The AirPods not working with Zoom is a common problem faced by many AirPods users. If you have AirPods or AirPods Pro and they don’t work well on Zoom calls/meetings on Mac then you are here to find a solution. I have found all possible solutions for that issue and I will explain all of them to you.
Sometimes the AirPods disconnect in-between Zoom calls which interrupts your conversation. I will cover this issue to help you fix it and enjoy uninterrupted Zoom calls with your AirPods and Mac computer.
Do AirPods Work with Zoom?
Yes, AirPods do work with Zoom. The tiny speakers of AirPods let you hear other person’s voice on Zoom calls/meetings and the microphone captures your voice to send them to the person on the other end.
The AirPods can connect & pair with all devices and switch seamlessly between all apple devices with same Apple ID. You can use them for listening music, taking voice calls, making Zoom calls, attending Zoom meetings and others.
So, you can use AirPods with Zoom app on Mac, iPhone, iPad and other apple devices. You can also use AirPods with Zoom on Windows PC and android phones but some features of AirPods may not work with non-apple devices.
8 Quick Fixes for AirPods Not Working with Zoom
The AirPods allow you to make voice calls and video calls without having any wires around your ears/face. When the AirPods don’t work with Zoom on Mac, you need to take an appropriate action to get them work again. Only then you will be able to use them for your work calls and business meetings on Zoom.
Here I provide 8 quick fixes for AirPods not working with Zoom so that you can use these apply these tricks to fix the issue ASAP.
- Make Sure that AirPods are Paired & Connected to Mac Only
- Disconnect AirPods from Other Devices, Forget AirPods if Needed
- Set AirPods as Default Audio Device in Zoom Settings
- Allow Zoom to Access Microphone on Mac
- Correct Date and Time on Mac
- Delete Zoom.us Folder from Application Support
- Reset AirPods
- Uninstall and Reinstall Zoom App on Mac
Let us discuss all 8 solutions for AirPods not working with Zoom in detail to understand how you can fix the issue.
#1. Make Sure that AirPods are Paired & Connected to Mac Only:
When the AirPods don’t work with Mac, the first thing you should check is if they are paired and connected to your Mac system. If they are not paired/connected then you should connect them to Mac and thereafter try using them on Zoom.
If the AirPods are connected to your Mac then you should check other devices like your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple Watch and other apple devices. Because the AirPods don’t work with Zoom when they are connected to multiple devices. You should disconnect AirPods from other devices to fix the issue.
#2. Disconnect AirPods from All Other Devices:
The AirPods can connect to two devices and pair with multiple devices. The AirPods also switch automatically between different devices signed in with same Apple ID. So, your AirPods don’t work on Zoom because they are paired and connected to more than one device at a time.
So, you need to disconnect the AirPods from all other devices and keep them connected with your Mac on which you want to use Zoom. The easiest way to disconnect AirPods from other devices is to turn off Bluetooth on relevant devices.
After your turn off Bluetooth on all devices except Mac, you can be sure that the AirPods are connected to your Mac device only. Now, you should use AirPods with Zoom app and they should work properly.
#3. Set AirPods as Default Audio Device in Zoom Settings:
The Zoom app comes with customizable audio settings for users’ convenience. You should set up audio settings on Zoom before you start using it for video calls and meetings on Mac.
You may find it strange when the AirPods don’t work with Zoom but they work with other apps. It can happen if you have not set up Zoom audio settings on your Mac computer.
In Zoom audio settings, you need to select AirPods in place of computer speakers. Only then the Zoom app will transmit audio to the AirPods. You should also select AirPods in Microphone option to use AirPods microphone in place of your Mac’s microphone. So, without wasting a minute, let us discuss how to do it.
Steps to Set AirPods as Default Audio Device in Zoom Settings
01. On your Mac, click on Apple logo at top of the screen to access Apple menu.
02. Select System Preferences to open a new window.
03. Click on Bluetooth icon and verify that the AirPods are visible and connected with your Mac system.
04. Now, launch Zoom app on your Mac.
05. Find out and click on Zoom.us at top left corner of menu bar, then click on Preferences.
06. Select Audio in left side panel and see default speaker and microphone for Zoom on right side.
07. If default speaker shows “MacBook Speakers” then change it to AirPods, also select AirPods in default microphone section.
