How to Unpair Your AirPods From iPhone, Apple TV, Apple Watch, or Mac - MacRumors
Skip to Content

How to Unpair Your AirPods From iPhone, Apple TV, Apple Watch, or Mac

by

This article explains how to unpair first-generation and second-generation AirPods from a number of different Apple devices.

Bear in mind that when you unpair AirPods from an iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac, or Apple TV (fourth-generation or later), this also automatically unpairs the wireless earphones from all other devices linked to the same iCloud account.

airpodswithdevices
Other devices you may have paired them with that aren't linked to ‌iCloud‌ (older Apple TVs, Windows PCs or Android devices, for example) will remain unaffected unless you manually unpair them one by one via their respective Bluetooth settings.

How to Unpair AirPods From iPhone or iPad

  1. Launch the Settings app.
  2. Tap Bluetooth.
  3. Tap the "i" icon next to your AirPods in the Devices list.
    Forget This Device AirPods iPhone 01

  4. Tap Forget This Device.
  5. Tap Forget Device in the pop-up message to confirm.

Note that unpairing AirPods from your iPhone also unpairs them from your Apple Watch, however you can also individually unpair AirPods from Apple Watch without unpairing them from your iPhone.

How to Unpair AirPods From Apple Watch

  1. On your Apple Watch, launch the Settings app.
  2. Tap Bluetooth.
    Unpair AirPods Apple Watch

  3. Tap the "i" icon next to your AirPods in the list.
  4. Tap Forget Device.

How to Unpair AirPods From Mac

  1. On your Mac, click the Apple icon in the menu bar and select System Preferences....
  2. Click the Bluetooth icon in the preference pane.
    rename airpods on mac

  3. Right-click (or Ctrl-click) your AirPods in the Devices list.
  4. Click Remove in the contextual menu that appears.
  5. Click Remove again to confirm.

How to Unpair AirPods From Apple TV

  1. On your ‌Apple TV‌, launch the Settings app.
    Remove AirPods from Apple TV 2

  2. Select Remotes and Devices -> Bluetooth (or General -> Bluetooth on third-generation ‌Apple TV‌ or earlier models).
    Remove AirPods from Apple TV 3

  3. Select your AirPods in the Devices list.
  4. Select Forget Device.
  5. If necessary, select Forget Device again to confirm.
Related Roundup: AirPods 4
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

airpods pro 3 blue

Apple Offers 10% Off AirPods and More for Earth Day Device Recycling

Thursday April 16, 2026 6:19 am PDT by
Apple is offering 10% off AirPods, Beats, or accessories to customers who recycle an eligible iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac at a participating Apple Store through May 16. The discount applies when the recycling and purchase are completed in the same transaction. The promotion runs from today, April 16, through to May 16. Products brought in for recycling undergo screenings, with eligible ...
Apple Event Logo

Apple's Next Era Begins September 1

Thursday May 7, 2026 10:36 am PDT by
Apple recently announced that Tim Cook will be stepping down as CEO later this year, after 15 years of leading the company. Effective September 1, Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus will become the company's next CEO, while Cook will become executive chairman of Apple's board of directors. In his new role, Apple said Cook will assist with "certain aspects" of the company,...
Instagram Feature 2

PSA: Instagram Encrypted Messaging Ends on Friday, May 8

Tuesday May 5, 2026 8:24 am PDT by
Instagram will remove end-to-end encryption for direct messages between users from May 8, 2026. When the date comes around, Meta will potentially be able to see the contents of all messages between users on the social media platform. Encrypting messages has been an optional feature in Instagram since 2023, but in March of this year the social media platform quietly updated a help page to say ...