We bet you’re disappointed whenever you experience a problem with your Oculus Quest 2, as it is a rather significant investment.
Not being able to pair Oculus Quest with your smartphone can be particularly frustrating, no matter how many times you try.
Luckily, the issues affecting your Oculus Quest and your phone are usually not as drastic, and you should be able to pair them in a few simple steps.
Check out our detailed troubleshooting guide to find out how to pair your Quest 2 headset with your phone.
Why is your Oculus Quest 2 not pairing to your phone?
There are several reasons for your Oculus Quest 2 not to pair with your phone. Let’s look at the most common problems you could encounter with your VR headset.
Your Oculus app is outdated
Since your Oculus Quest 2 headset is controlled via the Oculus app, you will be unable to pair your phone with this virtual reality device if you don’t have the latest version of the app installed.
An outdated app is probably why your Oculus headset isn’t pairing to your phone or PC.
The devices aren’t connected to the same WiFi network
For your Quest headset and smartphone to pair, they must be connected to the same WiFi network.
If this isn’t the case, it could be why you’re unable to pair them. Moreover, the WiFi signal could be too weak for some reason, limiting the connection between the two devices.
Any internet issues will automatically affect the connection between your PV VR headset and the Windows PC or a smartphone, depending on what device you’re trying to connect.
Location services and Bluetooth aren’t turned on
Not only is it necessary for both devices to be connected to the same network, but you should also have the location services and Bluetooth on for the connection to be established.
Perhaps you have the location services, and Bluetooth enabled on your Oculus Rift, but these options are turned off on your mobile phone, or vice versa.
Bluetooth access permissions aren’t correctly set
As you probably already know, your VR headset has to have all the necessary permissions on your mobile device before you can pair them and launch your VR games.
That being said, your Oculus Go or any other Oculus device may not have permission to use Bluetooth.
Even if you’ve allowed this PC VR headset to use Bluetooth, perhaps you forgot to enable it to transfer data via Bluetooth, which is a rather important setting.
How to fix an Oculus Quest 2 not pairing to a phone
Here are the best methods to easily pair your Oculus Quest to your mobile device and avoid a pairing problem in the future.
1. Update the Oculus mobile app
Since the Oculus mobile app is the essence of the connection between your Quest headset and your mobile device, it is necessary to ensure that it is up to date.
Launch the App Store or the Play Store, depending on your mobile phone, and search for the Oculus app.
If there is a newer version available, you should be able to install it right away and update the app.
However, if you’re already using the latest version but the app keeps acting up, the best way to fix it is to uninstall it, then install it again.
Go to Settings on your mobile device, launch Apps, and scroll down to the Oculus App. Select the Uninstall option to delete the app from your phone.
Now launch the App Store or the Play Store and download the Oculus app again. Log in using your credentials and attempt pairing the devices directly.
You may also need to delete the Oculus app data, which could be corrupted or infected by malware.
You will also need to go to Settings on your phone, launch Apps (or Manage Apps, depending on the model), and find the Oculus app. Tap on it, then select Clear Data to eliminate all the corrupted and infected data.
2. Check the WiFi connection
The first step would be to check the strength and quality of your WiFi signal. It is necessary to solve any network issues, install the newest updates, and perhaps restart your router before you attempt to pair these devices again.
Not only do your phone and your VR headset need to be connected to the same WiFi network to be paired, but the WiFi signal also needs to be satisfactory.
You may try to connect to a different WiFi network if possible and see if this solves the pairing issue.
3. Turn on the location and the Bluetooth
Many people prefer to keep the location turned off for their safety. However, you must turn on both devices’ locations to pair your Quest 2 with your mobile device.
Also, you want to ensure Bluetooth is enabled on both the headset and the mobile phone, as an internet connection isn’t enough if there is no Bluetooth pairing.
4. Change the permissions
When pairing your Oculus Quest headset to your phone, you will be asked for access quite a few times. It is necessary to allow the requested access – especially regarding Bluetooth.
Otherwise, the pairing will fail, and you won’t be able to connect the two devices. Ensure that the headset has permission to use Bluetooth but also to send data via Bluetooth, as well.
5. Restart both devices
If none of the methods helped the devices pair, you might need to restart the Oculus Quest 2 headset and your mobile device.
Hold the power button for a few seconds to restart both of these devices, which will prompt the resetting process. There isn’t a Restart option on some mobile devices, but you can power off the device and then turn it back on.
