Pairing Bluetooth headphones can often be a pain in the butt. However, Google's "Fast Pair" system aims to make the process a little more seamless. As long as you have a phone running Android 6.0 or later with Google Play Services 11.7 and above with a pair of supported headphones, you can get things connected without having to mess with Bluetooth menus/settings at all. Here's how it works.
Our favorite Fast Pair headphones
- Premium headphones: Boes QuietComfort 35 II ($299 at Amazon)
- Sporty choice: Jaybird Tarah ($80 at Amazon)
- Made by Google: Google Pixel Buds ($159 at B&H)
How to use Fast Pair wireless headphones
- Turn on your Bluetooth headphones and enable pairing mode (this is different for all headphones/earbuds, so refer to the manual that came with them if you're unsure how to do this).
- Look for the blue icon in the top left of your phone's status bar.
- Swipe down and tap the prompt for your headphones.
- Tap Allow if your headphones ask to access your contacts.
That's it! Now your headphones are paired to your Android device and ready to be used. Next time you turn your headphones on, they'll automatically connect to your device as soon as they turn on since they'll remain paired unless you remove them from your Bluetooth settings.
The best headphones that support Fast Pair
Now that you know how Fast Pair works, here are a few of our favorite headphones that support the feature!
Bose QuietComfort 35 II ($299 at Amazon)
Truly premium headphones through and through, the Bose QC35 II deliver excellent sound, powerful noise-canceling, up to 30 hours of battery life, and your choice of Google Assistant or Alexa built-in.
Jaybird Tarah ($80 at Amazon)
The Jaybird Tarah were made with active lifestyles in mind. In addition to surprisingly great sound for such a small package, you also get six hours of battery, sweat + water resistance, and a highly customizable EQ.
Google Pixel Buds ($159 at B&H)
Made by Google itself, the Pixel Buds are a unique take on wireless headphones. The fabric design is a joy, the Google Assistant is easily accessible, and there's real-time translation with Google Translate.
