What Is the Bluetooth PIN or Passkey? (Windows 11 and 10)

If Windows is asking for a PIN and you are turning the box over looking for one, type 0000. If that is refused, try 1234, then 1111, then 0001. One of those opens the great majority of Bluetooth accessories.

And please stop searching for the code you think you lost, because there is nothing to find.

You were never given a PIN. Nobody was. On an accessory with no keypad — a headset, a speaker, a car kit — there is no way for you to type a code you invented into the accessory, so the manufacturer burns a fixed one in at the factory. It is almost always 0000, it is printed in a manual nobody keeps, and it is the same for every unit of that model in the world.

On anything made since about 2007, there is usually no PIN at all. Bluetooth replaced typed codes with a six-digit number shown on both devices that you simply confirm. So if Windows is not asking you for anything, nothing has gone wrong.

This is a genuinely confusing corner of a technology most people use every day, and the wording — "enter the PIN for your device" — strongly implies a PIN exists somewhere that belongs to you. It does not. Looking for it was the reasonable response to what the screen said.

The Box Jake Went Through Twice

A customer brought a pair of Bluetooth headphones into Jake's shop still in the box, with the receipt, wanting to return them as faulty. Her laptop had asked for a PIN. She had looked through the box, the plastic tray, the little folded leaflet and the card the warranty was printed on, and there was no PIN anywhere. She had concluded the shop had sold her an incomplete product.

Jake emptied the box out on the counter and went through it himself, because that is what you do. Nothing. He checked the underside of the headphones for a sticker. Nothing.

Then he typed 0000 and they paired instantly.

Neither of them had done anything foolish. The screen had asked for a PIN, in the tone of something you were supposed to possess, and both of them had gone looking for it. That is the only sensible response to that sentence.

What Ethan said when Jake described it is the useful part: "The word PIN is doing a lot of damage there. On your bank card it means a secret only you know. On a headset it means a factory default that's the same on every unit ever made, and half of them don't use one at all any more. Same word, opposite meaning, and nobody tells you which one you're looking at."

So this page is mostly about telling you which one you are looking at. Once you know that, the actual code takes about four seconds.

Why There Is No PIN to Lose

Think about what typing a PIN would actually require. Pairing means two devices proving to each other that they are the pair you intended. If the code were something you chose, you would have to enter it into both sides — the laptop and the headset.

A headset has a power button and possibly a volume rocker. There is no way to type 7392 into it.

So the manufacturers did the only thing available: they fixed a code at the factory and printed it in the manual. Since there is no reason to make it hard, and every reason to make it memorable for a support line, almost all of them chose 0000. A minority chose 1234. That is the entire mystery.

The Bluetooth designers were not happy with this either, and in 2007 Bluetooth 2.1 introduced Secure Simple Pairing, which removed the typed code altogether. Instead, both devices calculate a six-digit number and show it to you, and you confirm the two match. Where a device has no screen to show it on, the pairing simply happens with no code at all.

Which leaves you in one of three situations, and it is worth knowing which before typing anything.

The Three Things Windows Might Ask You

What you see	What it is	What to do
A box asking you to enter a PIN	Legacy pairing. The device predates 2007 in design, or is a cheap or car-fitted unit still using the old method.	Type 0000, then 1234, then 1111, then 0001.
A six-digit number and Yes/No	Secure Simple Pairing, numeric comparison. The modern method.	Confirm the same digits show on both, then accept on both. Do not type them.
A number, and "type this on your keyboard"	Passkey entry. Used when one device has keys and the other has a screen.	Type it on the Bluetooth keyboard, then Enter. Nothing shows as you type.
Nothing at all — it just connects	Also Secure Simple Pairing, on a device with no display. Working exactly as intended.	Nothing. This is not a security lapse or a skipped step.

