How to Pair iHome Bluetooth Speakers – A Step-by-Step Tutorial

How to Pair iHome Bluetooth Speakers – A Step-by-Step Tutorial

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iHome has become one of the premier manufacturers of Bluetooth and smart home devices and is widely acknowledged as making some of the most incredible sounding – and the most clever – Bluetooth speakers on the market today

Though many iHome products are designed with Apple iPhones and iPads in mind, they all work equally well with any Android smartphone or tablet, any Windows or Apple computers, and any other Bluetooth-enabled device.

And, given their great sound, super-tough construction quality, advanced engineering, and fantastic features, they are fast becoming a popular choice for Android devices and Windows computers as well as Apple.

This article will explain, in clear and simple step-by-step instructions, exactly how to pair any iHome Bluetooth speaker system to any Android or Apple iOS device or any Windows or Apple computer.

For this tutorial, we will use the iHome iDM12 Bluetooth speaker, but exactly the same instructions will work for any iHome Bluetooth product.

What is Bluetooth Pairing?

Simply put, “pairing” is connecting your Bluetooth speaker (or any Bluetooth device) to a computer, smartphone, or tablet, or to any other “master” device, so that they can communicate wirelessly with each other.

Pairing is quite simple to do, but having clear and specific instructions on how to pair a Bluetooth speaker to a computer, phone or tablet can make the process much easier.

Recommended Reading: How Do Bluetooth Speakers Work: A Simple Guide

Before you Start

Before you attempt to connect, or “pair,” your iHome Bluetooth speaker system to your computer, smartphone, or tablet, you should make sure that the speaker system is fully charged.

You can do this easily enough by connecting the supplied USB cable to a computer’s USB port, or to a phone’s or tablet’s charger, and then to the iHome speaker.

The cable will have two ends, with a larger, standard USB plug on one end, and a smaller micro USB plug on the other end. The larger standard USB plug will plug into the computer or charging unit, and the smaller micro USB plug will plug into the iHome speaker

If you are using your phone’s or tablet’s charging unit, make sure the unit is plugged into a working AC power outlet, and if you are charging your iHome speaker from a computer, you may need to turn the computer on for it to charge the speaker.

The speaker will be fully charged in 4 to 6 hours, and there will be a charging indicator light that will stop flashing when the battery is fully charged.

Some iHome Bluetooth speaker systems also have a battery button, and if the speaker is turned on you can hold that battery button for two seconds and a voice on the speaker will tell you the charging level.

Pairing your Bluetooth Device using the iHome iDM12 Bluetooth Speaker System

Pairing your iHome Speaker with an Android Device

  • First, turn on your iHome speaker system by holding down the power button until you hear a tone
  • Turn the iHome iDM12 to Bluetooth mode by sliding the switch (on the speaker’s bottom panel) from “aux” to “Bluetooth”
  • Make sure the iHome iDM12 is within range of the Android – 30 feet or less
  • Next, turn on Bluetooth on your Android phone or tablet. Go to Settings –>> Go to Connections –>> Press Bluetooth to turn on.
  • Now, on your iHome speaker, turn the Bluetooth signal on by pressing the “Play, Pause, Pairing” button (the far right button on the top panel) and holding for 2 seconds. You will hear a double-beep, and an amber light will flash on the front of the speaker
  • Go back to your Android device and you should now see iDM12 on the screen. Press it to pair. If you are asked for a password, enter 1234.
  • The amber light on your iHome iDM12 should stop flashing and turn to green, indicating that it is paired with the iPhone or iPad. Some iHome speakers may have a voice announcing that the devices are “paired”.
  • The Android should also indicate that the two devices are paired
  • Play music!

Please note that after this initial pairing procedure, the iHome iDM12 (or any iHome Bluetooth speaker) will automatically pair with the device every subsequent time you turn it on.

If it ever fails to do so, make sure the speaker is fully charged, the Android device is charged and turned on, and they are in range. If the automatic pairing still doesn’t occur, follow the steps above to re-pair the devices.

