How to pair Sony WH-1000XM6 to any device

The Sony WH-1000XM6 is a contender for best active noise canceling (ANC) headphones on the market. Powerful ANC, modern features, and good sound quality await its owners. But many of these features require a Bluetooth connection. Here’s how to pair the Sony WH-1000XM6 to any device.

How to put your Sony WH-1000XM6 in pairing mode

To get your Sony WH-1000XM6 into pairing mode, you’ll need the headphones powered off, and the battery charged enough to use. If you haven’t connected your headphones yet, or you simply want to connect to a new device, the below should get you where you need to go.

1. With the headphones powered off, press and hold the power/pairing button.
2. After a few seconds, you will be told via voice prompt when the headphones are in pairing mode.

How to pair your Sony WH-1000XM6 to a Mac or Macbook

Pairing to a Mac computer follows roughly the same process as the other platforms.

1. Place the headphones into pairing mode.
2. On your computer, open the System Preferences (gear) icon in the Mac dock.
3. Ensure that Bluetooth is turned on. Your headphones should be listed among Devices.
4. Click the Connect icon next to the Sony WH-1000XM6’s name in the list. A voice prompt will let you know when pairing is successful.

How to pair your Sony WH-1000XM6 to a Windows PC

Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 have similar pairing processes. If Fast Pair doesn’t work, or isn’t supported by your device, following the below steps will get you the results you need.

1. With the headphones powered off, press and hold the power/pairing button.
2. Open the Start Menu of your device.
3. Navigate to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices to toggle Bluetooth on if it isn’t already.
4. Tap or click Add Bluetooth or another device.
5. Select the Sony WH-1000XM6 in the list of available devices. Once connected, you will hear a voice prompt.

How to pair your Sony WH-1000XM6 to an iPhone or iPad

Connecting your headphones to an iPhone or iPad is relatively straightforward. If the headphones aren’t detected upon powering on, the usual method to pair audio products will work:

1. With the headphones powered off, press and hold the power/pairing button.
2. Open the Settings app on your iOS device.
3. Navigate to Bluetooth and enable the feature.
4. After searching for a few moments, the headphones should appear on the list of available devices under Other Devices.
5. Tap the Sony WH-1000XM6 item in the list. Your device will attempt to pair with the headphones.

How to pair your Sony WH-1000XM6 to an Android phone or tablet

Android devices are pretty easy to get devices connected and running quite well. However, with added control options can come more complexity.

1. With the headphones powered off, press and hold the power/pairing button.
2. Open the device’s Settings and turn on Bluetooth.
3. When presented with a list of Bluetooth devices, tap Pair new device or Details to see the list of devices within scanning range.
4. Select the Sony WH-1000XM6 in the list of available devices. Your device will then attempt to pair.

Some devices may not have LDAC enabled by default. Instead, you’ll need to enable developer options.

1. In the device’s Settings, open About phone.
2. Find the Build number of the phone, and tap it rapidly.
3. Once Developer options are enabled, open it and scroll until you see Bluetooth codec.
4. Enable LDAC.