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To put the original Bose QuietComfort 35 (QC35) into pairing mode, slide the Power/Bluetooth switch toward the Bluetooth symbol and keep holding it. Release the switch when you hear “Ready to pair” or see the Bluetooth indicator blink blue. Then open Bluetooth settings on your phone, tablet, or computer, select Bose QuietComfort headphones, and wait for “Connected to <device name>” or a solid-white indicator.
The instructions below are for the first-generation QuietComfort 35. Bose has separate instructions and product materials for the QC35 II and later QuietComfort models, so do not assume that a control or prompt from another model applies to this headset.
What you need before pairing
Pairing is a wireless setup process; you do not need an app, a special accessory, or a charging cable connected to the headset. Have the QC35 nearby, turn on Bluetooth on the device you want to use, and keep the headset within normal Bluetooth range while you complete the setup.
- Identify the model. These steps target the original Bose QuietComfort 35, not the QC35 II or a newer QuietComfort model.
- Find the correct control. The power control is a sliding Power/Bluetooth switch with a Bluetooth symbol at one end.
- Prepare the source device. Open its Bluetooth settings and make sure Bluetooth is enabled before you search for the headphones.
- Keep other connections out of the way. If an auxiliary audio cable or USB charging cable is plugged into the QC35, disconnect it while troubleshooting a wireless connection.
You can pair the QC35 with more than one device over time. Pairing mode is the temporary state in which the headset advertises itself to a device that has not yet been connected or that has forgotten the previous connection.
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How to put the original QC35 in pairing mode
1. Locate the Power/Bluetooth switch
Find the sliding switch on the headphones. It has a normal power position and a Bluetooth-marked end. You use the Bluetooth-marked end both to start discovery and, when necessary, to clear the headset’s saved device list.
2. Hold the switch at the Bluetooth symbol
Slide the switch toward the Bluetooth symbol and continue holding it instead of releasing it immediately. Keep holding until one of the headset’s pairing signals appears:
- The voice prompt says “Ready to pair.”
- The Bluetooth indicator begins blinking blue.
Either signal means the QC35 is ready for a nearby phone, tablet, or computer to find it. If you release the switch before you hear the prompt or see the blue blinking indicator, slide and hold it again.
3. Leave the headset in that state while you search
Once the readiness prompt or blue blinking appears, keep the headset close to the source device and move to that device’s Bluetooth menu. Pairing mode is intended for discovery, so do not switch the headset off while the device is scanning.
Connect the QC35 from Bluetooth settings
The selection step is performed on the phone, tablet, or computer—not on the headset. The exact wording can vary by operating-system version, but the process is the same: open Bluetooth, enable it, wait for nearby devices, and select the Bose entry.
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iPhone or iPad
- Open Settings.
- Tap Bluetooth and turn Bluetooth on if it is off.
- Wait for the QC35 to appear under the list of available devices.
- Tap Bose QuietComfort headphones.
- Wait for the headset’s connected announcement or for its Bluetooth indicator to glow solid white.
If the headset is listed under a previously connected section rather than as a new device, tap its name there to reconnect. If it does not appear, return to the headset and repeat the hold-at-the-Bluetooth-symbol step.
Android phone or tablet
- Open Settings, then open the device’s Bluetooth or Connected devices area.
- Turn Bluetooth on and choose the command to pair a new device if your Android version provides one.
- Wait for nearby devices to populate.
- Select Bose QuietComfort headphones.
- Confirm the connection by listening for
Connected to <device name>or checking for a solid-white Bluetooth indicator.
Android menus use different labels across manufacturers. The relevant control is always the system Bluetooth device list; do not look for the headset in a Wi-Fi or audio-output menu first.
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- Open Settings.
- Choose Bluetooth & devices (or the equivalent Bluetooth page in your Windows version) and turn Bluetooth on.
- Choose Add device, select Bluetooth, and let Windows search.
- Click Bose QuietComfort headphones when it appears.
- Wait for Windows to show the device as connected and verify the headset’s voice prompt or solid-white indicator.
If Windows offers separate audio and headset profiles after pairing, select the QC35 as the output device for music or calls. The Bluetooth pairing itself is complete once the QC35 reports the connection.
Mac
- Open the Apple menu and go to System Settings (or System Preferences on an older macOS release).
- Open Bluetooth and turn it on.
- Find Bose QuietComfort headphones in the nearby-device list.
- Click Connect.
- Confirm the QC35’s connected announcement or solid-white Bluetooth indicator.
After connecting, choose the QC35 as the Mac’s sound output if audio continues through the computer’s speakers. This output choice is separate from putting the headphones into pairing mode.
How to tell whether pairing succeeded
The QC35 gives two practical confirmations. It can announce “Connected to <device name>”, replacing the bracketed text with the source device’s name, or its Bluetooth indicator can glow solid white. A device that merely appears in a Bluetooth list is not necessarily connected; wait for one of these confirmations before starting playback.
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| Headset signal | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| “Ready to pair” | The QC35 is discoverable and waiting for a device. | Open Bluetooth settings and select the Bose headphones. |
| Bluetooth indicator blinking blue | The headset is in pairing mode. | Keep it nearby while the source device scans. |
| “Connected to <device name>” | The source device accepted the pairing. | Start audio, or choose the QC35 as the source device’s audio output. |
| Bluetooth indicator solid white | The headset has an active Bluetooth connection. | Use the connected device for playback or calls. |
If you hear no announcement and the indicator does not settle into the expected state, treat the setup as incomplete and use the troubleshooting sequence below rather than repeatedly tapping the device name.
