As an AirPods owner, I was frustrated when I realized that I couldn’t get them to work with my Vizio TV. After doing some research, I discovered that there are a few ways to connect AirPods to a Vizio TV, so I wanted to share my findings with anyone else who might be in the same boat. In this blog post, I’ll be discussing what options are available to connect AirPods to a Vizio TV, and other potential solutions to the problem.
| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| AirPods and AirPods Pro can connect to a Vizio TV via Bluetooth LE. |
| Check if your Vizio TV has Bluetooth connectivity and put your AirPods into Bluetooth Pairing Mode to connect them. |
| Adjust the AirPods volume on your Vizio TV by saying, “Hey Siri, raise (or lower) the Volume.” |
| If you can’t connect AirPods to your Vizio TV, use an Apple TV or Bluetooth TV Transmitter to connect the devices. |
Table of Contents
Can you use AirPods with Vizio TV?
The good news is yes, maybe. The Vizio TV must have Bluetooth connectivity to connect your AirPods Pro to a Vizio TV. Vizio TV uses Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) protocols, while AirPods and AiraPod Pro use Bluetooth 5.0.
Bluetooth 5.0 encompasses many legacy Bluetooth protocols, including Bluetooth LE. So the real question will be if your Vizio TV has Bluetooth connectivity.
Read more: Can you use AirPods with Sony TV?
How to connect AirPods to a Vizio TV?
First, make sure and confirm your Vizio TV has Bluetooth connectivity. Next, check your TV with the TV’s remote.
Next, click on the Settings menu, select Sound, then Sound Output to determine Bluetooth connectivity.
If selecting a Bluetooth Speaker is available, the Vizio TV should be Bluetooth capable and connect to your AirPod/AirPod Pro device.
Now we have established the Vizio TV has Bluetooth connectivity and should work with AirPods. Follow these steps to connect to your AirPod/AirPod Pro device.
First, set your AirPods to Bluetooth Pairing Mode. When in Bluetooth Pairing Mode, try to connect to Vizio TV.
How to set Airpod/AirPod Pro to Bluetooth Pairing Mode:
- Place AirPods into their Charging Case
- Leave the Charging Case lid open
- Reset the AirPods by pressing the Setup button on the back of the AirPod Charging Case until it turns White
- Flashing White status light indicates the AirPod is in Bluetooth Pairing Mode
With the AirPod in Bluetooth Pairing Mode, follow these steps:
- On the Vizio Remote, select the Settings menu.
- Select Sound Output > Speaker List
- From the Speaker List search for AirPods to connect
- Select AirPods, then Pair and Connect
Read more: Why do my AirPods randomly pause?
Can you adjust the AirPods volume with Vizio TV?
If you have the latest generation AirPods or AirPods Pro and Bluetooth connected, adjust Vizio TV volume easily by saying, “Hey Siri, raise (or lower) the Volume. In addition, the AirPods controls can perform a variety of TV functions.
AirPods or AirPods Pro (3rd generation controls) can control:
- To enable Play or Pause Audio, touch the Force Sensor on the stem of an AirPod. To resume playback, press the Sensor again.
- Double-press the Sensor to Skip Forward, Skip back by triple-pressing the Sensor
- Adjust the Volume by saying, “Hey Siri, Turn up the Volume or Turn Down the Volume.”
- The Apple Watch can also control Volume by opening Now Playing and turning the Digital Crown to adjust Volume accordingly.
AirPods Pro has additional functionality and features, including controlling how you hear background sounds.
To control background noise, press and hold the Force Sensor to select Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode. Pressing and holding will switch between the modes to be chosen.
- Select the AirPod device connected to your Vizio TV
- If available in the device list, click on the AirPod Pro Info button
- Click on Noise Cancellation, Transparency, or click Off
Why won’t my AirPods connect to my Vizio TV?
There can be several reasons why an AirPod will not connect to a Vizio TV, including incompatible Bluetooth protocols. It may also be simply that the Vizio TV does not have Bluetooth capabilities.
However, we will assume the Vizio TV has Bluetooth for this article, and the AirPod shows up in the Devices list. If that is such the case, here are some suggestions for connecting the AirPod with a Vizio TV.
Use Apple TV to connect to a Vizio TV indirectly
If you could not connect directly to Vizio TV, you might succeed if you also have an Apple TV. To connect AirPods to a Vizio TV via Apple TV, try the following instructions:
- Press the Sync button on the AirPod charging case and hold until the indicator turns White
- On the Apple TV, find the Settings menu and click on Settings
- Select from the menu Remotes and Devices
- Select Bluetooth
- Your AirPod should now work with Vizio TV
Can I connect multiple AirPods to my Vizio TV?
You should be able to pair two AirPods with a Vizio TV, assuming the Bluetooth connectivity is correct. However, pairing only two devices is more an issue of iCloud licensing, which restricts two AirPods connections with a single device such as a Vizio TV.
Alternative AirPod connection to Vizio TV with Bluetooth TV Transmitter
An alternative method to connect AirPods to a Vizio TV, especially one that does not have native Bluetooth, is using a Bluetooth TV Transmitter. Most Bluetooth TV Transmitters utilize A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) protocols compatible with AirPods.
The Bluetooth Transmitter is connected to the Vizio TV first by Optical, USB, RCA, or 3.5 mm Aux outputs on your TV. After connecting the Vizio TV to the Bluetooth TV Transmitter, in this case, we are using the Avantree transmitter.
Another brand to consider is Taotronics Bluetooth Transmitter. Follow these steps to pair your AirPods to the Vizio TV with a Bluetooth TV Transmitter:
- Turn off all devices currently connecting to your AirPods
- Place AirPods into the charging case, leave the lid open, press and hold the Sync button until the LED starts flashing white
- Put the Avantree Bluetooth TV Transmitter into pairing mode (refer to Avantree User Guide for instructions). Place both AirPod and Avantree Bluetooth TV Transmitter close together for a few seconds until both devices’ LEDs indicate pairing.
Final thoughts on connecting AirPods to a Vizio TV
Connecting AirPods to your Vizio TV can be a rewarding experience. However, there could be audio latency if you attempt to connect to a Vizio Soundbar.
Audio lag time, or latency, can be caused for various reasons, including how different Bluetooth codec compresses and deliver Audio faster than others.
Your AirPods can use a different Bluetooth codec than your particular model of Vizio TV. There could be a noticeable lag time with the sound if there is a Bluetooth codec conflict.
Pros and Cons of Connecting AirPods to a Vizio TV
Pros:
- Connecting AirPods to a Vizio TV is possible if your TV has Bluetooth connectivity
- Latest generation AirPods and AirPods Pro can be used to control the Vizio TV volume
- AirPods Pro also has additional features, such as controlling background noise
- AirPods can be connected to a Vizio TV indirectly through an Apple TV
- Two AirPods can be connected to a Vizio TV
Cons:
- Vizio TV must have Bluetooth connectivity
- AirPods may not connect to a Vizio TV directly, and require an Apple TV or Bluetooth TV Transmitter
- Only two AirPods can be connected to a Vizio TV at a time due to iCloud licensing restrictions
