How to Troubleshoot Bluetooth Connectivity Problems

How-To Geek

Bluetooth gives you the freedom to move without a tether, but it isn't always the most reliable way to use wireless devices. If you're having trouble with Bluetooth on your Windows laptop, you can follow the steps below to troubleshoot it.

Basic Bluetooth Troubleshooting Steps

While many of these steps might seem obvious, they will fix many of the most common Bluetooth issues on Windows.

Check That Bluetooth Is Turned On

Start by making sureBluetooth is actually enabled on your Windows PC. Just because the symbol is in the taskbar doesn't mean your Bluetooth radio is actually turned on.

Related: How to Turn On and Use Bluetooth on Windows 10

To check it, click the Windows notification icon on your taskbar in the bottom-right corner of your screen. If you don't see a "Bluetooth" tile, click the "Expand" button. If the "Bluetooth" tile is grayed-out, your Bluetooth radio is turned off.

Click it to turn it back on---the tile will turn blue to show the change.

You can also head to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth and Other Devices and toggle the "Bluetooth" switch until it turns blue.

Restart Your Bluetooth Radio

If Bluetooth is enabled, switching it off and on again might resolve some underlying issues of which you're unaware.

To do this, click the notification icon in your Windows taskbar to access your quick settings. Click the "Bluetooth" tile to turn it off. Once it goes gray, click it again to turn it back on.

When the tile turns blue, your Bluetooth radio is back on, and ready to use.

Check the Battery

If you aren't keeping track of the battery level on your Bluetooth device, you might not even be aware when it runs out of power.

Before you try a more serious solution, you might want to replace the batteries in your Bluetooth device or charge it, and then try it again.

Restart Your PC

The best fixes are sometimes the easiest, and if you haven't tried it already, give your PC a quick restart.

When you reboot your PC, you wipe the slate clean, and clear out any idle processes or memory leaks. It's not a miracle fix, but it can rectify some issues with the hardware, so give it a go.

Check Bluetooth Interference and Device Distance

Bluetooth devices communicate wirelessly via radio waves. Just like a Wi-Fi network, interference can affect Bluetooth connections. Other radio signals, physical obstacles (like thick walls), and devices like microwaves can all block or degrade a Bluetooth connection.

Take a moment to survey the area. How far away is your Bluetooth device from your PC? The bigger the distance, the weaker the signal.

Move your device closer to your PC and see if it impacts the Bluetooth connectivity. If not, try (if possible) to use your Bluetooth device in another location. You can also use third-party apps, like theBennett Bluetooth Monitor, to check your Bluetooth's signal strength.

If the problem persists, interference might not be the problem. But there are some other potential fixes.

Related: The Best Bluetooth Speakers of 2023

Install or Update Bluetooth Device Drivers

Windows 10 automatically installs drivers for devices that connect to it, but only when those drivers are available on your PC or through Windows Update. In most cases, though, Bluetooth devices (especially keyboards and mice) should work fine right out of the box.

If Windows can't find the correct drivers for your Bluetooth device, however, it won't work. If this happens, check the device manufacturer's website to see if it offers a driver for your device. If so, download and install it, and that should resolve the problem.

This also applies to the Bluetooth radio itself. If the drivers for your Bluetooth chipset aren't installed automatically, Bluetooth won't work on your PC. Visit the PC manufacturer's website or, if you built the PC yourself, check the motherboard manufacturer's website for supported drivers.

You might also find that a new Windows update has impacted your device, requiring updated drivers. In most cases, Windows will look for and install updated drivers automatically. If it doesn't, though, visit the device manufacturer's website and install the latest drivers.

To see whether your Bluetooth device is installed, you have to check the Windows Device Manager. To do this, right-click the Windows Start button and click "Device Manager."

If your Bluetooth device is recognized, it appears under the category relevant to its purpose. For example, a Bluetooth radio would be under the "Bluetooth" category. If the device isn't recognized, it will be listed under the "Other Devices" category.

When you find it, right-click the device, and then click "Update Driver" to search for a new driver.

Click "Search Automatically for Updated Driver Software" if you want to search for a driver automatically.

If you downloaded the driver from the manufacturer's website (and it doesn't include an automatic installer), click "Browse My Computer for Driver Software" and follow the onscreen instructions.

If you clicked "Search Automatically for Updated Driver Software," Windows will tell you if it thinks you already have the best driver for your device. However, you can also search Windows Update for alternatives.

