Sony headphones
won't connect

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:

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 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 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.

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 or 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 for Bluetooth access and the other checks. If the connection works but keeps dropping, Sony headphones keep disconnecting is the next stop.