The fourth row deserves a moment, because people occasionally worry that a device which paired without asking anything has connected insecurely. It has not. The two devices did the same cryptographic handshake as the six-digit case; there was simply no screen to show you the number on, so you were not asked to compare anything.

The Codes to Try, in Order

1. 0000 — four zeros. This is the overwhelming default across headsets, speakers, fitness bands and older mice.
2. 1234 — the second choice, and the one car stereos favor over 0000.
3. 1111 — a distant third, occasionally used by budget audio brands.
4. 0001 — rare, but it costs nothing to try.
5. The last four digits of the serial number — a small number of speakers do this. The serial is on the underside or in the battery compartment.
6. Whatever the manual says — if the first five fail, the manufacturer chose something specific and only they can tell you.

Between each attempt, take the accessory out of pairing mode and put it back in. Some devices stop accepting attempts after two or three failures within one pairing window, which makes a correct code on the fourth try look wrong.

If Windows says the PIN is incorrect for every one of these, the code is probably not the problem — a device that is not truly in pairing mode gives the same result. Check the light is doing whatever the manual calls pairing before concluding you have the wrong number.

Bluetooth Keyboards, Which Confuse Everyone

This is the one case where a code genuinely goes somewhere unexpected, and if it has just happened to you, the confusion is entirely reasonable.

Windows displays something like "Type 418365 on your keyboard, then press Enter." People then type those digits into the box on screen, which does nothing, and conclude the pairing is broken.

The digits go on the Bluetooth keyboard you are pairing. Not into the box. Not on your existing keyboard. And nothing appears on screen as you type, because the keyboard is not connected yet — that is the entire point of the exercise. You are proving you have physical possession of it.

So: look at the number, type it on the new keyboard, press Enter on the new keyboard. The screen stays blank throughout and then the pairing completes.

Two things that catch people. If the keyboard has a number pad, use the digits along the top row instead, since some pairings do not accept the number pad. And if you mistype, there is no backspace — wait for the attempt to time out and start again rather than trying to correct it.

Pairing Properly on Windows 11 and 10

1. Put the accessory into pairing mode first. Usually a long press on the power or Bluetooth button until a light flashes in a new pattern or color. Do this before touching Windows — the window is short.
2. Open Settings. On Windows 11, choose Bluetooth & devices; on Windows 10, Devices then Bluetooth & other devices.
3. Make sure the Bluetooth switch is On.
4. Click Add device, then Bluetooth as the type.
5. Pick your accessory from the list when it appears, then answer whatever it asks using the table above.

Our fuller walkthrough on pairing and connecting Bluetooth devices in Windows covers the variations, including what to do when the Add device button does nothing.

When the Device Never Appears in the List

A code you cannot get to is a different problem, and it has two overwhelmingly common causes.

Situation	What is happening	Fix
Nothing in the list	Not in pairing mode, or the window closed while you were in Settings	Hold the button until the light changes, then search again immediately
Works on the phone, not the PC	It reconnected silently to the phone, so it is busy	Turn Bluetooth off on the phone, then pair to the PC
Appeared once, not since	A stale pairing record on one side	Remove the device in Settings and pair again from scratch
No Bluetooth section in Settings	The adapter is missing, disabled or without a driver	Our Bluetooth missing in Windows guide
Paired, but says Connected with no sound	Windows is not routing audio to it	Our music will not play over Bluetooth guide
Broke after a Windows update	A driver was replaced with a generic one	Our Bluetooth broken after an update guide

The second row is worth reading twice, because it is the single most common reason a perfectly good headset seems invisible. Bluetooth accessories reconnect to the last thing they knew, quietly, the moment they are switched on. Your headphones are not missing; they are already busy talking to your phone in your pocket.

Removing and Pairing Again

When a device that used to work has become unreliable, clearing the pairing and starting fresh fixes it far more often than it has any right to. It costs a minute and it loses nothing.