To do so, just click "Search for Updated Drivers on Windows Update" to proceed.

This opens Windows Update in Settings.Click "Check for Updates" to begin a search.

When (or if) Windows Update finds an updated driver for your device, it will download and install it. When that process is complete, restart your PC, and then try your Bluetooth device again.

Remove and Re-Pair Your Bluetooth Device

Sometimes,removing the Bluetooth device from your PC resolves connection issues. You can then"re-pair" the devicewith your PC.

Related: How to Pair a Bluetooth Device to Your Computer, Tablet, or Phone

To start this process, open the Bluetooth settings in Windows. If the Bluetooth icon is visible in the Windows taskbar, right-click it, and then select "Open Settings."

If you don't see the Bluetooth icon, right-click the Start menu and select "Settings." From there, click Devices > Bluetooth and Other Devices to access your Bluetooth settings.

Your known Bluetooth devices will be listed here. Select your device, click "Remove Device," and then click "Yes" to confirm. This removes the device from your PC.

When the process is completed, restart your PC.

After you log back in on your device, head back to the Bluetooth settings. Click "Add Bluetooth or Other Device" at the top. In the "Add a Device" window that appears, click"Bluetooth."

Wait for your PC to detect the device, and then click it to connect. You might need to type a PIN on one or both devices to allow them to pair.

Use the Windows 10 Troubleshooter

If all else fails, you can also try the Windows Troubleshooter on Windows 10 and see if it can resolve your Bluetooth issues. It checks your Bluetooth radio and device settings step-by-step, and identifies any issues.

If it detects an issue, it will inform you, and either ask you whether you'd like to fix it or direct you on how you can fix the problem yourself.

To run Windows Troubleshooter, right-click the Start menu and select "Settings."

From there, go to Update and Security > Troubleshoot > Bluetooth, and then click "Run the Troubleshooter." Windows will automatically begin working through your Bluetooth status and configuration. If it finds a problem, it'll direct you to fix it.

If the Troubleshooter can't resolve the problem, you might want to contact the device manufacturer for further support and advice, as the problem might be with the hardware.

How to fix Bluetooth connection problems on Windows 10

Bluetooth on Windows 10 allows you to quickly connect an extensive array of wireless devices to your computer (such as speakers, mice, and keyboards). However, while devices should automatically reconnect when theyre in range, Bluetooth isnt perfect, and sometimes you will come across connectivity problems.

If youre having issues connecting a Bluetooth device to your computer, there are many troubleshooting steps you can do on Windows 10.

In this guide, you will learn the steps to fix many of the connection problems with Bluetooth devices on Windows 10.

Fix Bluetooth missing in Settings

When the Bluetooth page is in the Settings app, its possible that something is wrong with the adapter driver or the device doesnt include support for this kind of connectivity.

If there is support for Bluetooth, you can use Device Manager to see if the latest driver is available:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Device Manager and click the top result to open the app.

3. Expand the Bluetooth branch.

4. Right-click the Bluetooth adapter and select the Update Driver Software option.

5. Click the Search automatically for updated driver software option.

   

If the operating system cant find any new driver, you can visit your computer manufacturers website to download the latest driver and instructions to complete this task.

Fix Bluetooth missing in Device Manager

Sometimes Bluetooth may not appear in Device Manager if the driver isnt compatible with the version of the operating system.

You can find out if its compatible using these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Device Manager and click the top result to open the app.

3. Expand the Other devices branch.

4. Select the unknown device, right-click it, and select the Properties option.

5. Click on the Details tab.

6. Use the Properties drop-down menu and select the Hardware Ids option.

7. Under the Value section, look for the hardware identification.

8. Right-click the hardware identification (for example, USBVID_{ID}&PID_{ID}), and select the Copy option.

   

9. Use your favorite search engine to research the hardware ID you copied to figure out the device name and manufacturer.

10. Head over to the Bluetooth manufacturers support website, download, and install a compatible driver for Windows 10.

Sometimes, it could also happen that youre having issues, you uninstall the Bluetooth driver, but after restarting your computer, Windows 10 wont reinstall the driver automatically. Also, youll notice an Unknown USB device (Device Descriptor Request Failed) entry under Universal Serial Bus controllers in Device Manager.

Reinstall Bluetooth driver

To allow Windows 10 to reinstall the Bluetooth driver, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Device Manager and click the top result to open the app.

3. Expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers branch.

4. Right-click theUnknown USB device (Device Descriptor Request Failed) entry and select the Uninstall option.

5. Click Yes to confirm.

6. Restart your computer to complete the task.

Once your computer rebooted, open Device Manager again, and if you still dont see Bluetooth listed, click the Scan for hardware changes button on the top-right. If the operating system still cant detect the device, manually download and install the Bluetooth device driver from your manufacturers support website.

Fix Bluetooth after upgrading to Windows 10

In the case, you just updated to Windows 10, and your Bluetooth device is not working, it could be that the device uses a custom Bluetooth profile.

If this is the problem, youll need to remove and reconnect the Bluetooth device again to resolve the issue.

Wireless devices to work on Windows 10 must use one of the supported Bluetooth profiles:

• Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP 1.2)
• Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP 1.3)
• Bluetooth LE Generic Attribute (GATT) Client
• Dial-up Networking Profile (DUN 1.1)
• Device ID Profile (DI 1.3)
• Hardcopy Cable Replacement Profile (HCRP 1.0)
• Hands-Free Profile (HFP 1.5)
• Human Interface Device (HID 1.1)
• HID over GATT Profile (HOGP 1.0)
• Object Push Profile (OPP 1.1)
• Personal Area Networking User Profile (PANU 1.0)
• Serial Port Profile (SPP 1.2)

To figure out what profiles your Bluetooth device supports, youll need to check your manufacturers website for documentation.

Fix Bluetooth device connectionwhen paired

When your device is paired, but its not working, you can use the following steps to fix the problem:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Devices.

3. Click on Bluetooth.

4. Select the device. If the device is in use, it would show as Connected, otherwise, the status will show as Paired. In the case, the Bluetooth device isnt working, youll need to remove it.

5. Click the Remove device button.

   

6. Click Yes to confirm to complete the task.

Once you complete the steps, youll need to connect your Bluetooth device again using these steps.

If the device you want to connect doesnt include a display but needs a PIN to pair, you can check the device or documentation to find out the PIN. However, most of the time, the default PIN is just 0000 or 1234.

Fix Bluetooth when you cant transfer files

If for some reason, youre unable to send or receive files using Bluetooth, you can check a few things to fix this problem.

Double-check connection

The first thing you have to do is to make sure that the device is paired to your computer.

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Devices.

3. Click on Bluetooth & other devices.

   

While on the Bluetooth page your device should appear as Paired or Connected. If its not, you can use these steps to connect a Bluetooth peripheral.

Bluetooth OPP support

Windows 10 uses Bluetooth Object Push Profile (OPP) support to transfer files. If your peripheral doesnt support Bluetooth OPP, file transfer wont work.Use your manufacturers support website to find out if your peripheral supports Object Push Profile.

Bluetooth file transfer

Before you can transfer files, you must be in the Waiting for connection screen.

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Devices.

3. Click on Bluetooth.

4. Click the Sendor receive files via Bluetooth link.

   

5. Click the optionSend files or Receive files depending on what youre trying to do.

   

6. Follow the on-screen directions to complete the task.

Fix Bluetooth audio devices connection

When streaming audio to a Bluetooth speaker, you may hear low-quality and glitches in the audio, sometimes the reason is that you have the Bluetooth settings open, and its in discovery mode. You can try to fix this issue by closing the settings to prevent your computer from constantly be searching for new Bluetooth devices.

Bluetooth doesnt offer large data speeds, which means that if youre listening to music, and trying to transfer files, you may encounter audio issues.

If the Bluetooth speaker is paired but not working, you could have configured a different audio device as default. To fix this issue, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on System.

3. Click on Sound.

4. Under the Output section, use the Choose your output device drop-down menu and select the speaker to use as default.

   

Once you completed the steps sound should start playing on the speakers.

Fix Bluetooth using Hardware and Devices troubleshooter

If youre still unable to fix Bluetooth connectivity due to a driver issue on Windows 10, you can use the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter to resolve this issue.

1. Open Control Panel.

2. Click on System and Security.

3. Under Security and Maintenance, click the Troubleshoot common computer problems link.

   

4. Click on Hardware and Sound.

   

5. Click on Hardware and Devices to launch the troubleshooter.

   

6. Click Next to run the troubleshooter.

   

7. Follow the on-screen directions to complete the task.

Once the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter process is completed your Bluetooth devices should pair correctly again.

If your device supports Bluetooth connectivity, and you cant connect an audio device to your computer, you can use the steps mentioned above to update the device driver, and you can also try removing the device and pairing it again.