How to Connect Your Phone to a Soundbar

Yes, you can connect your phone to a soundbar: switch the soundbar to its Bluetooth input so it enters pairing mode, then choose it in your phone’s Bluetooth settings.

After that first pairing, most soundbars reconnect the next time you pick them from the list.

The step that trips people up is the soundbar’s side, because a bar that’s still on its TV input won’t appear on the phone at all.

Every brand puts pairing mode behind a different button, and some bars also stream over Wi-Fi or AirPlay instead.

Below are the steps for Samsung, Vizio, LG, Polk and others, the iPhone options, and what to check when the phone can’t find the bar.

How Do You Connect Your Phone to a Soundbar With Bluetooth?

That TV-input catch is why step one always happens on the soundbar. To connect your phone to a soundbar over Bluetooth, put the bar in pairing mode, open Bluetooth on the phone, and tap the soundbar’s name when it appears:

1. Switch the soundbar to its Bluetooth input, and into pairing mode if it doesn’t start pairing on its own.
2. On the phone, open Settings, then Bluetooth, and make sure Bluetooth is on.
3. Tap the soundbar’s name in the list of available devices.
4. Play something on the phone to check the sound comes from the bar.

The soundbar’s name and pairing button vary by brand. These are the makers’ own instructions:

Samsung’s HW-A450 manual adds that if it asks for a PIN, the code is 0000 (Samsung). Once paired, Samsung says choosing the soundbar from the phone’s list switches the bar to its Bluetooth input by itself.

What Do BT READY and BT PAIRING Mean on a Samsung Soundbar?

Samsung’s bars show two Bluetooth states on the display, and knowing them saves a lot of retries. BT READY reconnects a phone you’ve paired before, while BT PAIRING is for connecting a new one, according to Samsung’s manual.

For a new phone, press PAIR on the remote, or press Source until the display shows BT and then hold Source for more than 5 seconds until it reads BT PAIRING. Then pick the soundbar on your phone; the bar’s display shows the phone’s name once they connect.

Samsung notes the soundbar can only connect one Bluetooth device at a time. It also won’t appear in the phone’s list while it’s playing the TV; the display has to be in one of its Bluetooth modes.

How Do You Pair a Phone With a Vizio, LG or Polk Soundbar?

The other big brands follow the same idea with their own buttons. On a Vizio bar, press and hold the Bluetooth button until it enters pairing mode, then choose the bar on your phone (Vizio).

Vizio’s guide says a paired phone stays connected while it’s in range, but disconnects when you switch the bar to another input. Newer Vizio bars can also pair with the Vizio Mobile app, which finds the bar automatically for an hour after installation; after that, hold the Bluetooth button for 5 seconds to pair (Vizio).

On LG’s SH2, press F repeatedly until the Bluetooth light blinks, then pick the bar, listed as LG SH2 with two digits, on your phone (LG). LG says you only need to pair once.

On Polk’s MagniFi Max AX, press the Bluetooth button on the bar or remote until the display reads BT READY TO PAIR, choose Polk MagniFi Max AX on the phone, and wait for BT CONNECTED (Polk). Polk adds that you can’t pair a new phone until the current one disconnects.

Can You Pair a Phone With a Sony Soundbar From the App?

Sony’s newer bars move pairing into the Sony | BRAVIA Connect app. For the BRAVIA Theatre Bar 5, Sony’s steps are to turn on the phone’s Bluetooth, switch the input to Bluetooth on the app’s remote control screen, and pick the soundbar from the phone’s Bluetooth list (Sony).

With no phone paired yet, Sony says the bar enters pairing mode as soon as you switch to the Bluetooth input, and its main light flashes blue twice at a time. If another phone is already connected, choose Connect to other devices in the app first.

The bar shows up on the phone as BRAVIA Theatre Bar 5, or whatever name you’ve set in the app. If the phone asks for a passkey, Sony’s is 0000, the same as Samsung’s.

If the phone can’t find the bar at all, its Bluetooth may be switched off. Sony’s toggle is Muting, Volume minus, then Volume plus on the remote within 5 seconds, and with Bluetooth off, you can’t pair a phone or use the app.

Will the Soundbar Reconnect to Your Phone Automatically?

That first pairing is the hard part, because most bars remember the phone afterward. Sony says that switching the input to Bluetooth reconnects the bar to the device it was most recently connected to (Sony).

Polk’s MagniFi Max AX does the same when you press its Bluetooth button, and Samsung’s BT READY mode exists to reconnect a phone you’ve paired before. LG’s SH2 goes a step further: with its AUTO POWER feature on, the bar switches itself on when a paired phone tries to connect.

If a bar keeps reconnecting to the wrong phone, turn off Bluetooth on that phone, or disconnect it from the bar. Holding Polk’s Bluetooth button for 3 seconds disconnects the current device and puts the bar back in pairing mode.

Furrion’s Aurora 2.1 works the same way from its remote: hold the unpair button for 3 seconds, then pair the new phone (Furrion). If its Bluetooth sound is poor, Furrion says to move the phone closer or clear anything between it and the bar.

Can a Soundbar Connect to an iPhone?

