Shokz and Apple are both premium device manufacturers, so buying either one comes with the assumption that everything will work. Shokz also designed its devices and apps to work seamlessly with Apple. But nothing on Earth is perfect, and problems occasionally sneak in. So, what can you do when your Shokz headphones don’t connect to your Apple device? Let’s investigate.
Shokz Not Connecting to iPhone
Shokz headphones are usually relatively easy to pair with any device, including the iPhone. But sometimes, it seems like the two devices just won’t communicate. There appear to be two main problems: either the Shokz won’t connect with the iPhone at all, or pairing is successful, and the Shokz works with music but not with phone calls. There are a few ways to solve both problems.
Ensure Proper Pairing
The first thing to check is that you’re performing the pairing process correctly. To do so, follow these steps:
- Ensure your Shokz headphones are turned off.
- Press and hold the “Volume+” button for 5 to 7 seconds until you see the LED flashing red and blue. This means it’s in pairing mode.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Select the Bluetooth option from the list.
- Select your Shokz headphones from the list.
- Audrey, the voice assistant, should say, “Connected.”
Perform a Manual Reset
If you performed the pairing correctly and it’s not working, it might be necessary to reset your Shokz bone conduction headphones. You can do that by following these steps:
- Turn off your Shokz headphones.
- Enter your headphones’ pairing mode by pressing and holding the Volume+ button for five to seven seconds until the LED starts flashing red and blue.
- Release the Volume+ button.
- Now press and hold all three buttons (Volume+, Volume-, and the Multifunction button) simultaneously.
- Hold them for between 3 and 5 seconds.
- When done successfully, you should hear beeps or feel vibrations (or both).
- Turn your headphones off again. They have now been reset.
- Now repeat the pairing steps as described above.
The process is slightly different on the OpenFit:
- Put both earphones into the charging case.
- Press the touch areas of both earphones simultaneously and hold them for 15 seconds.
- The orange LED in the case will flash for 5 seconds, then go out.
- The reset is now complete and the earphones are ready for pairing.
Restart Your iPhone
It’s rarely necessary, but restarting your iPhone could resolve many issues. On the iPhone X or later, follow these steps:
- Press the Volume- button.
- Immediately after the Volume- button, press and hold the Power button.
- You should see the Shut Down screen appear. Swipe the slider to shut down.
- Wait 30 seconds.
- Press the Power button to switch it back on.
For the iPhone 6, 7, 8, or the 2nd and 3rd Gen SE models, you simply hold the side button until the Shut Down slider appears. Swipe it, then turn the phone back on after 30 seconds.
The iPhone 5 and 1st Gen SE don’t have the side button, so you have to press and hold the top button instead.
Force Restart iPhone
If a normal restart doesn’t work, try a force restart. On the iPhone 8 or later, including the 2nd and 3rd Gen SE models, follow these steps:
- Press the Volume+ button followed immediately by the Volume- button.
- Immediately after the Volume- button, press and hold the Power button.
- You should see the Shut Down screen appear. Ignore it and keep holding the power button.
- The phone’s screen will turn black as it restarts. Hold the button.
- When you see the Apple logo, release the Power button.
On the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, press and hold the side button and the Volume- button simultaneously until it restarts and shows the Apple logo.
For the iPhone 6s or earlier, as well as the 1st Gen iPhone SE, press and hold the Home button and side button (or top button if your model doesn’t have a side button) until the phone restarts and shows the Apple logo.
Shokz Not Connecting to iOS Shokz App
The Shokz app on iOS is a great companion for specific Shokz devices, allowing you to control your headphones, change equalizer settings, and update the headphones’ firmware. Though problems are rare, it could have trouble connecting.
Is Your Device Supported?
Currently, the Shokz app only supports the OpenRun Pro and OpenFit, so if you have a different model of Shokz headphones, the app will not work with it. It is currently unclear if any other models will be supported in the future, but Shokz will likely add support for upcoming models to the app.
