Hi! My name Nicole Lee, Associate Editor for CNET.com. And today, I’m going to show you how to pair your Bluetooth headset with your phone.
Bluetooth headsets have recently become a must-have accessory for cellphone fanatics. Despite their slightly dorky appearance, Bluetooth headsets are helpful when you need to check on your phone hands free. It’s especially useful when driving. You may even be required depending on your state and local laws about hands free driving.
In Bluetooth technology, two devices communicate with each other wirelessly over low frequency radio waves in the 2.4 GHz range. The connected devices don’t need to be in direct line of sight but they do need to be relatively close to each other, around 30 feet. The process of connecting devices via Bluetooth starts with pairing, a procedure where a Bluetooth enabled phone and another Bluetooth device search for and recognize each other.
First, you have to look for the Bluetooth connection menu in your phone. In most phones, this is in your setting menu. In other phones, this might be under connections. You have to refer to phone’s user guide if it’s different.
Now, you have to turn the Bluetooth mode on the phone on. In some phones, this automatically puts the phone in discoverable mode, which means it’s looking for any nearby Bluetooth that’s also transmitting in discoverable mode. In other phones like this one, it prompts you to place a device you’re connecting to in discoverable mode before it starts to search.
For most Bluetooth headsets, the headset will go into discoverable or pairing mode the first time you power it one. This is often indicated with a flashing LED indicator on the headset. With the indicator here, it flashes red and blue to indicate it’s in pairing mode, but this is different from headset to headset and it does not automatically go into pairing mode. You can switch it on manually usually by holding down the multi function call button or the power switch. Again, this is different from headset to headset.
After you’ve placed your phone and your headset in discoverable or pairing mode, your phone will detect your headset and bring up the name of the headset on the screen. With this electronic wide range approach, the name of the headset is Pre Plentronics. Of course the headset’s name depends on the headset that you have. When you see the name of the headset, just select it. For most headsets, the phone will then prompt you to enter a pin code. Most headsets have a 0000 pin code but this depends on the headset. Some cellphones like this one even offer automatic pairing where you don’t even have to enter a pin code.
Once you have entered the pin code, you have paired the headset with your phone. In some cases, you’re all ready to use the headset. Some phones however require an additional step connecting the headset after you’ve already paired it. once you’ve done that, you’re ready to start using your headset to answer and make calls.
So there you go. Now you know how to pair a Bluetooth headset with your phone. I’m Nicole Lee from CNET.com.
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