As an avid Surface Pro and AirPods user, I often get asked how well the two work together. While AirPods are designed for Apple devices, you can connect them to a Surface Pro running Windows 10 or 11.
In this guide, I‘ll walk you step-by-step through pairing AirPods with Surface Pro via Bluetooth. I‘ll also highlight what features you can expect, troubleshoot common issues, and compare the experience to using AirPods with Apple devices. Let‘s get started!
Overview of Connecting AirPods to Surface Pro
The key to using AirPods with Surface Pro is Bluetooth – the wireless technology that allows the two devices to discover and communicate with each other.
Here are the basics of what connecting AirPods to Surface Pro entails:
- Enabling Bluetooth on your Surface Pro
- Putting AirPods into "pairing mode" by opening the case and holding the setup button
- Selecting AirPods from the list of available Bluetooth devices shown in Windows settings
- Completing the pairing process to establish a connection
Once paired, audio played on your Surface Pro will automatically be routed to AirPods (after some initial setup). You‘ll also have basic playback controls via on-device taps and gestures.
However, some smart features powered by Apple chips will be missing when using AirPods on a Windows 10/11 machine…but more on that later!
First, let‘s get into the step-by-step pairing process.
Pairing AirPods with Surface Pro via Bluetooth
Pairing AirPods with your Surface Pro takes just a few minutes. Here are the detailed steps to connect them via Bluetooth:
Open Bluetooth Settings
First, you‘ll need to enable Bluetooth on your Surface Pro so that it can discover and connect with the AirPods.
On Windows 11:
- Open Settings via the Start menu or by right-clicking the Windows icon in the taskbar
- Click Bluetooth & Devices
- Toggle Bluetooth to the "On" position
On Windows 10
- Open the Action Center by swiping in from the right edge of your screen on your trackpad
- Select the Bluetooth quick action tile
- Make sure the toggle is switched to "On"
Enable Bluetooth on your Surface Pro before pairing AirPods
Once Bluetooth is enabled, your Surface will be visible to Bluetooth devices in pairing mode – including your AirPods next!
Put AirPods in Pairing Mode
The next step is making your AirPods discoverable to your Surface.
Here‘s how:
- Place your AirPods in their charging case
- Keep the case open
- Press and hold the small setup button on the back of the case for 5+ seconds until the status light blinks white
This means your AirPods are now in pairing mode!
Tip: The setup button is inside the case beneath each AirPod slot if you have a wireless charging case.
Select AirPods as a Bluetooth Device
Now head back to your Windows Bluetooth settings. You should see a list of available Bluetooth devices show up – including your AirPods!
On Windows 11:
- Go back to Settings > Bluetooth & Devices
- Press Add Device and wait for your AirPods name to populate.
On Windows 10:
- In the Bluetooth menu, press Add Bluetooth or other device
- Then press Bluetooth again and wait for your AirPods to show up
Select your AirPods by their name once discovered. After a moment, Windows will confirm the pairing and your AirPods will connect!
Listen to Audio from AirPods
Once paired, you‘re all set to listen to audio using your AirPods with your Surface Pro.
You may just need to set them as the default sound output device depending on your settings:
On Windows 11:
- Select the volume icon in the taskbar
- Press the ^ arrow next to connected Bluetooth devices
- Choose your AirPods
On Windows 10:
- Right-click the volume icon in the taskbar
- Select Open Sound settings
- Change the Output device to your AirPods
And that‘s it! Any audio played on your Surface Pro will now route to your AirPods so you can enjoy music, video, games, calls and more.
Pretty straightforward right? Now let‘s get into the details…
Using AirPods with Surface: What to Expect
While connecting AirPods to Surface wirelessly via Bluetooth is simple, the experience using them does have some limitations compared to Apple devices.
Here‘s an overview of what works well and what you may miss out on:
| Feature | Expected on Surface | Missing on Surface |
|---|---|---|
| Wireless audio playback | ✅ Fully supported | |
| Tap gestures for basic playback control | ✅ Play/pause, skip, volume up/down | |
| Automatic ear detection to pause audio when removing AirPods | ❌ Limited support | ✅ Seamless on Macs and iPhones |
| View battery status of AirPods and case | ✅ Visible in Bluetooth settings | Some UI differences vs MacOS/iOS |
| Automatic device switching | ❌ Not supported | ✅ Instantly switches between iCloud-linked devices |
| "Hey Siri" voice commands | ❌ Exclusive to Apple devices | ✅ Supported on iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Seamless iCloud pairing | ❌ Windows supports standard Bluetooth only | ✅ Associated through Apple ID |
As you can see, you‘ll have the core functionality of wireless playback and basic controls when using AirPods with a Surface Pro.
However, some signature features that rely on Apple‘s custom chips and integration will not work. That includes hands-free "Hey Siri", automatic switching between devices, and seamless pairing.
Luckily, the Bluetooth implementation in Windows 10 and 11 is robust enough to still deliver a solid experience. But there will be some missing polish coming from the Apple ecosystem.
Next, let‘s talk about…
Troubleshooting AirPods Connecting to Surface
Despite how conveniently AirPods connect to Apple devices, you may run into issues getting them paired to your Surface:
Common problems include:
- Surface Pro not detecting AirPods during pairing
- Connectivity dropping after initial setup
- Audio quality issues or intermittent sound
Before troubleshooting, make sure:
- Bluetooth is enabled on your Surface
- AirPods have sufficient battery charge
- AirPods case is open during pairing
If your Surface Pro fails to find AirPods:
- Reset the AirPods by placing them back in the case, closing the lid, reopening and holding the setup button again
- On Surface, go to Settings > Bluetooth, select Forget device for any existing AirPods, and redo detection
For connectivity problems after pairing:
- Go to Settings > Bluetooth, select Forget device, then redo pairing
- Check for Windows updates or conflicting audio drivers
- As a last resort, reset network settings or uninstall/reinstall Bluetooth drivers
Following these troubleshooting tips solves most AirPod pairing issues with Surface Pro in my experience. But occasionally more complex problems do pop up…
For example, I once found audio quality deteriorating despite having a strong Bluetooth connection. After digging through forums, I discovered an incompatible audio driver on my Surface Pro was the culprit.
Updating to the latest compatible driver from Realtek resolved the problem completely.
Situations like this illustrate the challenges of blending Apple and Microsoft hardware. Customizations and lack of end-to-end control can create small compatibility hiccups over time.
Nevertheless, a bit of tweaking almost always gets AirPods working seamlessly with Surface. And the convenience is well worth it!
Which brings me to the final piece:
Key Takeaways: Using AirPods with Surface Pro
While AirPods work wirelessly out-of-the-box with iPhones and Macs, getting everything smoothly set up with a Surface Pro does require a few extra steps.
The core functionality is there, but you‘ll miss out on some deeper Apple integrations. Handoff, spatial audio, and instant pairing are unfortunately still iPhone exclusives.
However, once paired over Bluetooth, AirPods do deliver an excellent listening experience through Surface Pro. And aspects like battery notifications stay nicely integrated in Windows.
Overall, don‘t hesitate to use AirPods with your Surface Pro if you want an efficient, truly wireless audio solution. Just be ready to do some occasional troubleshooting of Bluetooth quirks as updates roll out on both platforms over time.
I hope this guide gives you a helpful overview of what to expect! Let me know if any other questions come up.