In Settings → Bluetooth & devices, find the device, click the three dots beside it, and choose Remove device. Then put the accessory into pairing mode and add it again. Our guide on removing a Bluetooth device in Windows covers the cases where the Remove button itself refuses.

Remove it on both sides where you can. Many accessories remember a fixed number of devices — often five to eight — and silently push out the oldest when a new one arrives. A headset that has been paired to a phone, a tablet, a car and two laptops may simply have run out of slots, which looks exactly like a fault. Resetting the accessory to factory settings clears that list, and its manual will say how.

Is a Code of 0000 Actually Safe?

It is a fair question and it deserves a straight answer rather than reassurance.

Legacy PIN pairing is genuinely weaker than modern pairing. A four-digit code that everyone knows provides no real secrecy, and the handshake built on it is easier to attack than the one Secure Simple Pairing uses. That is not a rumor — it is precisely why Bluetooth changed the method in 2007.

The practical risk is small, though. An attacker has to be within a few meters and has to be there at the exact moment you are pairing, which is a narrow window measured in seconds. For a pair of headphones, that risk is not worth restructuring your life over.

Where it is worth caring: pairing anything in a public place, and any device that carries something sensitive rather than audio. Pair new accessories at home where you can, and if a device offers a modern pairing method, prefer it. Beyond that, 0000 on a speaker is a reasonable thing to type and not a mistake.

Jake asked Ethan whether he should be telling customers to worry about it, which is the right question for someone who sells these things. Ethan's answer was no, and worth repeating: "If you tell people a headset is a security risk, they'll ignore you, because they can tell it isn't. Then when you warn them about something that matters, they'll ignore that too. Spend your credibility where it buys something. This isn't it."

What This Page Said in 2016

The original version of this post went up in December 2016 and gave the codes: try 0000, try 1234, check the manual. That advice was correct then and it is still correct now, which is why it is at the top of this page in the same order.

What it never said was why — that the code is a factory default rather than something you were issued, and that a great many devices no longer use one at all. That omission is the reason the page did not fully do its job. A reader could follow it, get paired, and still be left with the uneasy sense that they had lost something they were supposed to have.

It also predates the point where Secure Simple Pairing became the normal experience rather than the exception, so it had nothing to say about the six-digit confirmation screen, which is what most people now actually meet.

The codes have not changed. The explanation around them is what this rewrite adds, because knowing there is nothing to find is the part that lets you stop looking.

Your Questions, Answered Straight

What is the PIN for my Bluetooth device?

For most accessories that ask for one it is 0000, and the next most common is 1234. It is not a code you were given and then lost. Devices without a keypad, such as headsets, speakers and car kits, have a fixed PIN set at the factory, because there is no way for you to type a chosen one into them.

Why does Windows not ask me for a PIN on newer devices?

Because Bluetooth stopped needing one. Secure Simple Pairing arrived with Bluetooth 2.1 in 2007 and replaced the typed PIN with either a six-digit number shown on both devices for you to confirm, or nothing at all where a device has no screen. If nothing is asking you for a PIN, that is the system working as designed.

Windows shows a number and asks me to confirm it. What do I do?

Check that the same six digits appear on the other device, then choose Connect or Yes on both. You are not entering a secret, you are confirming that the two devices talking to each other are the two devices in front of you. If the numbers differ, decline it and start again, because something else is trying to pair.

Why is Windows asking me to type a code on my keyboard?

That is normal for Bluetooth keyboards and it catches almost everyone. Windows displays a string of digits on screen and you type those digits on the keyboard you are pairing, then press Enter on that keyboard. Nothing appears as you type. It looks broken and it is not, and this is the one case where the code goes into the accessory rather than into Windows.

I typed 0000 and it was rejected. What now?

Try 1234, then 1111, then 0001. If none work, look for the real one in the device's manual or on a sticker in the battery compartment or on the underside. Some car stereos let you set your own in a Bluetooth menu, and a handful of speakers use the last four digits of the serial number. It is device-specific rather than a Windows setting.

