///// FAIL....bluetooth

[noneofyourbusiness]

I am having trouble pairing an Android phone to some bluetooth headphones

Phone is Alcatel model A574BL

The phone says that Bluetooth is ON, but the headphones won't "pair" whatever that bull means.

Headphones are Jam model HX-HP420.

I know ZERO about technology.
Please answer as if you were speaking to an alien from outer space who has never seen a cell phone, has never seen headphones.

 

[Hadron]

I can tell you what pairing means: it's the process by which you authorise 2 bluetooth devices to communicate with each other (in this case your phone and the headphones). And it's far from "bull": you would not want other people's phones to transmit their music to your headphones whenever they came in range, your phone to collect data from their fitbit, or their phone to have free access to files on your phone. And if you allowed bluetooth devices to just connect without this authentication step those are just some of the results that would follow.

I've never seen that model of either phone or headphones in real life, but to pair them you will have to initialise the pairing process on both devices. I'd imagine the headphones come with some instructions for this, but on the phone's side you turn bluetooth on, enter the bluetooth settings, then look for an option to pair with a new device, or failing that to discover or find a new device (precise wording will vary between phones and android versions, and I've never looked at the Settings of an Alcatel so can't be sure). Turn that on then do whatever your headphones' instructions say you should do to pair them (or "make them discoverable") - according to a quick web search "pressing the +/- button for 5 seconds" is what will activate pairing mode on those headphones. Hopefully after that it will be obvious (e.g. the phone will ask you to confirm).

 

[noneofyourbusiness]

I can tell you what pairing means: it's the process by which you authorise 2 bluetooth devices to communicate with each other (in this case your phone and the headphones). And it's far from "bull": you would not want other people's phones to transmit their music to your headphones whenever they came in range, your phone to collect data from their fitbit, or their phone to have free access to files on your phone. And if you allowed bluetooth devices to just connect without this authentication step those are just some of the results that would follow.

I've never seen that model of either phone or headphones in real life, but to pair them you will have to initialise the pairing process on both devices. I'd imagine the headphones come with some instructions for this, but on the phone's side you turn bluetooth on, enter the bluetooth settings, then look for an option to pair with a new device, or failing that to discover or find a new device (precise wording will vary between phones and android versions, and I've never looked at the Settings of an Alcatel so can't be sure). Turn that on then do whatever your headphones' instructions say you should do to pair them (or "make them discoverable") - according to a quick web search "pressing the +/- button for 5 seconds" is what will activate pairing mode on those headphones. Hopefully after that it will be obvious (e.g. the phone will ask you to confirm).

Thanks. My bull comment is simply a general attitude toward how everything in life now is made inconvenient and needlessly complex.
I did not come out of the womb with a cell phone glued to my hand.
I like ANALOG controls, not digital.
I like Muscle Memory and Intuitive user-friendly design that is not arbitraily changed so that some programmer can justify his existence.

I have used these headphones with an Apple iPhone years ago.

They "pair" just fine to my desktop PC, equipped with a USB bluetooth antenna.
Before trying to pair to headphones, removed the PC antenna.

But, going into Android phone, turning bluetooth on, bring headphones very close, turn head phones on.
Blue light on phones blinks.
Then, try to play for example, a youtube vid on the phone....and the sound is still coming out of the phone, not the
headphones.
Naturally, the "solution" is always "You just need to buy another APP!"

Well, no, actually, I don't. What I need to do is get a sony walkman with WIRED headphones and take a sledghammer to the cell phone.

I'm not old. Your tech just Sucks Donkey Balls.

 

[Hadron]

So you did know what "pairing" means after all?

I don't know whether your problem with pairing is an issue with that particular phone model rather than a general problem. I use wired headphones so have never had to pair BT ones. But I've never had a problem pairing any android phone with laptops, tablets, fitness trackers, kitchen radios, my aquarium light controller, etc, and with BT audio the only real problem I've had was them playing through the kitchen radio when I didn't want them to. So it's not that BT pairing in android is inherently flakey, at least not in my decade of using the platform.

But just in case that reference to "your" tech indicates a misunderstanding, this is just a forum for Android users. We're in no way affilliated with Google, have no ownership of the OS and no influence with the android development team - and even less with Alcatel or the generic Chinese conglomerate who own that brand these days. We're just a bunch of civilians who use the platform and try to help each other out when there are problems. So sure, if it helps to let off steam, by all means do so. But if you want help then please provide as much information as you can about exactly what the problems are.

 

[mikedt]

But, going into Android phone, turning bluetooth on, bring headphones very close, turn head phones on.
Blue light on phones blinks.
Then, try to play for example, a youtube vid on the phone....and the sound is still coming out of the phone, not the
headphones.
Naturally, the "solution" is always "You just need to buy another APP!"

Never heard or seen of that, not in any Bluetooth audio product.

Well, no, actually, I don't. What I need to do is get a sony walkman with WIRED headphones and take a sledghammer to the cell phone.

I'm not old. Your tech just Sucks Donkey Balls.

It could be the Bluetooth in your Alcatel phone is faulty. But it does have a WIRED headphone jack in it, so you should still be able to use WIRED headphones with it.