Pairing your iHome Speaker with an Apple iPhone or iPad

  • First, turn on your iHome speaker system by holding down the power button until you hear a tone
  • Turn the iHome iDM12 to Bluetooth mode by sliding the switch (on the speaker’s bottom panel) from “aux” to “Bluetooth”
  • Make sure the iHome iDM12 is within range of the Apple device – 30 feet or less
  • Next, turn on Bluetooth on your iPhone or iPad. Go to Settings –>> Go to Bluetooth –>> Press Bluetooth to turn on.
  • Now, on your iHome speaker, turn the Bluetooth signal on by pressing the “Play, Pause, Pairing” button (the far right button on the top panel) and holding for 2 seconds. You will hear a double-beep, and an amber light will flash on the front of the speaker
  • Go back to your Apple and you should now see “iDM12” on the screen. Press on it to pair. If you are asked for a password, enter 1234.
  • The amber light on your iHome iDM12 should stop flashing and turn to green, indicating that it is paired with the iPhone or iPad. Some iHome speakers may have a voice announcing that the devices are “paired”.
  • Apple should also indicate that the two devices are paired
  • Play music!

Please note that after this initial pairing procedure, the iHome iDM12 (or any iHome Bluetooth speaker) will automatically pair with the device every subsequent time you turn it on.

If it ever fails to do so, make sure the speaker is fully charged, the Apple is charged and turned on, and they are in range. If the automatic pairing still doesn’t occur, follow the steps above to re-pair the devices.

Pairing your iHome Speaker with a Windows computer

  • First, turn on your iHome speaker system by holding down the power button until you hear a tone
  • Turn the iHome iDM12 to Bluetooth mode by sliding the switch (on the speaker’s bottom panel) from “aux” to “Bluetooth”
  • Make sure the iHome iDM12 is within range of the computer – 30 feet or less
  • Next, turn on Bluetooth on your computer
    • Windows: Click on Search or the Windows Icon –>> Type “Bluetooth” –>> Click on “Bluetooth and Other Device Settings” –>> Click on the Bluetooth switch to turn it on.
    • Apple: Open Apple menu –>> Choose System Preferences –>> Select Bluetooth –>> Click “Turn Bluetooth On”.
  • Now, on your iHome speaker, turn the Bluetooth signal on by pressing the “Play, Pause, Pairing” button (the far right button on the top panel) and holding for 2 seconds. You will hear a double-beep, and an amber light will flash on the front of the speaker
  • Go back to your computer and you should now see “iDM12” on the screen. Press on it to pair. If you are asked for a password, enter 1234.
  • The amber light on your iHome iDM12 should stop flashing and turn to green, indicating that it is paired with the iPhone or iPad. Some iHome speakers may have a voice announcing that the devices are “paired”.
  • The computer’s Bluetooth section should also indicate that the two devices are paired
  • Play music!

Please note that after this initial pairing procedure, the iHome iDM12 (or any iHome Bluetooth speaker) will automatically pair with the device every subsequent time you turn it on.

If it ever fails to do so, make sure the speaker is fully charged, the computer is charged and turned on, and they are in range. If the automatic pairing still doesn’t occur, follow the steps above to re-pair the devices.

iHome Bluetooth Speaker Pairing Problems and Troubleshooting 

After following the steps above, if your iHome Bluetooth speaker is not pairing with your device, or you are not getting any sound through the speaker, here are some basic troubleshooting steps:

  • First, make sure the iHome Bluetooth speaker is in range (normally 30 feet, but you might want to try a little shorter distance)
  • Make sure the speaker is fully charged, turned on and “discoverable”
  • Make sure Bluetooth is turned on on your computer, phone or other master device
  • Make sure volume is turned up at least enough to hear (always start out with low volume, though!)
  • Make sure that you are actually playing music on the computer or other device, and that if the device’s music player has a volume control it is also turned up
  • Make sure no other Bluetooth master devices are paired with and playing music to the speaker
  • If it’s still not working, turn your computer, phone or tablet’s Bluetooth off and on and, if necessary, restart it and/or your iHome Bluetooth speaker

What if pairing ihome speakers Didn’t Work?

If the above instructions for pairing iHome speakers didn’t work, or if you’d just like more specific instructions for your particular model of iHome Bluetooth wireless speaker, you can simply find your model below and click on the link, and you’ll be taken to a detailed explanation of how to pair your particular speaker.

How to Pair iHome Speakers: Specific Models

Best iHome Bluetooth Speakers

This is a tutorial on how to pair iHome Bluetooth speakers to your device and not a buyer’s guide for iHome Bluetooth speakers, but because they are such amazing speakers – incredible sound, super-durable construction, and brilliant designs – we can’t resist sharing recommendations of our favorite iHome speakers.

Watch The Video On How to Pair iHome Bluetooth Speakers