How to Pair Skullcandy Wireless Earbuds?

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Skullcandy wireless earbuds? A myriad of color options? Bass-heavy signature sound? Great performance for the price? Excellent battery life? Rugged build? Or maybe all of the above? Yeah, we all know Skullcandy makes great earbuds, but there’s one bad (or at least not so great) thing that all wireless earbuds have in common, and Skullcandy earbuds are not an exception. We’re talking about controls.

That’s going to be our main topic today. But not controls in general – we are going to talk only about pairing. We’ll show you how to pair Skullcandy wireless earbuds and how to troubleshoot pairing issues. 

Whether you want to learn how to pair Skullcandy wireless earbuds for the first time, pair them with another device, pair two pairs of earbuds together for audio sharing, or can’t pair your Skullcandy buds and are looking for a solution, you’ve come to the right place. Everything you need to know about pairing Skullcandy wireless earbuds is in this article.  

What is Skullcandy?

Skullcandy is an American audio equipment manufacturer. They mostly make headphones and earbuds, wireless and wired. The company was founded back in 2003 by Rick Alden. The headquarters are based in Utah. 

In 2003, Rick Alden wanted to make the first headphones that would allow you to switch between phone and music in a second. It may sound too easy from today’s perspective since every pair of headphones with a built-in mic, even the cheapest ones, can do that. But that was not the case 19 years ago. Back then, you couldn’t just play the music from your phone and press the button on your headphones when there’s an incoming call to answer it. You’ve had to stop the music, take off your headphones, and then look for the phone and hope it doesn’t stop ringing.

The first headphones made by Skullcandy were Link headphones. These were sporty-looking, behind-the-neck headphones with an inline controller that allowed you to answer calls by pressing the button. The controller had in-line volume controls that only affected the music volume (not the call volume). The headphone cable had two 3.5mm jacks – one for your phone and one for the player. Back then, phones were not smart and were only used for calls and texting. 

Skullcandy Link Headphones

Skullcandy Link headphones were introduced at CES 2003, and they immediately received the Innovations Award.

Since then, Skullcandy has been growing constantly. Today, Skullcandy headphones and earbuds are known for their attractive looks, affordable price, and great overall performance. 

Are Skullcandy Earbuds and Headphones Any Good?

You bet they are. They wouldn’t be so popular if they weren’t any good. Sure, they are not for everyone, but they definitely have a huge audience. One of the trademarks of Skullcandy earbuds and headphones is their elevated bass response. So, if you’re a fan of heart-pumping bass, Skullcandy is a perfect choice.  If you, on the other hand, prefer balance in your music, you will consider these too bassy. Perfect music genres for Skullcandy wireless earbuds and headphones, in our opinion, are EDM, dubstep, disco/funk, and R&B. The perfect activities for Skullcandy earbuds and headphones, especially for wireless earbuds, are sports and commuting. 

Unique sound signature is, not the only thing that sells Skullcandy headphones – it’s just one of many great things about them. Another trademark of Skullcandy earbuds and headphones is the variety of color choices. They really stand out from the crowd. You can easily recognize Skullcandy headphones/earbuds among numerous other models.  Most manufacturers will offer headphones/earbuds in black, white, and grey, but not Skullcandy. Their headphones and earbuds have so much more life in them.  The colors are vivid and give the headphones such an attractive, sporty look. 

The build quality of Skullcandy headphones and especially earbuds is very good. Sure, they usually use plastic, just like other manufacturers, but their headphones and earbuds look and feel sturdier and more durable than most. They look like they can withstand heavy use.

The battery life of Skullcandy wireless earbuds and headphones is either on-par with other earbuds/headphones in the same price range or above-average, depending on the model. 

As far as fit is concerned, we definitely prefer Skullcandy wireless earbuds over their headphones. Headphones tend to be tight on the ears and a bit fatiguing. Earbuds, on the other hand, provide a very stable and fairly comfortable fit, which makes them perfect for sports. 

The overall quality of Skullcandy headphones and earbuds, especially when you consider their price, is fantastic. They are one of our top three go-to brands when it comes to reasonably priced audio gear. 

Now that we have covered the basics, let’s move on to the main topic of this article. Let’s learn how to pair Skullcandy wireless earbuds with each other, how to pair them with your phone, and how to do some basic troubleshooting when they refuse to pair.