08. Save the settings and close.
After changing Zoom audio settings to AirPods from MacBook Speakers, you should be able to use AirPods for Zoom calls and meetings.
#4. Allow Zoom to Access Microphone on Mac:
When you launch Zoom app on your Mac for first time, it asks for necessary permissions. You must allow Zoom.us to access camera, microphone, files and folders and screen recording functions. Only then you can use these features in Zoom app on your Mac computer.
In case the Zoom.us doesn’t have permission to access microphone on your Mac, it cannot capture your voice during Zoom calls. You will face mic issue when you make Zoom calls with AirPods, so you have to grant permission to Zoom app to access microphone to fix AirPods not working with Zoom on your Mac system.
Here I provide the steps to allow Zoom to access Microphone on Mac as follows:
01. On your Mac, click on Apple logo to open Apple Menu.
02. Select System Preferences to open a new window.
03. Click on Security & Privacy icon.
04. Click on lock icon and unlock with your Mac password.
05. Select Privacy tab.
06. Select Microphone from the list given on left side of the screen.
07. On the right side, tick on Zoom.us option to give access to microphone.
08. Click on lock icon again to lock the changed settings. Then close the window.
After granting permission to Zoom.us to access microphone on your Mac, you should be able to use AirPods with Zoom on Mac without any interruption.
#5. Correct Date and Time on Mac:
The date and time on your Mac system must be correct. The internet, Zoom app and other network related functions work properly only if your Mac is set on the correct date and time. If the AirPods are not working with Zoom then you should check & correct date & time on your Mac to fix the issue.
In order to correct date and time on Mac, just go through the steps given below:
Make sure that your Mac is connected to a seamless internet connection while doing this process.
01. On your Mac, open Apple Menu and select System Preferences.
02. Click on Date & Time icon in System Preferences window.
03. Click on lock icon at bottom and unlock it with your Mac password.
04. Untick “set date and time automatically” option and tick it again. Make sure the date & time are set as per Apple (time.apple.com).
05. If the date and time are still incorrect then untick it and set them manually.
06. Click on lock icon again to lock the new date and time on your Mac.
After the date and time are corrected, you should connect AirPods to your Mac and use them for Zoom calls or meetings. The AirPods should work well with Zoom.
#6. Delete Zoom.us folder from Application Support
After you install Zoom app on your Mac, it creates several system folders on your Mac Mac disk. There is a folder named Zoom.us in Application Support of Library. If this folder is corrupted then the Zoom app malfunctions which may cause interruption in calling, meeting plus audio problems.
It is possible that the Zoom.us folder is corrupted and that’s why the AirPods are not working with Zoom on your Mac computer. You should delete this folder to fix the issue. Here I provide simple steps to delete Zoom.us folder from Application Support on Mac.
Kindly close the Zoom app before doing this procedure on your Mac.
01. On your Mac desktop screen, click Go Menu on the top.
02. Select Go to Folder… tab to open a small window.
03. Type ~/Library/ in the empty field given under Go to the folder and click on Go button to access Library folder.
04. Choose Application Support folder in Library.
05. Select Zoom.us folder in Application Support and delete it.
06. Confirm delete to proceed and restart your Mac system.
After deleting Zoom.us folder from Application Support folder in Library, you should restart your Mac computer. Then launch the Zoom app and connect AirPods with your Mac. Now, the AirPods should work with Zoom without any issue.
#7. Reset AirPods
The AirPods should work ideally if all settings on Zoom and Mac Bluetooth are correct. If the AirPods still don’t work then you should reset them to fix the issue. The AirPods are quite easy to reset, just follow the simple steps I have shared below to reset your AirPods.
You should keep your iPhone or iPad or iPod Touch connected to the AirPods when you start this process.
- Put the AirPods in their charging case and close the lid.
- Keep the lid closed for 30 seconds, don’t do anything.
- Open the lid of charging case and keep it open.
