apple doesn't document it, and it disconnects every Bluetooth device, including a wireless keyboard and mouse; a restart does the same job. ## 5. Reset the headphones Sony has two levels of reset. Try the plain reset first: it restarts the headphones and keeps their pairings and settings. A factory reset deletes every pairing and returns the settings to factory defaults, so you'll pair each device again afterwards. | Model | Reset (pairings kept) | Factory reset (pairings deleted) | | --- | --- | --- | | MDR-1000X | On USB power from a running computer, press power and NC together | Unplug, turn off, hold power and AMBIENT SOUND more than 7 s | | WH-1000XM2 | On USB power from a running computer, press power and NC/AMBIENT together | Unplug, turn off, hold power and NC/AMBIENT more than 7 s | | WH-1000XM3 | While charging, press power and NC/AMBIENT together | Unplug, turn off, hold power and NC/AMBIENT 7 s or more | | WH-1000XM4 | While charging, press power and CUSTOM together | Unplug, turn off, hold power and CUSTOM 7 s or more | | WH-1000XM5 | Connected to an AC outlet, press power and NC/AMB together | Turn off, unplug, hold power and NC/AMB about 7 s | | WH-1000XM6 | Connected to an AC outlet, hold power and NC/AMB about 5 s | Turn off, unplug, hold power and NC/AMB about 10 s | | WH-1000XX | Connected to an AC outlet, hold power and NC/Ambient about 5 s | Turn off, unplug, hold power and NC/Ambient about 10 s | After a factory reset, the headphones go into pairing mode by themselves when you turn them on. Remove them from the Mac with **Forget This Device** first, then pair as new. ## Model-specific causes ### WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM5 They can't be turned on or play music while plugged into a charger or a computer. Unplug them before pairing. If the [WH-1000XM4](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm4) or [WH-1000XM5](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm5) is set to connect to two devices, check whether two others already hold both slots. ### WH-1000XM6 and WH-1000XX Pairing uses the **Bluetooth button**, not power; holding power only turns them on or off. They can be used while charging. ### All models Bluetooth is off while the 3.5 mm cable is plugged in. Unplug the cable, then connect. ## When audio works but the app can't see them If the Mac plays through the headphones but Open Sound Connect shows no headphones or says it **Couldn't Reach** them, the pairing is fine; it's the app's separate control connection. See [connected but not detected](https://opensoundconnect.app/support/headphones-not-detected) for Bluetooth access and the other checks. If the connection works but keeps dropping, [Sony headphones keep disconnecting](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/sony-headphones-disconnecting-mac) is the next stop. ## Common questions ### Why does my Mac say Connected and then disconnect right away? Often the headphones still remember another device that's nearby, or they've forgotten the Mac. Turn off Bluetooth on your phone, then choose **Forget This Device** on the Mac and pair again. ### Will a factory reset erase my noise canceling and equalizer settings? Yes. A factory reset returns all settings to their defaults and deletes every pairing. A plain reset keeps both, so try it first. ### My WH-1000XM6 won't go into pairing mode. What am I doing wrong? Probably holding the power button. The WH-1000XM6 and WH-1000XX pair with a separate **Bluetooth button**; hold it for about 5 seconds. ## Where to next - [Connect Sony headphones to a Mac](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/connect-sony-headphones-to-mac): Pairing mode for each 1000X model, the macOS steps, choosing the sound output, and what to do next. - [Headphones connected but not detected](https://opensoundconnect.app/support/headphones-not-detected): Audio works, but the app shows no headphones: permission, the control connection and what each screen means. - [Sony headphones keep disconnecting](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/sony-headphones-disconnecting-mac): Range and interference, a second device, sleep, automatic power off and settings that reconnect, then the pairing itself. - [Mac troubleshooter](https://opensoundconnect.app/troubleshooter): Choose a symptom and get the checks to try, in order, with a link to the full guide. --- Open Sound Connect is independent software. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sony. Sony, DSEE, DSEE Extreme and LDAC are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Group Corporation or its affiliates. Apple, Mac, macOS, Finder, Safari, Xcode and App Store are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions. The Bluetooth® word mark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. Other names are trademarks of their respective owners.