You can connect a Bose wireless speaker to an iPhone through Bluetooth pairing. These speakers have a Bluetooth button to put them into pairing mode, and you can access Bluetooth from the Settings app on your iPhone to manage connections.
My name is Donovan, and I’m an avid musician, producer, and audio enthusiast. I’m also an iPhone user and have owned several Bose wireless speakers. I know through first-hand experience how to connect these devices.
This post will show you how to connect a Bose speaker to your iPhone. I’ll walk you through all of the simple steps to make this happen quickly and easily. I’ll also provide you with some other relevant information to help get the most out of your speaker.
Let’s get started.
Contents
Key Takeaways
- You can connect a Bose speaker to an iPhone through Bluetooth. The process is the same as connecting any other Bluetooth device to your iPhone.
- The Bose speaker needs to be in pairing mode for your iPhone to recognize it as an available Bluetooth device. There is a Bluetooth pairing button on the speaker that puts it into pairing mode.
- Make sure that Bluetooth connectivity is turned on on your iPhone, or else you won’t be able to connect to the speaker or any other device.
- Once you establish a connection, your iPhone should recognize the Bose speaker and automatically connect to it in the future.
How to Connect Bose Speaker to iPhone
Connecting your Bose speaker to your iPhone is pretty straightforward. You don’t need any special equipment or technical skills. If you’ve already connected your iPhone to other types of speakers, the process is pretty much the same.
Most of you reading this post want to know how to connect a wireless Bose speaker to an iPhone. I’ll show you how to do that below, but I also want to include a section about connecting your iPhone to more traditional wired speakers.
If you have an iPhone and any type of Bose speaker, you need to know how to easily and quickly connect them to enjoy all of your favorite music or audio. So keep reading for all that and more tips to get things set up.
How to Connect Bose Wireless Speaker to iPhone
Connecting a Bose wireless speaker to your iPhone is simple. And if you already know how to pair a Bluetooth device to your iPhone, this process will be virtually the same with your Bose speaker.
Bose makes a number of wireless Bluetooth speakers, and the process for connecting any of these models to your iPhone is the same. The steps below will show you how to make it happen, so read them carefully.
Follow these steps to connect a Bose wireless speaker to iPhone:
1. Make sure your Bose speaker and iPhone are powered on and within range of one another. You’ll want to keep the two devices fairly close to each other to make a successful Bluetooth connection.
2. Make sure the Bluetooth feature is turned on on your iPhone. If this is turned off, you won’t be able to connect to the speaker or any other Bluetooth device.
You can quickly access the Bluetooth button on your iPhone by swiping down from the top right of the screen. The Bluetooth icon should be highlighted in Blue if it’s turned on, like in the image below.
If it’s not highlighted, tap the icon to turn Bluetooth on. You can also access Bluetooth controls from the Settings app.
3. Press the Bluetooth button on your Bose speaker. This will put the speaker into pairing mode, so your phone can recognize it as a discoverable device.
4. Tap Settings on your iPhone.
5. Tap Bluetooth.
6. Select your Bose speaker from the list of available devices. It might take a few seconds for your iPhone to recognize the speaker after you press the Bluetooth button.
7. You’ll see the name of your Bose speaker under the My Devices list, and it will say Connected once the Bluetooth pairing is successful.
8. Play some audio on your iPhone to ensure it comes out of your speaker, and enjoy!
How to Connect Bose Wired Speaker to iPhone
If you don’t have a wireless Bose speaker, you can still connect your iPhone to it. But you’ll need to go the old-school route and connect the two with a wire. You’ll also likely need a receiver to plug the iPhone into.
You’ll likely have an existing stereo system if you are reading this section. I’ve set up many different stereo systems over the years, both wireless and wired, and I think that having a wired option is essential for increasing audio quality.
To connect your iPhone to your Bose wired speakers, you just need to plug it into the receiver you use to power your stereo system. Since this receiver is already connected to your speakers, that’s basically the only step.
You might need to get a dongle and an aux cord to connect the two together successfully. Most receivers have an ⅛-inch input for aux cords but don’t have a lighting or USB-C input that your standard iPhone cable has.
Then you just need to switch your receiver to the Aux input, press play on your iPhone, and you should be all good to go.
Why Won’t My iPhone Pair with My Bose Speaker?
You may run into pairing issues when you try to connect an iPhone to your Bose speaker. Knowing a few quick troubleshooting tips can help you resolve the problem quickly and easily.
Typically, this type of problem can be solved in a few minutes and isn’t a big deal. But it is always possible that you have a faulty or broken speaker. But before assuming the worst, keep the tips in this section in mind and go through them to get your speaker working.
First off, ensure that Bluetooth is turned on on your iPhone. This is a simple step that even I have forgotten a few times. If that’s not turned on, you won’t be able to pair it with any other Bluetooth devices.
You also need to ensure that your Bose speaker is charged up and powered on. You won’t be able to pair with it if it’s not turned on.
Keep in mind that your iPhone and Bose speaker need to be within range of one another to pair successfully. If you are in a different room with your iPhone than where your speaker is located, this might be the reason why you can’t pair.
If you are within range of your speaker and the Bluetooth is turned on, you might be dealing with a bug or glitch with your speaker or iPhone. A quick reset of both devices should fix the problem.
You can try a soft reset by turning your phone and speaker off and back on. Or you might want to do a hard reset on both, which should iron out potential glitches that you are dealing with.
You also might need to update the software on your iPhone. If you are using an outdated iOS version, you might run into issues with performance, and Bluetooth connectivity is one of these. Once you have the current iOS running, the problem should go away.
Your iPhone might be automatically connecting to another device. If you have other Bluetooth devices within range of it, your phone can connect to those and not to the speaker. You can manage your connections in the Bluetooth section of the Settings app.
If none of these potential fixes have worked so far, you should reach out to support from Apple or Bose. The reps there might be able to point you toward a less common solution and will work with you to resolve the problem.
In a worst-case scenario, you might have a bad speaker. This doesn’t happen that often, but it is possible. Check to see if your speaker is under warranty because you might be able to get a new one for free. If not, you might need to purchase another one.
FAQs
Here are a few short answers to some of the most commonly asked questions related to how to connect a Bose speaker to an iPhone.
How do I pair my Bose Bluetooth speaker?
You can put your Bose Bluetooth speaker into pairing mode by pressing the Bluetooth button on the speaker. This button is clearly marked and should be located next to the other buttons. Ensure Bluetooth is turned on on the device you want to connect with.
How do I get my iPhone to connect to a Bluetooth speaker?
You can connect your iPhone to a Bluetooth speaker just like you would with any other type of Bluetooth-enabled device. Make sure you have Bluetooth turned on in the Control Panel on your iPhone and press the pairing button on the speaker.
Why can’t my phone find my Bose speaker?
Make sure that you have your Bluetooth connections turned on on your phone. Also, ensure that your speaker is turned on and in pairing mode to establish a connection. If that doesn’t work, try resetting your phone and/or speaker because it might be a bug or glitch.
Final Thoughts
Connecting your Bose speaker to an iPhone is pretty simple. You can manage your connections from the Bluetooth section of the settings app on your phone but make sure you press the Bluetooth button on your speaker to put it in pairing mode.
Once your speaker and iPhone are connected for the first time, the devices should recognize one another for future pairings. So you’ll only need to go through the steps here when you first start using your iPhone and Bose speaker together.
Have you ever had trouble connecting your iPhone to a Bose wireless speaker or other Bluetooth device? Let me know in the comments below.