Yes, the Bluetooth steps above work the same on an iPhone: Settings, Bluetooth, then tap the soundbar. Some bars also support Apple’s AirPlay 2, which streams over your Wi-Fi network instead.

Sonos lists AirPlay 2 among the features of both its Ray and its Arc Ultra (Sonos). On the Ray, it’s the way to play from an iPhone, since Sonos lists Wi-Fi and AirPlay 2, not Bluetooth, among its connections.

Polk’s MagniFi Max AX sets up AirPlay from the iPhone itself. Polk’s steps are to hold the bar’s power button until WI-FI SETUP appears, then go to the iPhone’s Settings, Wi-Fi, and tap the soundbar under SETUP NEW AIRPLAY SPEAKER.

What Is Samsung’s Tap Sound?

Samsung has a shortcut for Galaxy phones. With Tap Sound on, Samsung says you gently tap a compatible Samsung phone against the soundbar, and the two connect over Bluetooth automatically (Samsung).

To turn it on, open the SmartThings app, select Menu, tap the Settings icon, and switch on Tap View and Tap Sound. The soundbar has to be connected to SmartThings first.

Samsung lists the limits too: it works with selected Samsung soundbars from 2020 onward and Samsung phones on Android 8.1 or later, not in power-saving mode. Tap gently, and not on the soundbar’s corner, which Samsung warns can damage the phone or the bar.

Do You Need an App to Connect Your Phone?

For plain Bluetooth, no: the phone’s own Bluetooth settings are enough on Samsung, Vizio, LG, Polk and Furrion bars. Apps come in for the extras, and on some newer bars for the pairing itself.

Sony’s BRAVIA Theatre bars switch to Bluetooth from the Sony | BRAVIA Connect app, Samsung’s Tap Sound needs SmartThings, and Polk’s Wi-Fi features run through the Google Home and Alexa apps. Vizio’s app is optional, for changing settings like bass and dialogue once the phone is paired.

Can You Stream From Your Phone Over Wi-Fi Instead?

Bluetooth isn’t the only route for bars with Wi-Fi. Samsung says a Wi-Fi connection has a wider range than Bluetooth (Samsung), and Wi-Fi bars can stream straight from music apps.

Polk’s MagniFi Max AX shows what’s possible: Chromecast built-in through the Google Home app, AirPlay from an iPhone or iPad, and Alexa through the Amazon Alexa app. Polk says Chromecast also lets you play the same song on several compatible speakers at once.

If your soundbar has none of these, Bluetooth is the way. It plays stereo sound, and on the HW-A450 the connection drops beyond about 32.8 feet (10 m), according to Samsung.

Why Won’t My Phone Connect to the Soundbar?

When the soundbar won’t show up or won’t connect, the cause is usually one of these, most of them from Samsung’s and Polk’s manuals:

1. The bar isn’t in pairing mode. Switch it to Bluetooth, and use the pairing button, not just the input, for a new phone.
2. Another device is connected. Many bars take one Bluetooth device at a time, so disconnect the other phone or tablet first.
3. An old pairing is in the way. Samsung says to delete the soundbar from the phone’s list, then pair again.
4. Distance and interference. Stay within about 33 feet, and keep microwaves and Wi-Fi routers away, as Samsung advises.
5. The bar switched itself off. Samsung’s HW-A450 turns off after 18 minutes in the BT READY state.
6. The sound lags. On Sony’s app-controlled bars, Sony suggests setting Bluetooth Connection Quality to Priority on Stable Connection.
7. Bluetooth is off on the bar. Some bars, like Sony’s, let you switch Bluetooth off entirely, and then no phone can find them.

If the phone connects but the TV sound stops, that’s expected. A soundbar plays one input at a time, so switch it back to the TV’s input when you’re done; our guide to setting up a soundbar with your TV covers that side.

Does Bluetooth Sound as Good as a Cable?

For music from a phone, Bluetooth is the usual choice, but it has trade-offs for the TV. Samsung says Bluetooth doesn’t match HDMI’s sound quality and can be less stable, which is why its own TV setup starts with HDMI.

The HW-A450 manual lists SBC as the Bluetooth format it supports. For how Bluetooth compares with a wired connection in more detail, our comparison of Bluetooth and optical audio on a soundbar covers delay and quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I connect my phone to my soundbar without Bluetooth?

Yes, if the bar has Wi-Fi: AirPlay 2 on Sonos bars and on Polk’s MagniFi Max AX, or Chromecast on Polk’s. Otherwise, Bluetooth is the only wireless route.

Why does my soundbar disconnect from my phone?

Two common causes are the bar switching inputs and the phone going out of range. Vizio’s guide says switching away from Bluetooth disconnects the phone, and Samsung’s manual puts the range at about 33 feet.

Can two phones connect to a soundbar at once?

Usually not. Samsung and Polk both say their bars connect one Bluetooth device at a time.

Can I take phone calls through my soundbar?

Most soundbars are built for music, not calls. Samsung’s HW-A450 manual says it works with devices that support A2DP audio and can’t connect to a device that only supports Hands-Free, so call audio stays on the phone.

What is the PIN for a Samsung soundbar?

Samsung’s manual says to enter 0000 if a device asks for a PIN when pairing.