Do Beats Work With Android?
There was a time when Beats by Dre headphones were almost everywhere.
They owned 64% of the market share of $100+ headphones in 2011.
Michael Phelps rocked them during his final Olympic Games and was featured in their star-studded 2016 “Got No Strings” commercial promoting their wireless headphones.
Celebrities the world over wore them, and most of them didn’t sign an endorsement deal.
In 2014, tech giant Apple bought Beats by Dre for a staggering $3 billion.
Anyone with an Apple product knows that they don’t necessarily play nice with other operating systems, so can Android users still connect their Beats by Dre headphones to their devices?
Do Beats Work With Android?
Beats by Dre will pair with both Android and iOS devices. The control buttons integrated into the “b” logo also work with both Android and Apple devices, and the Beats by Dre app is available in both the App Store and the Play Store.
Whether you’ve just unboxed your new Beats or are researching to see if they’re the right pair for you, we’ve got you covered.
We’ll explore how to set up your Beats on your Android device, walk through the Beats by Dre app options, and discuss the controls seamlessly integrated into the logo.
Setting Up Beats by Dre Headphones With Your Android
Most folks in 2022 are probably opting for wireless headphones, and there isn’t even an option to buy a wired pair on the Beats by Dre website.
Every pair you could buy will work wirelessly out of the box.
Also, for the purposes of this article, we’ll use the following terms:
- Headphones: large, over-ear headphones with a headband (Beats Solo3 Wireless, Beats Studio3 Wireless)
- Earbuds: small, in-ear buds that are either connected to each other via a short cord (Beats Flex) or are truly wireless (Beats Fit Pro, Beats Studio Buds, Powerbeats Pro)
- Beats: any of Beats by Dre’s headphones or earbuds
Aux Functionality
Even though they’re all technically wireless, the over-ear headphones come with an aux cable with an included microphone.
This is great for making calls or hooking onto in-flight entertainment on a flight without having to buy a Bluetooth dongle adapter (looking at you, AirPods Max).
If you’re looking to listen via the cord, just plug the microphone end into the headphones themselves and the other end into the device of your choice.
Nothing additional is needed, so that’s a great plug-and-play option if you’re looking to listen to something quickly or are having trouble connecting to Bluetooth for some reason.
Battery Life
With any headphone or earbud option, battery life will depend mainly on whether you’re using Active Noise Cancellation.
See below for the stated battery life from Beats’ website.
The earbud models carry additional charge within the case, and most models offer quick-charge options.
Remember, per the Beats website itself, “Battery life depends on device settings,
environment, usage, and many other factors.”
| Model | ANC on | ANC off | Case | Quick Charge |
| Beats Studio 3 | 22 hours | 40 hours | N/A | 10 minutes = 3 hours of playback |
| Beats Solo 3 | N/A | 40 hours | N/A | 5 minutes = 3 hours of playback |
| Beats Fit Pro | 6 hours | 7 hours | 18 hours | 5 minutes = 1 hour of playback |
| Powerbeats Pro | N/A | 9 hours | 15 hours | 5 minutes = 1.5 hours of playback |
| Beats Studio Buds | 8 hours | 9 hours | 16 hours | 5 minutes = 1 hour of playback |
| Beats Flex | 8 hours | N/A | 12 hours | 10 minutes = 1.5 hours of playback |
However, Beats users can’t rely on the included aux cord when their headphones run out of power.
The headphones need to be charged adequately to use the aux cord or work with Bluetooth.
Bluetooth Setup
When you’re looking to connect them wirelessly, download the Beats by Dre app onto your device, power on your headphones, and make sure the firmware is updated.
Then go into your Bluetooth settings and select “Add a Bluetooth device.”
If it’s your first time powering them up, your Beats will automatically be in pairing mode, so your device should pick up the device and sync them.
If they’re not showing up in your list, you may have to allow location usage in your settings and ensure that the Beats by Dre app has location permissions enabled.
Sometimes you may need to forget and re-pair your headphones, so you’ll have to put your Beats in pairing mode manually.
Each type of Beats has a unique way to do this, so follow those item-specific instructions.
Once your devices are successfully synced, you can play audio through them just like you would with any other wireless headphones.
So why did you have to download an app first?
Beats by Dre App
Within the app, you can ensure that you’re taking care of your Beats.
You can make sure you’re getting the latest software updates, find your serial number, and register your Beats through the app.
You can also toggle the active noise cancellation on or off, give your Beats a unique name, and see the battery percentage with greater accuracy than the lights on your devices or case.
Android users can allow or disallow Google Fast Pair Service and allow or disallow data collection.
There isn’t a way within the app to play around with a sound mixer or anything like that, but it’s a practical, lean app that most users will set and forget.
Hidden in Plain Sight
One reason folks love wireless headphones or earbuds is the freedom it allows you.
Toss your phone in your backpack or in a pocket and enjoy a hands-free experience.
But what if you need to pause your music or want to skip a sad song that somehow ended up on your workout playlist?
At first glance, Beats users might think that their sleek, almost button-less headphones don’t have controls built-in.
The small button on the right side of the headphones powers them on and off, and the earbuds have no visible buttons at all, given their small form factor.
The Beats Flex have a small control button on the wire that connects them, but what about the others?
Well, the Beats logo is more than just decoration.
On both the headphones and earbuds models, pressing the b in various patterns will control your audio.
Press once to play, pause, answer, and hang up calls.
Press twice to skip forward to the next track.
Press three times to go backward by one track.
On the headphones, slide your finger up or down to the circle surrounding the b.
This circle is a volume button, and pressing up top will increase the volume.
Pressing below the b will, of course, decrease the volume.
The Powerbeats Pro have a small button on each bud to control the volume.
The Beats Studio Buds and Beats Fit Pro don’t come with volume control, but you can customize some of the button features and add volume control if you like.