How to Turn Skullcandy Wireless Earbuds On/Off?

The first step is, obviously, turning your wireless earbuds on. This is the easiest step because you don’t have to do anything. 

Every pair of Skullcandy true wireless earbuds comes with a charging case. When you remove your earbuds from the case, they will turn on automatically. When you put them back, they will turn off. Just don’t forget to charge the case – they won’t turn on if the batteries are empty. 

If you want, you can also turn the earbuds off by long-holding the button on each earbud (or just on the one you want to turn off).  To turn them on again, you have to press and hold the button for a certain period of time.  This works on most Skullcandy earbud models, but the times may vary. Below, you can see how long you have to press and hold the button on some of the most popular models.

Skullcandy Indy

Turn off: press and hold for 6sec

Turn on: press and hold for 1.5sec

Skullcandy Indy – Video Guide

Skullcandy Indy Evo

Turn off: press and hold for 6sec

Turn on: press and hold for 4sec

Skullcandy Indy Evo – Video Guide

Skullcandy Sesh, Sesh Evo, Dime, Jib

Turn off: press and hold for 4sec

Turn on: press and hold for 2sec

Skullcandy Grind Fuel

Turn off: press the button twice and then hold it for 1sec

Turn on: press and hold for 1sec

Skullcandy Grind Fuel – Video Guide

Turning on/off explained. Let’s move on. 

How to Pair Skullcandy Wireless Earbuds for the First Time?

Now, pairing with a phone or any other Bluetooth-enabled audio source for the first time is a super-simple procedure. It’s the same for every model of Skullcandy wireless earbuds. 

The first thing you should do is remove them from the case. Your earbuds will turn on automatically and will go to pairing mode. First, they will pair with each other. Once they are paired/synced together, you will hear a tone. This tone indicates they are synced. 

You will also see an alternating red/blue LED, usually on the left bud. This is the time to take your phone, enable Bluetooth, and scan for new Bluetooth devices. When the name of your wireless earbuds appears in the list, tap on it and then tap on pair. After that, you should hear a voice prompt coming from the earbuds saying “Connected”. That’s it – you’re Skullcandy wireless earbuds are now paired with your phone and you’re ready to go.

Pairing Skullcandy Wireless Earbuds for the First Time

Ok, now that your earbuds are paired with your phone, let’s say you want them to pair with some other device. Here’s how to do that.  

How to Pair Skullcandy Wireless Earbuds with Another Device?

One way that will probably work with every model includes putting the earbuds back in the charging case and disabling Bluetooth on your first device (the one that was previously paired with the earbuds). When you take the earbuds out, they will sync together, and then go to pairing mode. They will first look for the last paired device, but since the Bluetooth feature is disabled on that device, they will stay in pairing mode. You can enable Bluetooth on your other device and pair it with your earbuds the same way you did it the first time. 

If you want to, you can also unpair Skullcandy wireless earbuds from the current device and initiate pairing mode manually. The procedure is similar for every model, but there’re some subtle differences. 

Skullcandy Indy

Turn the buds off. Long hold the right bud for 4sec to turn it on and engage the pairing mode.

Skullcandy Indy Evo

Put both buds in the case to turn them off. Remove them from the case and tap and hold the button on either left or right bud for 4 seconds to enter pairing mode. That’s what the Skullcandy video guide says. The user manual, on the other hand, suggests that you should turn off your earbuds, and then press and hold the button on either bud for 6sec. 

Skullcandy Sesh

Press the buttons on each bud for 4sec to turn them off manually. Now, things will get a bit confusing because there’s one explanation in the manual and a different explanation in the official video. Both sources are official, so we will state them both. Try them and see which one works for you. 

Video Manual: When the earbuds are turned off, press both buds for 2sec to enter pairing mode. 

User Manual: Press and hold either earbud for 6sec to enter pairing mode. 

Skullcandy Sesh – Video Guide

Skullcandy Sesh Evo

The same problem we’ve noticed about Sesh earbuds applies to Sesh Evo earbuds – instructions from the user manual and video manual don’t match. In both cases, you should ensure that the earbuds are turned off. 

Video Manual: Take the buds out of the box and tap and hold either left or right bud for 4sec. 