- On your iPhone, go to Settings>Bluetooth>find your AirPods in the device list.
- Tap on (i) button near your AirPods name.
- Tap on Forget This Device and tap again to confirm.
- With the case lid open, press & hold the setup button of AirPods given on back of the charging case.
- Hold the setup button of AirPods for 15 seconds or until you see the status light flashing amber and white.
- Your AirPods are successfully reset.
The AirPods need to reconnect with your iPhone, Mac and all other devices after reset. The resetting AirPods fix all technical issues, so it should have fixed AirPods not working with Zoom issue for you.
#8. Uninstall and Reinstall Zoom App on Mac:
The last solution for AirPods not working with Zoom is to uninstall the Zoom app from your Mac. Thereafter you should restart your Mac system and reinstall Zoom from the App Store. After reinstalling, launch the Zoom app and allow for necessary permissions that Zoom needs.
After successful reinstall and setup of Zoom on your Mac, you should check if the Zoom works fine with AirPods. This process can fix almost all the issues you have with Zoom calls, meeting, screen recording and other functions.
So, you can try these 8 different techniques when your AirPods don’t work well with Zoom calls or meetings.
How to Test AirPods before Making a Zoom Call
You can use AirPods for making Zoom calls on your Mac computer but sometimes you may face problem with listening or speaking on AirPods. So, I suggest you to test your AirPods speakers and microphone on Zoom app before you use them for Zoom calls.
You may wonder, is it possible to check AirPods audio with Zoom? Yes, it is possible. Here I provide the steps to test AirPods before making a Zoom call as under:
Keep the AirPods in your ears when testing them with Zoom on your Mac.
- On your Mac, launch Zoom app and open Zoom.us menu from top.
- Select Preferences option.
- Select Audio on left side panel.
- Make sure that default audio output speakers are AirPods and default audio input microphone is also AirPods. If not, select AirPods in both options.
- Click on Test Speaker option and listen the testing voice playing in your AirPods.
- Then click on Test Mic option and speak as suggested by Zoom.
- After testing speaker and mic of AirPods with Zoom, you can make Zoom calls.
So, you can test your AirPods speakers and mic with Zoom to know how they will work during Zoom calls and meetings.
AirPods Disconnect Randomly During Zoom Calls/Meetings
Sometimes the AirPods disconnect randomly during Zoom calls or meetings. Many people have faced this issue with their AirPods and AirPods Pro. Here I provide some effective solutions for AirPods disconnect during Zoom meetings/calls as follows:
- Make sure that you have selected AirPods as default output speakers and also as default input microphone in Zoom Audio Settings on Mac computer.
- Reset AirPods to Quickly Fix the Issue.
- Uninstall and Reinstall Zoom App on Mac computer.
- Contact Zoom Support Team @support.zoom.us
You can fix the issue of your AirPods disconnecting during Zoom calls/meeting by any of the 4 solutions I have suggested above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many AirPods users have some issues with Zoom. So, if you have faced such issues then you want to know why your AirPods don’t work with zoom. Here I provide some frequently asked questions to explain the issue and a short answer with a solution for it.
Q.1 Why are my AirPods not working on Zoom?
Your AirPods are not working on Zoom because they are either connected to multiple devices or you have not set them as default audio output & input in Zoom Settings on your Mac.
Q.2 Why is my AirPod microphone not working on Zoom?
Your AirPod microphone is not working on Zoom because you have not selected AirPods as default microphone in Zoom Settings on your Mac.
Q.3 How can I Use AirPods for Zoom Meetings?
You can use AirPods for Zoom Meetings after pairing & connecting them with your Mac and also selected AirPods as default audio output & input in Zoom Settings.
The bottom line:
In this way, you can fix the AirPods not working with Zoom issue by applying various tricks that I have suggested above. You can also test your AirPods speakers and mic on Zoom before using them for Zoom calls/meetings.
I hope that my suggested tricks have fixed your problem. If yes, do share this post with your friends who any AirPods issue with Zoom to help them find a solution. For more queries, ask me in the comment section, I will answer your queries shortly.