Bluetooth is a great way to quickly and easily transfer content between your devices, and itโs also one of the most popular ways of connecting wireless peripherals to your Mac, such as an external keyboard or mouse. But what happens when your Macโs Bluetooth doesnโt work as expected?
In this article, Iโll run through all the fixes you can try, the next time your Mac encounters Bluetooth-related issues.
Is your Macโs Bluetooth even enabled?
This may sound obvious, but itโs surprising how often the simplest fixes work!
If thereโs a Bluetooth icon in your Macโs menu bar, then double-check that this icon isnโt greyed out, as this indicates that your Bluetooth connection is disabled. If youโre struggling to tell whether this icon is greyed out, then give the Bluetooth icon a click and check that it doesnโt give you the option to โTurn Bluetooth On.โ
If there isnโt a Bluetooth icon in your Macโs menu bar, then navigate to โSystem Preferencesโฆ > Bluetoothโ and check the status of your Bluetooth connection.
You may also get positive results from toggling your Bluetooth connection off, and then back on again.
Is the Bluetooth device switched on?
This process will vary between devices, but as a general rule you should check the device for an โOn/Offโ switch, or any LED lights that indicate whether this device is currently up and running.
You should also check that the Bluetooth device hasnโt entered any kind of sleep or power saving mode. For example, if the device is a Bluetooth keyboard, then try tapping a few of its keys, and if itโs a Bluetooth mouse, then try pressing its buttons, to see whether your Mac suddenly recognises this device.
Check whether your Bluetooth device is running low on battery
If your Mac is refusing to recognise a Bluetooth device, or itโs lost the connection, then the deviceโs battery might be to blame. When a deviceโs battery hits 0%, that device is going to disconnect, and some devices may even disconnect when theyโre running low on battery.
The easiest way to check whether a deviceโs battery is to blame, is to take a look at the Bluetooth icon in your Macโs menu bar. If one or more Bluetooth-connected devices are running low on juice, then a battery icon will appear alongside the standard Bluetooth icon. You can also view a deviceโs current charge by navigating to your Macโs โSystem Preferences…. > Bluetoothโ menu.
If one or more Bluetooth devices are running low on battery, then either put the Bluetooth device on charge, change its batteries, or connect the device to your Mac using a cable, where appropriate.
How many Bluetooth devices are you running?
As a general rule, the more Bluetooth devices you connect to your Mac, the greater your chances of encountering issues.
If youโre running multiple Bluetooth devices, then disconnect all of the devices you arenโt actively using, to see whether this resolves your problem.
Do you need to complete any setup?
If youโre having problems with a new device, then you may need to complete some additional setup, in order to pair this device with your Mac. You may also need to repeat this setup after updating to a new version of macOS, performing a factory reset, or if you recently updated or reinstalled any of the software associated with your Bluetooth device.
To check whether this might be the issue with your Bluetooth device:
- Navigate to โSystem Preferencesโฆโ
- Select the preference pane that corresponds to the Bluetooth device youโre having problems with, such as โKeyboard,โ โMouse,โ or โTrackpad.โ
- If thereโs any outstanding setup you need to perform, then macOS should prompt you to complete this now.
Delete the Bluetooth.plist file
You can resolve a whole host of miscellaneous issues that may be interfering with your Macโs Bluetooth, by deleting the Bluetooth.plist file and then restarting your Mac. As soon as your Mac reboots, itโll automatically recreate the Bluetooth.plist file.
To delete and then recreate this file:
- Launch your Macโs Terminal (Applications/Utilities/Terminal).
- Copy/paste the following command into the Terminal window:
sudo rm -R /Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist
- Press the โEnterโ key on your keyboard.
- When prompted, enter your password.
- Restart your Mac.
- Navigate to โSystem preferences > Bluetooth,โ and then select โTurn Bluetooth On.โ Alternatively, click the โBluetoothโ icon in your Macโs menu bar, select โTurn Bluetooth On,โ and then check whether macOS is now recognising your Bluetooth device.
The music isnโt playing through my Bluetooth headphones!
If you have a pair of Bluetooth headphones or a Bluetooth speaker, then itโs possible your Macโs audio isnโt being routed to them automatically.
To check whether your Mac is even trying to play sounds via your Bluetooth-connected speakers or headphones:
- Select the โAppleโ logo from your Macโs menu bar.
- Navigate to โSystem Preferencesโฆ > Sound.โ
- Select the โOutputโ tab.
- If it isnโt already selected, select your Bluetooth device from the list.
- Try playing some music or other sounds, to see whether itโs now being successfully routed through your Bluetooth speakers.
Before you go
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