Bluetooth Headphones Not Showing Up in Windows, Fix It
Headphones that do not show up in Windows are almost always not in pairing mode, still connected to a phone, or hidden by Windows discovery settings. Headphones only advertise themselves for a short window after you trigger pairing mode, so timing and the exact button press matter.
Fix it, in order
Put the headphones in pairing mode. With most models, hold the power or multifunction button for several seconds until the light flashes blue and white, or until you hear a pairing prompt. Simply turning them on is not enough, and the exact gesture is in the manual.
Charge the case and the buds. A flat charging case can refuse to enter pairing mode even when the buds themselves show charge. Plug the case in for at least 30 minutes, then try again.
Disconnect them from your phone first. A nearby phone that auto-connects to the headphones will grab them before Windows can see them. Turn Bluetooth off on the phone for a minute while you pair with the PC.
Start the Windows scan first, then pairing mode. Open Settings, Bluetooth and devices, Add device, Bluetooth, and let the scan run. Then trigger pairing mode on the headphones while the scan is active.
Set discovery to Advanced. In Settings, Bluetooth and devices, Devices, Device settings, change Bluetooth devices discovery to Advanced. Some headphones only appear with this setting on.
Remove any stale headphone entry. If the headphones appear in the Devices list but never connect, select the three dots next to them, choose Remove device, and pair again from scratch.
Reset the headphones. Most models reset with a long button hold, often about 10 to 15 seconds, until the light flashes a different color. Check the manual, since a reset erases all pairings and is the last resort before suspecting the PC.
If the headphones pair but do not appear as a sound output, that is a different problem. Check the taskbar volume menu and pick the headphones as the output, and choose the Stereo entry for music rather than the Hands-Free entry.
If it still happens
If the headphones appear on a phone but never on the PC, update the Bluetooth adapter driver in Device Manager, and test with a USB Bluetooth adapter if you have one. If they appear in the Add device list but pairing fails every time, the Bluetooth pairing page covers the handshake fixes.
Common questions
Why do my headphones show in Add device but not as a sound output? Pairing and audio are separate. Once paired, click the speaker icon on the taskbar, then the arrow next to the volume slider, and select the headphones. If two entries appear, pick the one without Hands-Free in the name for music.
Only one earbud shows up. What is wrong? The earbuds are not linked to each other. Put both buds in the case, close the lid for 15 seconds, open it, and trigger pairing mode again so they pair as one device.
The headphones worked yesterday and vanished today. Why? They probably auto-connected to your phone first. Turn Bluetooth off on the phone, toggle Bluetooth off and on on the PC, and they should appear again.