It’s also worth noting that the Shokz app needs iOS version 11 or later to work correctly. Older versions of iOS shouldn’t even show the app in the App Store, but if you’re using an alternative method to install apps (like sideloading) it’s worth checking to see if your iOS version is compatible.
Is Your Device Paired Correctly?
The second step is to confirm that your headphones are correctly paired with your iOS device. Can you listen to music over the headphones, and are they on the list of connected Bluetooth devices? If not, follow the steps I mentioned under “Shokz Not Connecting to iPhone” to ensure they are paired correctly.
Are You Using the Latest Version of the Shokz App?
Shokz frequently updates the app to fix bugs and ensure it’s compatible with the latest version of iOS. In most cases, iOS will update apps automatically when you’re connected to Wi-fi, but it’s always a good idea to check manually.
- On your iOS device, open the App Store.
- Tap on your profile icon, which should be at the top right of the screen.
- There should be a list of available and installed updates. Tap on “Update All” or check if the Shokz app appears in the list and tap on “Update” next to it.
- If it doesn’t show available updates, try dragging the screen down to refresh. This forces the App Store to check for available updates.
Shokz Not Connecting to Mac
Pairing your Shokz headphones with your Mac should be just as painless as pairing them with your iPhone, though the process is slightly different. But, as with anything, problems sneak in from time to time.
Are You Pairing Them Correctly?
The first thing to check is if you’re following the correct pairing process:
- Turn off your Shokz headphones.
- Press and hold the “Volume+” button for five to seven seconds until you see the LED flashing red and blue. This means it’s in pairing mode.
- On your Mac, open System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions of MacOS) through the Apple menu at the top or from Launchpad.
- Select the Bluetooth option on the left.
- Check that Bluetooth is turned on and flip the toggle if it isn’t.
- Select your Shokz headphones from the list.
- Audrey, the voice assistant, should say, “Connected.”
Reset Your Shokz Headphones
As with iPhone pairing, there are times when you might have to perform a manual reset. If you couldn’t get them to connect through regular pairing, follow the steps I described earlier to reset them.
Check for macOS Updates
Apple often releases new macOS versions to fix bugs and improve performance, so it’s a good idea to check for macOS updates occasionally, especially when you’re having problems.
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences) on your Mac.
- Go to “General.”
- Select “Software Update” from the list.
- Your Mac should automatically check for macOS updates and install them.
- After a restart, try connecting your Shokz headphones again.
Shokz Won’t Connect to an iPad
iPads and iPhones are pretty similar, and iPadOS is based on iOS. In fact, until a few years ago, iPads also ran iOS and didn’t have a dedicated operating system of their own. But since iOS and iPadOS are so similar, the causes of connection problems (and their solutions) are almost identical.
Ensure Proper Pairing
As always, the first step is to ensure you follow the correct process to pair your Shokz headphones with your iPad. You can follow the steps I explained under the iPhone section to do this since the process is precisely the same.
Perform a Manual Reset
If regular pairing didn’t work, you should try a manual reset to clear all existing settings and paired devices from your Shokz headphones.
I explained how to do this under the iPhone section so you can follow those same steps to perform the reset.
Restart Your iPad
iPads are computers, and just like most computers, they need a cold reboot from time to time to clear their memory and eliminate some bugs. Doing this on an iPad is identical to how you would do it on an iPhone, as explained earlier, so you can follow those same steps to restart your iPad.
Check for OS Updates
Many people don’t leave their iPads on all the time. I know I tend to turn mine off when I’m not using it because there are few things as frustrating as needing it just to find its battery is low. The problem is that they usually schedule automatic OS updates at night, which doesn’t happen if the iPad is turned off, so you might have to check for updates manually. Follow these steps:
- Open the iPad’s Settings app.
- Scroll down to “General.”
- Select “Software Update” from the list.
- The iPad should automatically check for available updates.
- If there’s an update available, let it install and restart.
- Now, try connecting your Shokz headphones again.
Before you go…
Hopefully, these steps helped you successfully connect your Shokz to your Apple device. But did you know you can connect your Shokz headphones to multiple devices simultaneously? Read more about it in this post!