Sony WH-1000XM5 Not Connecting To iPhone? (Quick Fixes)

Sony WH-1000XM5 not connecting to iPhone, and you’re wondering why? You’re not alone!

The Sony XM5’s Bluetooth integration and design allow a lightning-fast connection.

The setup only takes 10 seconds before the headset is discovered and registered. 

If your iPhone, however, keeps failing to establish the connection, you must verify that Sony has entered “Pairing” mode and the battery is charged to maximum capacity.

If the Sony WH-1000XM5 is refusing to pair with the iPhone, enter “Pairing” mode, hard reset the headset, and unpair other Bluetooth devices.

If the problem persists, reset the “Bluetooth” feature and erase the iPhone’s network settings.

There is much more so keep reading!

Sony WH-1000XM5 Won’t Connect to iPhone?

Here’s what’s preventing the Sony XM5 headphones from pairing with your iPhone:

Before we proceed with the guide, let’s learn how to pair the Sony headphones properly!

How to Connect Sony XM5 to iPhone?

1. Power On the Sony headset and wait until the LED blinks.
2. Open the “Settings” on your iPhone and go to “Bluetooth.”
3. Enable the feature and scroll down to “OTHER DEVICES.”
4. Wait until your Sony headset’s connection shows in the tab.
5. Press on the connection and wait until the headset is paired.

Note: If the Bluetooth setup keeps failing or the headphones are repeatedly losing connection, proceed with the expert troubleshooting guide!

Sony WH-1000XM5 Not Connecting to iPhone – (Quick Fixes)

Important: Keep the Sony headphones close to your iPhone!

1. Activate Sony XM5’s “Pairing” Mode

The first step is to verify that Sony XM5 has entered “Pairing” mode before trying to discover or connect with your headset.

Unlike other modern headphones, this Sony headset is designed to turn on automatically, indicated by the flashing of the status LED lamp.

Here’s how to place the Sony XM5 under “Pairing” mode in easy steps:

1. Ensure the Sony headset is turned on and hold “Power.”
2. After the headset has powered off, wait for 10 seconds.
3. Press the “Power” button once, to start up your headset.
4. Pair the headset through the iPhone’s “Bluetooth” menu.

Note: Ensure the iPhone’s “Bluetooth” is on and scroll to “OTHER DEVICES” in the tab!

2. Set the “Airplane” Mode to “Off”

If you’ve left the iPhone’s “Airplane” mode on, all Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular functions will be disabled for as long as the feature is active.

This will prevent your iPhone from recognizing the Sony headset and establishing a Bluetooth connection, even if the profile is already registered.

• To turn off the Airplane mode, you can either tap on the “Airplane” icon within the quick menu or use the activation slider at the top of the “Settings” page.

Toggle ON and OFF Airplane Mode!

Even if the Airplane mode wasn’t activated initially, you can reset all the wireless options of your iPhone by enabling and deactivating after a few seconds.

Keep in mind that the iPhone will lose all existing wireless connections when activating the feature, but this is a strong network refresh.

If it doesn’t work, keep reading!

3. Restart Your iPhone’s Bluetooth

Perhaps, an issue with the iPhone’s “Bluetooth” feature is preventing the Sony headset from establishing a secure wireless connection.

The next solution is to set the Bluetooth option to “Off” and reactivate it after a few seconds.

Here’s how to reset your iPhone’s Bluetooth in easy steps:

1. Tap the Bluetooth icon through the quick menu to turn it white.
2. Next, open the “Settings” app and enter the “Bluetooth” section.
3. Tap the activation slider and wait 30 seconds before reactivating.

Reminder: The iPhone will not be discoverable by nearby wireless devices while the Bluetooth is deactivated, so don’t leave it disabled.

4. Hard Reset the Sony XM5 Headphones

Well, the Sony WH-1000XM5 may have encountered a problem with the power or the charging functionality, preventing it from pairing with your iPhone.

You can restore the functionality of the Sony headset by performing a hard reset on the hardware. 

Follow these steps to hard reset the Sony XM5 headset in easy steps:

1. Press the “Power/Bluetooth” button on XM5’s ear cup.
2. Once the headset powers off, connect it to the charger.
3. Hold the “Power/Bluetooth” button for 10–15 seconds.
4. Disconnect the charger and power the Sony headset off.
5. Turn on Sony after 30 seconds and test the connection.

Important: Before disconnecting the headset from the charger, ensure the battery capacity is between 80% and 100%.

5. Unpair Other Bluetooth Devices

Your Sony headset and iPhone can be connected with a single output or audio device at a time, preventing the establishment of multiple connections.

So, the next step is to ensure there are no third-party devices paired with your iPhone or the Sony headset!

5.1 Unpairing Bluetooth Devices (iPhone)

To disconnect devices paired to your iPhone, go to “Settings” → “Bluetooth” and tap the “Info” icon next to a paired device.

Then, scroll down and tap “Disconnect” or “Forget this Device.”

5.2 Unpairing Bluetooth Devices (Sony XM5)

To ensure no other devices are paired to the headset, re-enter “Pairing” mode and ensure the indicator is flashing in blue and not turning solid.

Tip: Move other wireless devices away from the headset that may be pairing automatically!

6. Erase Sony XM5’s Pairing Information

If the Sony headset was previously connected to your iPhone, the pairing information will be registered under a Bluetooth profile of the device.

So, removing and re-adding the headset’s profile is a quick resolution to issues with the pairing or the wireless recognition of the iPhone.

Here’s how to forget the Sony XM5 headset’s pairing profile:

1. Go to “Settings” → “Bluetooth” on your iPhone device.
2. Tap the “Info” icon next to the Sony XM5 pairing profile.
3. Scroll to the bottom and press on “Forget this Device.”
4. Finally, discover your headset from “OTHER DEVICES.”

Alert: All of the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones’ profile settings will be permanently erased!

7. Reset the Network Settings of the iPhone

If your iPhone is failing to connect with Sony or the headset is still not discoverable, you should reset the iOS’s network settings.

After the reset’s completion, all the registered Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections will be deleted as well as all of the iPhone’s pre-configured cellular settings.

Follow these instructions to reset the network settings of your iPhone:

1. Open the “Settings” app and enter the “General” tab.
2. Press on “Transfer or Reset iPhone” at the bottom.
3. Press on the “Reset” button at the screen’s bottom.
4. Choose the second option “Reset Network Settings.”
5. Optional: If prompted, enter your iPhone’s passcode.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the reset.

Warning: All data lost as a result of the network reset is irreversible!

8. Factory Reset the WH-1000XM5 Headset

The most potent solution to pairing issues with the XM5 headset is to perform a factory reset!

All wireless and audio settings of the headphones will be permanently erased and you will be able to freshly re-attempt the pairing procedure.

Here’s how to factory reset Sony’s XM5 headset in under 30 seconds:

1. Turn off the headset by pressing “Power/Bluetooth.”
2. Remove the USB-C charger from the headset’s port.
3. Press and hold “Power/Bluetooth” and “NC/AMB.”
4. Next, release the headset’s buttons after 7 seconds.
5. Finally, wait until the indicator flashes in blue 4 times.
6. Attempt to pair the headset with your iPhone and test.

If the LED indicator does not blink, hold both action buttons for a longer time.

In addition, ensure the WH-1000XM5 is charged to a sufficient battery capacity before your factory reset procedure.

Final Thoughts

If the Sony WH-1000XM5 not connecting to iPhone, re-activate the iPhone’s Bluetooth, erase the headset’s pairing information, and unpair other Bluetooth devices.

Additionally, reactivate the Airplane mode and reset the iPhone’s network settings.

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