Pairing TWS earbuds for the first time (any brand)
The reset-then-pair sequence that works across brands, and why the buds must find each other before your phone finds them.
4 min readDifficulty: EasyUpdated 2026-09-25
Most first-pairing failures are the same mistake: pairing one bud to the phone before the two buds have paired to each other. The phone then holds a single-bud connection and audio only ever comes out of one side.
The fix is a factory reset of the pair, in the right order. The buttons differ by brand; the sequence does not.
What you’ll need
- Both buds and the case
- The phone you will use them with
Step by step
- 1
Forget the buds on every device that knows them
Phone, tablet, laptop. A stale profile on a second device will grab a bud back mid-pairing and undo the rest of this.
- 2
Seat both buds in the case and leave the lid open
Both must be charging and both must be present. A reset with one bud out resets one bud.
- 3
Hold the reset until the indicator changes twice
Usually the case button or both bud touchpads for 10–20 seconds. You are waiting for a second change — typically a flash to red, or white to alternating. The first change is just a disconnect.
- 4
Close the lid, wait ten seconds, open it
This is where the buds find each other and elect a primary. Skipping it is what produces a one-sided pair.
- 5
Now pair from the phone, once
One entry should appear, not two. If two appear, the buds have not paired to each other — repeat from step two rather than picking one.
Common questions
- Only one bud shows up in Bluetooth. What went wrong?
- The buds never paired to each other. Forget the entry, reset both in the case, and do the lid-close step before touching the phone again.
- Can I use a single bud on its own?
- On most models yes, once the pair has been established. Establish the pair first, then use either side alone.
- They pair but keep cutting out.
- Charge the case fully and retest. If it persists, it is usually interference — test away from a crowded 2.4GHz environment before reporting a fault.