User Manual: In off mode, press and hold the button on either bud for 6sec. 

Skullcandy Sesh Evo – Video Guide

Skullcandy Dime and Skullcandy Jib

Press the buttons on both earbuds for 4sec. That will turn them off. Then, press the button on either left or right earbud for 4sec to initiate pairing. 

Skullcandy Dime – Video Guide

Skullcandy Grind Fuel

If your buds are powered on and already connected to some device, you just need to press either bud once and then press and hold the same bud for 1sec. Or, you can just turn off the Bluetooth on the connected device – that will also put them into pairing mode.

Audio Sharing – How to Pair Two Pairs of Skullcandy Earbuds Together

One of the latest features available in only two models of Skullcandy wireless earbuds (Grind Fuel and Push Active wireless earbuds) is Skull-IQ. This feature enables voice controls, Spotify Tap feature, Stay-Aware mode, and allows you to share the same audio on two pairs of Skull-IQ enabled models. 

Both pairs of earbuds need to be within a 15ft radius. First, connect one pair of earbuds to the audio source of your choice (phone, laptop, etc.). Then, press and hold the right bud for 3sec. You will hear a voice prompt “Sharing Audio”. After that, take the other pair of earbuds (it doesn’t matter if they are already connected to some device or not), and press the left bud for 3sec. You should hear the voice prompt saying “Joining Audio”. Syncing both pairs of earbuds could take up to 5sec. Once the process of audio sharing is complete, the same audio will be streamed to both devices. Both persons will be able to use volume controls independently, but the person joining the audio won’t be able to use voice controls and track controls. 

To disable Audio Share, you can use the same method you used to share/join audio – press and hold the same button for 3ses (right if you were sharing or left if you were joining). You can also place the earbuds into their case or turn them off manually – both things will disable the Audio Share feature.

Troubleshooting Pairing Issues

If your Skullcandy wireless earbuds refuse to pair with a certain device or with any device, or if they are out of sync, you can easily clear the list of paired devices and reset your Skullcandy wireless earbuds. That will, hopefully, fix any pairing issues you may have with your earbuds. 

The first step, when you want to reset your earbuds, is to remove them from your device’s list of Bluetooth devices. If it’s your phone, go to Bluetooth, scan for devices, look for buds, and remove them from the list. Then, turn off Bluetooth on your phone. 

How to Reset Skullcandy Wireless Earbuds?

Skullcandy Indy

Your earbuds must be turned on, but not connected to any device. Tap each bud four times (4x). The buds will turn off and the list of paired devices will be cleared. 

How to Reset Skullcandy Indy wireless earbuds

Skullcandy Indy Evo

Make sure that both earbuds are turned off. Press and hold each bud for 10sec. The LED will first flash blue and, when the process is finished, the LED will turn red. 

Skullcandy Sesh

Make sure your earbuds are turned on, but not connected to any device. Tap each earbud 6x. You can do the right first, and then the left. 

How to Reset Skullcandy Sesh wireless earbuds

Skullcandy Sesh Evo

Turn the earbuds off by pressing each bud for 4sec. Once they are powered off, press each bud and hold the buttons for 10sec. The LEDs on both buds will flash blue and, when the reset process is over, they will turn red.

Skullcandy Dime

Make sure the earbuds are turned on but not connected to any device. Press each earbud twice and then press and hold for 2sec. This is what the manual says. The video tutorial, on the other hand, says it’s sufficient to do this on just one earbud (either left or right) and not both. 

How to Reset Skullcandy Dime Earbuds

Skullcandy Jib

The earbuds need to be turned off – press the button on each bud and hold it for 4sec. Then, while they are powered off, press the buttons on each bud and hold for 10sec. Place the buds back in the case until the LEDs on both buds turn red. After that, you can remove them from the case and pair them with your phone. 

Skullcandy Grind Fuel

Remove the earbuds from the case and wait for the voice prompt telling you that the buds are turned on. Then, press and hold the button on the right earbud for 3sec. You should hear a tone indicating that the reset was successful. You should also see the purple LED blinking 3x on the right bud. Finally, you will hear a voice prompt “Ready to pair”.

In Conclusion

There you have it. Now you know how to pair Skullcandy wireless earbuds for the first time, how to pair them with another device, and how to reset them in case you experience any kind of pairing issue.