Pair the QC35 with a new device after using it elsewhere
The original QC35 can remember up to eight paired Bluetooth devices and can maintain active connections with two devices at once. It plays audio from only one connected device at a time.
- Pause audio on the device currently playing.
- Slide and hold the Power/Bluetooth switch at the Bluetooth symbol until the QC35 says “Ready to pair” or the indicator blinks blue.
- Open Bluetooth settings on the new phone, tablet, or computer.
- Select Bose QuietComfort headphones.
- Wait for the connected announcement or solid-white indicator.
When two devices are connected, switch playback by pausing the first device and starting audio on the second. If the second device does not take over, stop playback completely on the first one before trying again. This behavior is different from pairing: both devices may remain connected, but only one supplies audio at a time.
Use NFC instead of the Bluetooth menu
NFC is an alternative for a source device that supports NFC as well as Bluetooth. It can start the pairing process by touch, but it is not available on every phone or tablet.
- Turn on the QC35.
- Enable both Bluetooth and NFC on the compatible source device.
- Locate the device’s NFC point and the NFC point on the headphones.
- Touch the two NFC points together.
- Accept the pairing prompt if the device displays one.
The device may connect without requiring you to choose the headset from a conventional Bluetooth scan. If the touch does nothing, verify that NFC is enabled and that the source device actually supports NFC; then use the standard Bluetooth procedure instead.
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Troubleshoot a QC35 that will not pair
Work from the least disruptive checks to the reset that removes every stored Bluetooth relationship. This order preserves the QC35’s saved devices whenever possible.
The headphones do not appear in the device list
- Return to the headset and hold the Power/Bluetooth switch at the Bluetooth symbol until you hear “Ready to pair” or see blue blinking.
- Turn Bluetooth off on the phone, tablet, or computer, wait briefly, and turn it back on.
- Move the source device closer to the headphones and remove obvious obstructions or sources of wireless interference.
- Close and reopen the device’s Bluetooth settings so it performs a fresh scan.
- Try searching from another Bluetooth device. If the QC35 appears there, the original source device is the more likely cause.
A remembered name in the device list does not prove that the headset is currently discoverable. The QC35 must be placed in pairing mode when you are adding it or pairing again after deleting it.
The device lists the QC35 but connection fails
- Disconnect the USB charging cable and any backup audio cable from the headphones.
- Toggle Bluetooth off and on on the source device.
- Remove or forget the QC35 from that device’s Bluetooth list, then place the headset in pairing mode and select it again.
- Move away from obstructions or suspected interference and retry.
- Test with a second Bluetooth device to separate a headset problem from a source-device problem.
Deleting the entry from the source device is different from clearing the headset’s complete memory. Start with the single-device removal so other saved pairings remain available.
Clear every saved Bluetooth device from the original QC35
Use this step only after the ordinary reconnect checks fail or when you deliberately want to rebuild the headset’s pairing history. Clearing the list removes all stored Bluetooth devices from the QC35, not just the one that is misbehaving.
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- Keep holding it for 10 seconds.
- Release it when the headphones announce “Bluetooth device list cleared.”
- On each phone, tablet, or computer that previously knew the QC35, delete or forget the Bose entry from that device’s Bluetooth settings.
- Return to the device you want to use first, place the QC35 in pairing mode again, and select Bose QuietComfort headphones.
Forgetting the headset on the source devices matters because those devices can retain an old record even after the QC35’s own list has been erased. Re-pair only after both sides no longer rely on the stale relationship.
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A cable is connected
For wireless troubleshooting, remove both the backup audio cable and the USB charging cable. Bose lists disconnecting those cables among the corrective steps because a wired connection can change how the headset behaves while you are trying to establish Bluetooth.
The QC35 works with one device but not another
Pair the headset with a second Bluetooth device as a diagnostic check. A successful second pairing points toward settings, an old saved entry, or interference on the first device. If no nearby device can discover the QC35 after the 10-second list-clear procedure, repeat the basic sequence carefully and check that the switch was held long enough to produce the readiness prompt or blue blinking.
Original QC35 versus QC35 II: why the distinction matters
The product name in your Bluetooth list can look similar across Bose models, but the original QC35 has its own guide and pairing behavior. The procedure in this article is specifically: hold the original model’s Power/Bluetooth switch at the Bluetooth symbol until “Ready to pair” or blue blinking appears.
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The QC35 II has separate product and manual materials. Newer QuietComfort headphones can also use different controls, names, or prompts. If your headset is labeled QC35 II or another QuietComfort generation, identify that model first and follow its documentation rather than forcing the original QC35 sequence.
Fast pairing checklist
- Confirm that the headset is the original Bose QuietComfort 35.
- Disconnect the USB charging and auxiliary audio cables while troubleshooting.
- Slide and hold the Power/Bluetooth switch at the Bluetooth symbol.
- Wait for “Ready to pair” or a blinking-blue Bluetooth indicator.
- Open Bluetooth settings on the phone, tablet, or computer.
- Select Bose QuietComfort headphones.
- Look for “Connected to <device name>” or a solid-white indicator.
- If it still fails, toggle Bluetooth, forget the device, reduce interference, and test another source device.
- Only then hold the switch for 10 seconds to announce “Bluetooth device list cleared,” forget the headset on the source device, and pair again.
Once the connected prompt or solid-white indicator appears, the QC35 is paired and ready for audio. Remember that it can retain up to eight devices and connect to two simultaneously, while sending playback from only one device at a time.
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