Is a PIN of 0000 a security problem?

In practice it is a small risk and worth understanding rather than worrying about. An attacker would have to be within a few meters and pairing at the exact moment you are. Legacy PIN pairing is genuinely weaker than modern pairing, which is precisely why Bluetooth moved away from it, but for a headset it is not something to lose sleep over.

Where do I find my device's real pairing code?

In the printed manual, on a label in the battery compartment, on the underside of the device, or in the support pages on the manufacturer's own website. Search the model number rather than the product name, since the same range often uses different codes. What you will not find is a code stored anywhere in Windows.

How do I pair a Bluetooth device in Windows 11?

Open Settings, choose Bluetooth & devices, make sure Bluetooth is on, then click Add device and choose Bluetooth. Put the accessory into pairing mode first, which usually means holding its power or Bluetooth button until a light flashes, then pick it from the list. The steps are the same on Windows 10 under Settings, Devices.

My device does not appear in the list at all. Why?

Nearly always it is not in pairing mode, or it is still connected to something else. Bluetooth accessories reconnect silently to the last device they knew, so a headset paired to your phone will not show up on the PC. Turn Bluetooth off on the phone, put the accessory into pairing mode again, and look once more.

What does pairing mode actually mean?

It is a short window, usually a couple of minutes, when the accessory is willing to be discovered by something new. Most devices enter it by holding a button until a light flashes in a different pattern or color. It closes on its own, which is why a device that appeared five minutes ago may not appear now.

Why does it say Connected but there is no sound?

Connected means the link exists, not that Windows is sending audio through it. Click the speaker icon in the taskbar and choose your headset as the output device. Windows also treats a headset's music profile and its microphone profile separately, so a headset selected for calls may not be the one playing music.

Should I remove and re-pair a device that is misbehaving?

Yes, that is a reasonable early step and it costs nothing. Go to Settings, Bluetooth & devices, click the three dots beside the device and choose Remove device. Then put the accessory back into pairing mode and add it again. A stale pairing record causes a surprising share of connection problems.

My car stereo asks for a code that is not 0000. What should I try?

Car kits are the most inconsistent category of all. Check the car's own manual rather than the stereo's, look in the vehicle's Bluetooth or phone menu for a settable code, and try 1234 before 0000 since car systems favor it. Many head units also let you change the code yourself, which is worth doing so you know it next time.

Does the PIN change if I pair the device to something else?

No. A factory-set PIN is a property of the accessory and stays the same whatever you pair it to, which is why the code that worked on your phone also works on your PC. What does change is the stored pairing record, so pairing to a new device can push out an old one on accessories that only remember a limited number.

Is there a way to see the PIN of a device already paired?

No, and there is nothing to see. Once paired, the two devices exchange keys and the original PIN plays no further part, so Windows does not store it anywhere for you to look up. If you need it again for another device, the manual or the manufacturer's support page is the only source.

Nothing works. What is the last thing worth trying?

Reset the accessory itself to factory settings, which clears every pairing it remembers and usually restores the default code. The method is in its manual and is often a long press of ten to twenty seconds. If the device still will not pair after that, the fault is more likely the Bluetooth adapter or driver on the PC than the code.

Worth Reading Next

Revision note. Originally published December 18, 2016. Rewritten August 22, 2026 for Windows 11 and Windows 10. The codes have not changed and are still at the top of the page in the same order. What is new is the explanation around them: that the code is a factory default rather than something you were issued, that Secure Simple Pairing has meant most devices need no code at all since 2007, what the six-digit confirmation screen is, and why a Bluetooth keyboard asks you to type on a keyboard that is not connected yet. If your device wants something none of this covers, please write in with the make and model — readers filling in the odd ones is how a page like this stays useful. And if you have spent twenty minutes going through a box looking for a PIN: it was never in there, for anyone, and the word on the screen was doing a poor job of telling you so.